Let’s be honest: Investing is kind of scary. The stock market itself is difficult to understand — you earn money by spending money? And it’s not even necessarily real money, but this virtual number that moves and shifts on a moment-to-moment basis? Seriously, who thinks this is a good idea? Well, as it turns out, just about every single financial professional — as well as the army of everyday people who’ve used the power of compound interest to fund major financial goals, like home ownership and retirement. There’s a reason a 401(k) account is one of the most common workplace perks: You pretty much need to invest if you’re going to build a big enough nest egg to one day throw in the towel. Investing is also one of the easiest ways to earn passive income — that is, making money without putting in any extra hours at work. Once you set up your investment portfolio, it takes relatively little management to see significant returns: The average investor has seen 10% gro...