Why it happens: Investing seems scary and sounds complicated, so it's no wonder so many of us avoid it altogether. Plus, people think if you don't have a lot to invest, it's not worth it. But that's not true, says Kimberly Rotter, a personal finance expert at Manilla.com. "You can now buy and sell stock very cheaply, so the old rule to not buy stock if you can't afford 10 shares is moot."
How you can avoid it: You don't need a fancy personal finance advisor. Just call your bank—many, such as Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Capital One offer investing and wealth management services—and ask how to buy a stock. It's that simple—they will help. If you'd like to read up beforehand, you can learn about the basics of investing on sites like The Motley Fool and Investopedia. And if you're still intimidated or confused by all the jargon, ask a bank representative if they have an on-staff financial advisor you can speak to free of charge. A fee-only one is legally required to put your interests first and isn't incentivized to sell you anything.