We admire those who invest but, at the same time, we’re fearful of making an investment ourselves. Perhaps it’s because the returns aren’t guaranteed, hence there’s a risk that you might get back less than what you originally invested.

Also, we often ‘play it safe’ when it comes to our finances - after all, it’s our hard-earned money! But fear is hindering us from reaching our long-term financial goals.

So I checked in with Rachel, 23 years old, a Content Specialist here at CompareHero and the ‘baby’ of our team. Other than being a plant mom and obsessing over K-dramas, she started investing at the young age of 19 years old! 

This is her story.

Rachel: I’ve always heard bits and pieces about investments, but I really got into it after reading up on it. With everything that I’ve discovered, my goal is to eventually be able to rely solely on my investments to maintain my lifestyle! #FinancialFreedomHereICome.

AM I FINANCIALLY PREPARED?

Of course, I had my worries, and there were things I had to consider before making an investment. One of the questions I had was, am I financially prepared to do this? But I always knew it’s always better to start with little than to not start at all. 

Read also: 4 Popular Platforms For Trading in Malaysia

STARTING SMALL…

I started my investment journey by purchasing stocks, with only RM4,000 that I’ve saved up from my part-time job. Fast forward to today, I do investments in the stock market, unit trusts, ETFs, and fixed deposits. 

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Consistency and discipline are key - hence I kept adding more and more to my investments which has helped increased my returns over time. 

BAD RETURNS? IT HAPPENS.

Another thought I had was about bad returns. Here’s the thing, it happens, and sometimes you have to accept that some things are out of your control. Believe me, when I say this, there’s no point in being emotional about your losses. Waiting to cut your losses can often do you more harm than good.

GO FOR WHAT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN!

But on the other hand, there were other things that I could control, for example, choosing an investment that suits me. I assessed my risk appetite and slowly adjusted it over time. I also wanted to go for investment methods that I found interesting - there is no point in investing in something you’re not interested in learning about!

Read also: How to get into investing in REIT

WANT TO START INVESTING?

Making an investment it’s not a must for everyone, but I believe that investing can help grow your wealth over time. Hence, making it a really wise financial decision in the long run. Plus, it’s a great way for regular people like you and me to gain financial freedom! 

So if you’re looking to get serious with investing, be sure to really find out what your risk appetite is and do your research on different types of investments. Never put all your eggs in one basket, read some books on investing, and don’t let opportunities that you’ve missed out on hold you back.

Did you know, you can invest with only RM100? How Millennials Can Start Investing From As Low As RM100.