The Best Investment You Can Make Isn’t in Your 401(k)
Investing in yourself, through classes, career building, networking and just plain taking care of yourself, can pay off more in the long run than anything else.


I recently spoke with a woman whose company is being acquired, and this has introduced complicated financial decisions and opportunities into her life. Her one concern about working with me is the idea of paying my monthly retainer fee (for her, $150 per month).
I get it: $150 every month isn’t nothing. But if you look at what you are currently spending your money on, how much of it is actually an investment in your most precious asset (you), and how much of it ends up in the “miscellaneous” category?
Women, particularly, don’t invest enough in themselves. And they suffer for it, financially, professionally and personally. I’m not here to be your pop psychologist, or to pitch my services. I want to talk about how to invest in yourself and why.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Invest in your health
We all have challenges in our lives. Some are short-term, but the important ones usually aren’t. I realized recently if I’m going to continue working for what I want, what I believe in, then I need to replenish myself every day.
For me, that means a morning home yoga practice, regular visits to the chiropractor, getting at least eight hours of sleep every night, and home-cooked dinners.
I fall down on these resolutions on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. But they are the standard to which I try to return. (Anyone with a yoga or meditation practice will recognize this constant struggle as “return to the breath” or “return to the mantra.”)
Invest in your happiness
My husband is good at finding ways to invest in his happiness. He’s an avid amateur photographer, regularly writes for his photography blog and regularly works on his photography projects … all while being a stay-at-home dad to our two young kids.
This is something I struggle with, and I think I’m fairly typical for a woman. I feel I should use any “spare” time or money I have on someone else’s behalf. His dedication to self keeps him from being the surly, emotionally depleted wreck that I too often am.
So spend some money. Carve out some time. Do what makes you happy (or don’t do what makes you unhappy). It’s not an indulgence; it’s a necessity.
Invest in your relationships
This is something that my therapist is helping me learn. (I love modern life, where having a therapist is a thing of envy, not derision!) If you are not intentional about each of your relationships, they’ll be neglected.
For me, this has included marriage counseling (I cannot recommend this too highly), hiring a babysitter regularly so I can have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband, and taking every Thursday afternoon off to spend time with my elder daughter.
Invest in your career
This is something I hammer on with my clients: Your financial future is not just a matter of good financial planning. It depends on your professional success, too.
I work primarily with women in the tech industry. They are underrepresented in the higher-paying technical and leadership roles, in company ownership and in founding companies. All of this translates to less money. This community of women needs to take explicit steps to achieve professional success.
I recommend my clients intentionally cultivate a network of people who might support and guide them at every juncture. This doesn’t mean you have to glad-hand strangers at official networking events. You can thoughtfully pick out one person at a time you want to get to know better and take them to lunch.
I also encourage them to spend money on developing career skills instead of saving for retirement. No, this isn’t permission to be frivolous. If you make enough money to do both, then do it. But at age 25 or 35, spending $5,000 on conferences, a degree or classes should bring you far more money in salary over the course of your career than investing that money in your 401(k).
What skills should you develop? Whatever skills your job requires, certainly get better at those. But then there are broader career skills, like public speaking, negotiation or leadership. Take classes; buy books; hire a coach. This is not your momma’s employment landscape. (I mean, except for that pesky, persistent pay gap…)
Invest in your finances
Rule No. 1 in personal finance: Educate yourself. You need to do this regardless of whether you work with a financial professional.
I often recommend to people the following books about financial planning and investing. They’re easy to read, and inexpensive or free:
- If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich
- Personal Finance for Dummies
- How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing
If you’re not able, willing or interested in staying on top of financial issues that affect you, hire a planner. Maybe it’s a real cost to you. I get that. But this is very much a case of “you can’t afford not to.”
The earlier you get your finances in hand, the longer you reap the benefits. Usually people seek out a financial planner when they’re 55, wondering if they can retire. At that point, it’s a matter of “doing the best we can with what we have” and trying to undo mistakes.
If you start getting control of your finances when you’re in your 20s or 30s, then it’s all about avoiding mistakes and making the most of your opportunities. I love that about working with the early- and mid-career set: There’s so much potential.
Especially for women, this is both a protective act (far too many women cede responsibility for their finances to other people, and then are left in the lurch by a divorce, unscrupulous people or other unfortunate events) and an empowering one: If you understand and control your finances, you will be better able and more confident in taking risks and pursuing your goals.
How are you investing in yourself now? How could you invest more in yourself in the ways I’ve discussed above? Even if you’re still unconvinced that investing in yourself is worth the time and money, what can it cost to try it out for six months? A few hundred dollars? A small price to pay to find out if we can be happier, stronger versions of ourselves.
Meg Bartelt, CFP®, MSFP, is the President of Flow Financial Planning, LLC, a fee-only virtual firm that provides financial guidance to women in tech. She is a member of the XY Planning Network.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Meg Bartelt, CFP®, MSFP, is the president of Flow Financial Planning, LLC, a fee-only virtual firm that provides financial guidance to women in tech. She is a member of the XY Planning Network.
-
What Dave Ramsey and Caleb Hammer Taught Me About Handling Money
From Ramsey’s strict discipline to Hammer’s blunt reality checks, their lessons reveal how to save, invest and prepare for the future.
-
Dismal August Jobs Report Offers Rate-Cut Relief: What the Experts Are Saying
The August jobs report came in much lower than expected, lifting the odds that several rate cuts will come through by year's end.
-
Greed, Fear and Market Volatility: A Financial Adviser's Guide to Keeping Emotions Out of Investment Decisions
Don't panic! And don't be so confident in the stock market that you overlook risk. Instead, be logical. Your retirement security could depend on it.
-
Want a Financial Adviser Who Shares Your Faith? Look for One With a CKA Designation
Financial professionals with a Certified Kingdom Advisor certification are committed to integrating biblical principles with sound financial advice.
-
10 Ways to Stay Safe From Grandparent Scams and Other Fraud, Courtesy of a Financial Planner
Scams are increasingly hard to detect, and anyone can be fooled, from older people to educated professionals. Here are 10 ways to avoid becoming a victim.
-
This Is How the Student Loan Bubble Is Primed to Pop, From a Student Funding Expert
Fueled by easy money, inflated tuition and high default rates, the student loan bubble mirrors the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. We could be headed for a potential financial collapse. What can we do?
-
More Than Money: The Hidden Toll of Financial Abuse of Older Adults
Financial abuse from schemes involving tech support, government impostors, false sweepstakes, grandchild hoaxes and online shopping issues can cause thousands of dollars in losses.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: Here Are Three High-Impact Ways to Make a Difference With Your Dollars
The world often feels out of control, but here are three ways to use your money — through investments, charitable giving and political donations — to help create a more just and sustainable future.
-
The Unsung Hero of Aisle 5: A Tale of Forgotten Change and Compassion at the Supermarket
This supermarket manager went above and beyond to help when a child forgot her change at the checkout counter. You might be surprised at some of the complications that supermarkets face when it comes to customers' forgotten change.
-
Train, Integrate, Retain: A Strategic Playbook for Adviser Onboardings
Build a thriving practice by training new advisers with clear goals, structured processes and consistent mentorship for strong team growth.