Five investing fears to throw out the window

Many people are, understandably, cautious about investing in the stock market. I’ve invited Elizabeth Pearson from Simple Successful Stocks who runs a variety of financial education courses for people interested in taking their first steps as equity investors  to join me today to chat about common fears so over to her

 

It is easy to think that investing in the stock market is not for us.  Here are the most common fears and why they are simply not true.

1. ‘You need pots of cash to start’

You can start investing with as little as £25 a month.

2. ‘You need piles of time to do it’

It takes a few hours to open a stocks and shares Independent Savings Account (ISA) or Self Invested Pension Plan (SIPP) with an online broker.  You can then pay in a lump sum and/or a regular payment into a low cost, low-risk index tracker.  You then leave it alone to grow and get on with your life!

3. ‘You need to work in the city, have a financial background or degree – it is only for people who already know’

The financial sector is full of incomprehensible jargon and pictures of men in suits.  It is to their advantage that you think that investing is not something for the ordinary woman or man.  Gone are the days where investing required calling a stockbroker in the city to make an investment on your behalf for a hefty fee.  The internet has made investing available to everyone, to do at a time that works for you.  Online brokers (like banks for investing) are really helpful and if you get stuck you can always call them. I made my first investment in my lunch hour at work.  It is fun to be a secret stock market investor on the side!

4. ‘You have to be good with numbers’

Many people think they are not ‘good with numbers’ and therefore cannot invest.  Sometimes we believe we cannot do something when the reality is not a reality.  We may have had a bad experience at school or somebody made a comment which we then take on to be how things are.   To invest you only need to understand some basic concepts (see compounding above) and you’re away!  With a little bit of patience, you may see it is something you can learn, might actually like it and see you are much more than you thought you were.

5. ‘Investing is risky and you will lose everything’

The golden rule of investing is only invest what you can afford to lose. Being financially responsible and taking care of yourself means setting aside £1000 for expected unexpected events (e.g. your dishwasher breaking down).   Then you need to have between 3-9 months of your basic living costs as a cash safety net.  This is a reserve which you can draw on should you perhaps lose your job, or for some reason cannot work.  This money is somewhere you can access it readily when you need it.  Then you can start investing and getting money to grow, secure that you have money to protect you.