Investment success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, and a great deal of hard work. 

Investing may seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be a frightening ordeal. If you do your research and start smart, you’ll be on your way to a successful investment journey. 

If you want to start your investment journey but don’t know where to begin, I’m here to help you. I’ve put together this quick guide for beginners to help you make successful investments and grow your hard-earned money. 

Step 1. Define Your Goals

Making a successful investment is a journey – not a one-time event – and you’ll need to prepare yourself thoroughly. Start by defining your goals. 

Why do you want to invest? Will you need your cashback in five months, a year, three years – or longer? Are you saving to purchase a home, for future college expenses, or are you saving for retirement? 

Before investing, you should clearly define your goals and the likely time in the future you’ll need the funds. You must first ask yourself these questions. After all, the investment plan that you come up with will depend on your investment goals. 

Step 2. Understand What Type of Investor You Are

Before you start investing, you need to understand what type of investor you are. How do you want to invest? 

Generally, there are two types of investing styles:

• DIY Investing

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investing is a more hands-on investment approach. It requires you to do all the research and work yourself. Also, you’ll have to regularly monitor your stocks, which can be time-consuming. The advantage is that you’ll have total control over what’s in your portfolio. 

• Passive Investing

This approach to investing is ideal for people who don’t have the interest or time to do all the work themselves. There are countless options out there if you want to employ someone to invest for you. You can invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or in mutual funds through a robo advisor. A robo advisor provides digital financial advice based on mathematical algorithms – these platforms do all the work for you once you answer a few questions about your investing goals and risk tolerance. 

Step 3. Understand Your Risk Tolerance

Another key factor in making successful investments is understanding your risk tolerance. Essentially, risk tolerance is the degree of variability in investment returns that you are willing to withstand in your financial planning. It is the amount of risk you’re comfortable taking or the degree of uncertainty that you’re able to handle. 

Everyone has their own degree of risk tolerance, and there is no ‘right’ balance. But by understanding your risk tolerance, you can avoid making investments that are likely to make you anxious. Anxiety can stimulate fear, which can then trigger an emotional response. During periods of financial uncertainty, an investor who remains cool and composed invariably comes out ahead. 

Step 4. Find the Right Investment Path

To make successful investments, you need to find the right investing path that matches your goals, resources, and risk tolerance. Typically, investors follow one of the following strategies:

• Making diverse investments – not putting all their eggs in one basket.
• Putting all their eggs in one basket, but closely monitoring that investment. 
• Combining both these strategies by making strategic bets on a passive portfolio. 

Many successful investors start with low-risk diversified investment portfolios, gradually learning along the way. As you gain more knowledge over time, you can take on a more active stance in your portfolio. 

Need a Financial Advisor?

Wondering if it’s time to get professional help for making successful investments? It may be time to work one-on-one with a financial advisor. 

If you need expert financial advice, I can help you! With my expertise, I can help make your investment journey a successful one. 

—————————————————————————————

Will Bell Mortgage Broker is a mortgage and finance broker based in Melbourne specializing in residential home loans.  Will is all about the average Australian understanding just enough of the broader economy to take action on your own personal economy.  He is the host of the My Personal Economy Podcast which you can check out here.

Additionally, you can follow him on Facebook