Jessi Fearon says she and her husband were "clueless" about investing in 2017, having previously cashed out a 401(k) account to cover living expenses.

The couple faced challenges. Family members who had lost money in the market discouraged Fearon and her husband from investing. Her husband was starting his own business while she was a stay-at-home mom to three children, and their household income was $47,000 – not exactly a princely sum for a family in the metro Atlanta area.

"I committed 2017 to learning about investing," Fearon says.