Investor Journeys—Christian
After being told he’d need thousands of dollars to invest, Christian signed up to the Sharesies app instead. He shares more about his interest in US shares, what he’s investing towards, and why he thinks it’s more empowering to ‘do it yourself’.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m in my late-30s, and I live in sunny Brisbane with my fiancé. I’m an exercise physiologist and spent my 20s and 30s working in clinical rehab and managing injuries for self-insured employers. I’m also an Olympic Weightlifting coach. More recently, I’ve studied data analytics in the hope of changing careers.
What’s your money story?
Bless my parents, but money and investing just weren’t part of our dinner table conversations growing up. I learnt about getting a job that pays well, but not about building wealth.
It wasn’t until I was well into my 30s that I started paying attention to my financial future. I’d been making voluntary super contributions for more than a decade, but investing was new to me. I think with the rise of devices and easier access to the share market, the barriers to entry just fell.
How did you start investing?
Around 2017, my tax agent said that if I wanted to invest, I’d need at least $100,000. I didn’t have that amount of money then, so it put me off starting. Around mid-2022, I signed up to a popular investment platform, but the user experience felt outdated—the functionality just wasn’t there.
My friend referred me to Sharesies, and I’ve been using it ever since. The other platforms have so many limitations—you can only invest during certain hours, with certain amounts, in certain markets. Sharesies not only offers access to the NASDAQ (which is what I was specifically looking to invest in), it’s also a lot easier to use, and there are always new features being added.
Above all the other platforms that I’ve looked at, Sharesies seems to be the one that stays ahead of the curve and just provides a better, faster experience.
How would you describe your investing approach?
Over the last three years, my interest in investing has grown. It’s been a bit of a paradigm shift for me. I’ve started to pay more attention to the share market and be more intentional about the asymmetric bets I’m making with my portfolio. My disposable income has increased over that period too, so I’ve had more opportunities to invest.
In general, I’d say that I’m chasing growth with my investments—I’m not interested in dividends. I prefer investing in individual companies rather than exchange-traded funds (ETFs) because it means I can get direct access to the innovations and industries I’m interested in, whether that be electric vehicles, energy security, or AI. It’s also the reason why I’ve opted to invest in US shares rather than the Australian share market, which feels a lot more commodity and export driven.
What do you like about being an investor?
In retrospect, if I’d had $100,000 and handed it over to a professional to invest, I wouldn’t have learnt anything. I may have received a reasonable return—and I’m not saying that there isn’t scope to engage with a professional. But it’s powerful to do it yourself. Choosing your own investments and making decisions rather than deferring to someone else puts the power in the hands of people.
By being involved with your own investments, you learn and create connections between different things happening in the world and the share market. I don’t think I would’ve had that experience had I just handed my money over to an investment professional.
What goals are you investing towards?
The primary motivation is choice—whether that’s having the choice to retire earlier, work for myself instead of an employer, own a home, or start a family.
It’s hard to predict the future, but the way the world is going, I think it’s important to be able to create your own castle and take care of yourself. Traditional approaches with institutional money management isn’t enough to get there, especially with inflation. You have to be smart, informed, and considered with your money.
I don’t want a Lamborghini or a vast portfolio of investment properties. But being able to educate my children, build security, provide opportunities, and take my family to see the world and create memories? That’s the kind of future I'm interested and invested in.
Investors who take part in our Investor Journeys series use Sharesies and agree to share their perspective and experiences. They may receive payment from Sharesies Australia Limited for their participation.
The statements made throughout are the investor's personal views and do not constitute financial advice. They are not to be attributed as the views of, or advice provided by, Sharesies Australia Limited.
Ok, now for the legal bit
Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. We don’t provide personalised advice or recommendations. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time written. You should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice when considering whether an investment is appropriate for your objectives, financial situation or needs.
Join over 750,000 investors
