New Year Resolutions
1. So, what’s the lay-of-the-land in Australia after all that’s been revealed concerning financial institutions in 2023?
Putting it bluntly – Australians now know that the banks only cared about their remuneration and profits and had no interest at all in regards to your financial well-being. If you use a bank investment product, it’s time to take action.
2. How do you pick the top or bottom of the Market?
You can’t, and no one can with any accuracy. Many will tell you they can, and that is interesting, perhaps even exciting. There is no evidence that this would be a smart way to invest for most investors.
3. I’ve never invested before, who or what should I trust?
Investment markets are not driven by the banks or any financial body, so the good news is you don’t need them to have a successful investment experience.
Don’t trust anyone with a get rich quick scheme or promising inflated returns.
Start reading so you can decipher the good from the bad. A good place to start is this book by John Bogle, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing. Bogle founded Vanguard, the world’s largest index fund manager.
4. What’s wrong with picking my own stocks?
You simply reduce your chances of having a successful investment experience, by a long way.
5. What’s a good way to determine how I personally handle risk?
Step 1 – how long are you investing for.
Step 2 – how much cash do you need to access or have for a rainy day or simply to feel comfortable.
step 3 – how much income are you drawing from the portfolio?
6. What’s the best, most simple advice, you can give to someone wanting to invest?
You will have a better outcome than most investors by simply Investing in a diversified low-cost index style fund and making regular contributions. Do that and get back to accumulating and saving if you’re younger, or if you’re retired get back to what you like doing: travelling, fishing, skiing, boating, theatre, golf etc.
7. Should investing be exciting or like watching paint dry?
It’s better to have a boring portfolio. Exciting portfolios cost a lot more and are more likely to disappoint.
8. Once I invest how involved should I be?
Check in once a year, maybe twice.
9. Is it a good time to invest?
It’s never a good or a bad time, it’s just important to stay invested or get started.
10. Your predictions for 2023?
Those who have a broadly diversified portfolio in low-cost index funds, passively managed funds or exchange-traded funds, and stay the course, will be fine.
To take control of your finances and learn more about investments than most financial planners dare to discover check out Scientiam for more readings and insights on how markets really work and how as an investor you can learn how to really invest and not gamble.
It’s your future.
Here’s to smart investing using science not guesswork.
