4 Investors Share Their First Investing Experience

Not sure how to start your investment journey? Sharesies Australia spoke to four investors from all walks of life about their first foray into investing, and how it has contributed to their financial wellbeing today.

Leighton Roberts

What was your first investment?

$50 into an investment club, literally into the club’s bank account – it was a while before we actually “invested it”, but it made me feel like an investor.

Why did you make the decision to invest?

I chose to invest with a club because I couldn’t see a path to being able to afford investing by myself! Thankfully, that problem has changed these days – but there are still lots of cool things about being in the club.

Does your current portfolio reflect this first investment at all?

It’s been 18 years and I still put $50 a week into the club! We have invested in heaps of things now – shares, property and lots in between!

What was the outcome of the first investment (was it a total flop or a first taste of success)?

It’s still going, I believe in long game investing – 18 years in, we are just getting started!

What’s something you would tell your past self about investing?

I’d tell myself that I did a great job getting started, and to stick at it – long term investing is not five or 10 years – it’s waaayyy longer. And I’d also ask my future self if selling is really a good idea, because in some instances I would have have been better holding.

Leighton Roberts is a director and co-founder of Sharesies Australia. Leighton drives business growth and continuity and ensures that Sharesies is making the most out of every opportunity available. Before taking the leap into the start-up world, Leighton led the Home Loan and Business lending portfolios at Kiwibank. 

Molly Benjamin

What was your first investment?

David Jones shares when I was at high school in 2005 (mainly because my mum shopped there and I knew what it was!). I bought $500 worth, which I then sold to pay for a trip to the UK. I was also gifted some Telstra shares that still pays me dividends #goodtimes!

Why did you make the decision to invest?

My parents got me into investing at an early age – but I won’t lie, it was a challenge to wrap my head around. It wasn’t until I had success with ANZ shares later on and made some money that I thought, “Oh I like this investing stuff”.

Does your current portfolio reflect this first investment at all?

Ah, not at all. David Jones is now delisted, and we know what happened to department stores during COVID-19 so they were out of my portfolio a long time ago. I did a gap year in Scotland in 2006 and was like “wow I like this ASOS site” just as online shopping was really taking off – I could really see the online retail trend.

What was the outcome of the first investment (was it a total flop or a first taste of success)?

Total flop. David Jones was delisted a few years later.

What’s something you would tell your past self about investing?

Honestly, I would have told myself to invest a portion of my paycheck into a diversified ETF (exchange traded fund) every month. Ah if only I had known what an ETF was back then! This is now my current strategy – Plain Jane Vanilla investing!

Molly Benjamin is the founder of Ladies Finance Club which was born in London in 2018, and then launched in Australia in 2019. Prior to this, Molly had been working as a communications specialist in the financial sectors for national and international companies such as Barclays, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of Queensland. Molly is on a mission to build a tribe of empowered money savvy women who have the freedom to live rich, exciting lives on their own terms.

Scott Phillips

What was your first investment?

From memory (it’s hazy – I’m old!), it was an investment in the Telstra float back in 1997. I can’t remember the exact amount, but think it would’ve been around $1,000.

Why did you make the decision to invest?

I had been fortunate to have some great high school teachers who opened my eyes to the power of investing, and I was probably just wired from birth to be interested in business.

Does your current portfolio reflect this first investment at all?

To some degree. I own Telstra shares again (I had sold them, but bought again when the price fell), and still very much favour strong brands and understandable businesses.

What was the outcome of the first investment (was it a total flop or a first taste of success)?

That investment was a good one. Putting more money into the second tranche at $7.40 was… not as good!

What’s something you would tell your past self about investing?

Slow and steady wins the race. Keep saving, keep investing and let time do the heavy lifting.

Scott Phillips is The Motley Fool’s Chief Investment Officer in Australia. He is passionate about investing, having managed his own portfolio for over 15 years. A dyed-in-the-wool Fool (in the best way), he has been a member of The Motley Fool since 1999. Before joining The Fool, Scott worked in various Sales and Finance roles in industry, which has allowed him to see the good, bad and the ugly of corporate management close-up.

Annabelle Cannon

What was your first investment?

I actually used a $5 promotional code for my first investment, on what used to be Afterpay (now Block Inc). I saw it as: “I have given so much money to them, may as well try to make some money from them.”

Why did you make the decision to invest?

For me, there was a sense of urgency to start building income producing assets which would help me, not only set myself up, but help set up any children I have in the future. Using MoneySmart’s Superannuation calculator, I discovered the chances of me relying solely on this was slim. Entering the property market also seems like a huge obstacle I can never seem to climb on.

Related article: 7 Top Investments for Young People

Does your current portfolio reflect this first investment at all?

My portfolio is a combination of ETFs. Life is a bit busy for me and I don’t have a lot of time to research and decide what’s right or wrong for me, so I have invested in an ethical fund which is made up of different ETFs and I use my online share trading platform’s ‘auto-invest‘ option which has been working fine for me.

What was the outcome of the first investment (was it a total flop or a first taste of success)?

There was a small win initially, but it ultimately left me at a loss. However, I don’t regret starting off with a share in Afterpay. I put the funds into another investment asset and it’s performing a lot nicer.

What’s something you would tell your past self about investing?

There’s never a perfect time to start, you just have to jump in. I try to set aside some money every month to invest, whilst also paying down a car loan. Although, it’s not as stressful as it needs to be as I’m not committed to a mandatory monthly payment like I would be with a home loan.

Annabelle Cannon is a 27-year-old talent coordinator and HR student who enjoys sharing her savings goals and financial journey with others in her community. Her Instagram page, financially.chaotic keeps her followers updated with her latest financial moves and learnings.

Should you invest?

If you are considering investing it is important to take into account your own personal circumstances, investment goals and tolerance for risk. It’s also a good idea to have a clear investment strategy and research which investment products could be right for you. And, remember that past performance is not a indicator of future performance.

Main image source: Gorodenkoff (Shutterstock.com)