Investor Journeys—Alyssia Investor Journeys—Alyssia

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m originally from a small town in Regional Victoria named Taradale, but now live in Albury, New South Wales, where I’m in my fifth year of med school. When I’m not studying or working part-time at the local pharmacy, I like to hoard houseplants and go on big bush walks. 

What’s your money story?

Although I only recently started investing myself, it’s a topic that I used to hear a lot about growing up. My grandpa was into shares in a big way, and I have memories of my dad and little brother getting dividend cheques in the mail. But investing was something that was mostly discussed amongst the men in my family. 

When my grandparents passed away, they left me with a decent inheritance that my parents encouraged me to put in a term deposit. I did exactly that, and through that experience, I learnt for the first time that I could make money work hard for me. 

My partner was a big part of my investment journey. When we first started dating, he’d just begun investing, so I learnt a lot through him. Prior to this, I considered investing and gambling as one in the same. I obviously don’t believe that anymore!

The other thing that set me down the road of investing was a personal finance course that I took at university as part of my general education criteria. The course really empowered me to take charge of my money. After that, I got addicted to podcasts like She’s on the Money, which has really helped increase my financial literacy. 

What challenges did you need to overcome to start investing? 

Aside from getting over my beliefs about gambling and investing being one and the same, I also had to overcome the fear of financial jargon.

Before I knew about the Sharesies platform, I signed up to invest with my bank. The jargon was so overwhelming that I was just clicking through the registration and hoping for the best. Since then, through my own research, I’ve become a lot more financially literate.

How have you found your experience with the Sharesies platform so far? 

I joined the Sharesies platform because of the ability to buy part of a share. 

At the time, there was a particular company that I really wanted to invest in, but I was frustrated by the fact that I had to buy the entire $600 share. With the Sharesies platform, I can control how much I invest. 

I’m now back at uni, and find the auto-invest feature so handy. It places the orders for me and takes a bit of the emotion out of investing as well.

How do you manage your money and investments? 

When I was using another investment platform, I used to invest about $1,000 each time due to the brokerage fee. With the Sharesies platform, I can invest a more affordable amount each week and split it between the different exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that I’ve chosen. 

Investing has given me a more tangible reason to save because I can physically see my money working hard for me. There’s a saying that I’ve heard a lot since I started investing: “Time in the market beats timing the market”. I’m a strong believer in that.

What tips would you give to everyday Australians who think you need loads of money to invest?

For those who have debt, I’d encourage them to focus on paying that back first before they look into investing. Then, set some money aside and jump in. With the Sharesies platform, you can start from just one cent. Skip your cafe-bought coffee and try investing that money instead. Who knows where it could lead?