How to Start Investing in 2026: The Growth Stock I'm Buying Before Year-End

Investing in the stock market is one of the best ways, if not the best, to build long-term wealth, and starting to invest is an excellent decision. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), the closely watched index that tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. stocks, has historically returned an average of 9% per year, easily outpacing inflation and other asset classes like bonds and real estate.

For new investors, it's important to understand that that 9% gain is an average, and investing in the stock market comes with a lot of volatility. That means that the index doesn't just steadily gain 9% each year. You might have one year where you gain 30%, but then lose 25% the next year. That is normal, and investors must understand that the best way to make the stock market work for you is to invest over the long term, which means a time horizon of at least five years.

Now, let's review some of the basics to get started investing.

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How to start investing

If you're ready to start investing, the first thing you'll need is a brokerage account. You can get one through a number of platforms, including Robinhood, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and others.

You can set up a taxable brokerage account, or an individual retirement account (IRA), which offers tax-saving benefits if you're investing to save for retirement, or you can have both.

Once you have an account you've funded with money you're planning to invest, you must decide what to invest in. An easy choice, especially for beginning investors, is to invest in an index fund. This is an exchange-traded fund, meaning you can buy and sell it like a stock, that holds all of the stocks in a certain index, like the S&P 500. In fact, some of the most popular index funds are S&P 500 funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. Investors who are more interested in tech stocks may want to buy shares of the Invesco QQQ Trust, an index fund that tracks the Nasdaq-100, which holds the 100 biggest companies in the Nasdaq, and is dominated by tech stocks.

One growth stock I'd buy now

You can also invest in individual stocks, which generally carry more upside potential than an ETF, but also greater risk.

One growth stock that I find particularly attractive right now is Viking Holdings (NYSE: VIK), the parent of Viking Cruises.

Viking went public in 2024 and has delivered a string of results showing solid growth and profits. The company also has a number of competitive advantages. Its cruises are differentiated from the offerings of larger cruise lines like Carnival. Viking predominantly focuses on Europe, while most cruise vacations sail around the Caribbean. Viking also aims for a more relaxed, sophisticated experience, as it doesn't allow children, and avoids some of the typical cruise activities like casinos and art auctions. Instead, Viking offers more intellectual activities like lectures and cooking classes. Additionally, all of its rooms have windows, another reason its cruises tend to get high reviews from passengers.

Viking is well-positioned to benefit from ongoing growth in the travel market, and since it caters to an older audience, primarily baby boomers, it's more cushioned from inflation and other consumer pressures.

Viking is also fairly valued, trading at a similar valuation to the S&P 500. Overall, the company combines solid growth and profits with long-term potential at a reasonable price, and it has a business model any investor can understand.

It's a good choice for anyone starting out investing or who's looking for an outperformer.

Charles Schwab is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Jeremy Bowman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Interactive Brokers Group, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, and Viking. The Motley Fool recommends Carnival Corp. and Charles Schwab and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group, short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group, and short September 2026 $95 calls on Charles Schwab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.