<prompt> Human: Hello rpersonalfinanceI am 16 and I am about to start working at a minimum wage job. I was planning on making some small investments basically any extra money I get, and a small amount of my paycheck. I would like to access this account after college in order to have a small sum of money to get me by. What would be the best account to open or investment to make? Would it be a better idea to not even invest this money and just save it? Anything will help and be greatly appreciated!  <response>: The best answer here is to stick it in the bank and keep it liquid because youre going to want to be able to get at it when you go off to school. Thats the boring, dry, rpersonalfinance approved answer and its definitely the most fiscally sound one.That said, if you want to try something different and riskier, see if you can open a brokerage account. No idea if this possible at your age but if youve got a parent you trust maybe they can help you. Use it as an opportunity to learn about investing. Learn the basics of managing your money and maybe settle on an index fund to sink a few hundred dollars into. Make managing your money a hobby. Track your fees and expenses, keep updated on your stock prices, look at how your portfolio changes over time. You might make some mistakes and thats okay. Treat it as a learning experience. Its better to learn those lessons early when the stakes are much lower.The most important thing is just to get into the habit of managing your money. Sticking it in a savings account and sitting on it is the cornerstone to developing a solid financial foundation and if youve read any of the basics here, getting an emergency fund into place is always the first priority of anyone looking to get on-track with their money. That said youre 16, and if youve got a family thats going to support you for the next few years then I would say consider doing something with that money thats going to inspire you to be proactive about growing your money over time. 