Latest Nasdaq figures show a 6.9% rise in 2024, driven largely by semiconductor and AI stocks. Investing as a teenager in innovation-led sectors could yield long-term gains, but maintaining a dollar-cost averaging strategy remains essential to hedge against market corrections. He adds: "Folkestone has its own personality that's unique. We've got the white cliffs. You can see France, you can see France quite often. When paper money and coins were the norm, it was easy to see money being spent. These days, teens don’t handle cash very often – debit cards and tapping phones has taken over. The equivalent of watching money disappear from a wallet or piggy bank is checking their bank account online frequently. The Russell 2000 index rose 5.1% as small-cap valuations reached attractive levels. Teen investors employing fractional share purchases can enter this basket affordably, benefiting from potential post-rate cut upside.