An April survey from Bankrate.com found that just 26% of Americans under 30 are invested in the stock market.

Heavy student debt is one obvious reason, but there are other factors, as well.

The financial crises of the last decade have given millennials the impression that Wall Street isn’t exactly honest and that investing is best left to the pros. That could explain why a whopping 40% of millennials’ money is in cash equivalents.

Unfortunately, cash equivalents won’t grow enough to fund their future needs. In fact, money invested in cash equivalents probably won’t even keep pace with inflation, let alone provide funds for important goals like a child’s education or retirement.

Yet it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite the perception among some millennials that investing is too complex, it’s really not. To prove my point, I’ve compiled some basic investing tips for millennials. Please bear in mind that I’m no longer licensed to give advice, per se. These are merely my thoughts based on my decades of experience in the investment arena.

Tip #1: Your Biggest Advantage Is Your Age

That’s right – your age is undoubtedly your biggest advantage. With so much time left in your working years, bull and bear markets really shouldn’t factor in to your decision to invest.

Invest as soon as you have steady income. In other words, pay yourself as well as your bills.

Investing legend John Templeton was once asked when someone should invest in stocks. He replied, “The best time to invest is when you have money.”

He wasn’t trying to be funny, either. Consider this interesting factoid from The Center for Retirement Research: Someone who starts saving at age 45 will have to put away three times as much as a 25 year old in order to retire at age 65.

Keep in mind that, historically, bull markets tend to last longer and move more in percentage terms than bear markets. Just look at the market since 1985. The S&P 500 Index is up over 2,000% with dividends reinvested. Even adjusted for inflation, it’s up about 1,000%.