Investor Journeys—HannahInvestor Journeys—Hannah

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m 32 and work as an account manager for a business that imports products for retailers. I currently live out of Sydney with my partner and two dogs.

Did you grow up learning about money and investing?

My first experience of managing money was at kindergarten! One of the major banks encouraged families to open savings accounts for their children. Growing up, I would deposit a small amount into my account—a gold coin here and there. 

I guess it got me thinking about saving money from a young age, but it wasn’t the extensive money management advice I needed for the rest of my life! In fact, I think it made me lazy—as if putting a small amount of money into an everyday bank account would be enough.

Why did you start investing?

I knew that my wage would never be enough to live the way I want to, in an area I really like. I wanted to find another way to make money. Some interest rates are lower than inflation at the moment, so putting my savings into a term deposit would actually see me lose money!

What was your first experience of investing like?

My first experience of investing was when I bought some cryptocurrency and a few shares through a bank. The minimum investment amount was $500 and the brokerage fees were $20–$30 per trade.

In my late 20s, I inherited some bank shares from my grandfather. I wasn’t sure whether to keep them or not, but in March 2020, just as the global pandemic hit, I panicked and sold them all. Their value had dropped by about 30%. It was the worst timing. Then I discovered the Sharesies platform.

I was risk averse at the start. At some point when I was younger, I must’ve picked up on the idea of investing being like gambling. I realise now that investing can be a way to grow my money—I see it as owning a collection of assets. My investments might go up and down in value over time, but it’s not like playing blackjack at a casino.

How have you found investing with Sharesies so far?

It was so easy and quick to set up my Sharesies account. I like that I can filter and find the type of companies I want to invest in, such as food and beverage companies, or energy and utility companies. The Sharesies platform makes it easy for me to search for companies and sort them by their market capitalisation, or the amount that their share price has changed over time. 

I can see Sharesies has put a lot of time and effort into becoming a B Corp certified company. Their blog posts aren’t full of jargon, so they’re easy for me to understand. It gives me the confidence I need to invest with them. 

How do you manage your investments?

After making the mistake of selling my bank shares during the Covid-19 downturn, I thought ‘I can’t do worse than that!’ I started by investing $5 here and there. As I saw my investments make a return, I invested more, $15 or $20. 

I review my investments once a week and top up my Wallet with around $50 every week. I either buy more shares in one of my existing investments or invest in something new. I still have my investment in cryptocurrency through a bank’s investment platform, but I prefer buying shares through the Sharesies platform because I’m learning so much about investing as I go.

My partner knows a lot about investing. She gets excited by reading lengthy articles about investing in certain sectors. I do some research too, but tend to invest in a diverse bunch of companies based on what I’m interested in or know about; food, consumer products, and technology. I get excited about the opportunity of investing in new ideas that might be the next big thing.

What tips and tricks would you give someone about investing?

1. Do your research and take your time to consider all your investment options. Holding on to a bank account that you opened at kindergarten isn’t necessarily the best way to grow your money!

2. Only invest an amount you can afford. It’s ok to start small and get comfortable investing.

3. Think of investing like a wave. There’ll be highs and lows, peaks and troughs. If there’s a dip in the market, don’t panic.

4. Consider how you might spread your risk by investing in different investment types,  industries, and regions. 

What are your investment goals?

I’d like to make a consistent return on my investment that does more for me than just beat inflation. I don’t want to rent forever. I want to make enough money for my partner and I to own our own home and some land somewhere, big enough for a few animals. We’d like to live in the Blue Mountains again.