Whether you are new to investing or you are a more experienced investor, you may have some investment questions.
As a finance expert and investment coach, I often receive various investment questions from people asking me the how, why, and what.
Here are the answers to your top ten investment questions.
1. What should I invest in?
You should invest in commodities that will give you returns and profit over a long period. Invest in articles, products and materials, and things designed to increase in value over several years.
These products are most likely to increase in value due to specific factors such as performance, use, and societal demands.
You can invest in your business, stocks and shares of existing companies, gold, rare metals, and commodities. Agriculture, startups, vintage, and goods are also great places to invest.
What you invest in depends on your risk appetite, investment goals, and what you want to get out of investing.
I am currently not investing in NFTs because I do not understand them enough to know when to buy or sell.
Most importantly, I would say invest in what you understand. Go for commodities that are structured to yield a profit over a long period
2. How should I Invest?
For those interested in investing in stocks and shares, you may be wondering how to start
It is easier to invest in stock and shares these days than before when a stockbroker had to help you buy them.
Due to technology and relaxed government laws, the everyday man can invest in stocks and shares through investment platforms.
Investment platforms are like supermarkets that sell stocks and shares. You invest in stocks and shares by registering on these platforms and finding the stocks or shares you want to buy.
The beauty of these platforms is that you do not need to be resident in the country where they are situated. You can invest as long as the investment platform allows a resident of your country to invest money through them.
Some well-recognized investment platforms in the UK are Hargreaves Lansdown, Vanguard investors, AJ Bell You Invest, etc. Simply do a google search for investment platforms in the country you live in. In Nigeria, you have platforms like Bamboo Invest and Passfolio.
3. Can I sell My Shares Anytime I Want?
As long as you bought the stocks and shares of a company quoted on a recognized stock exchange, you can sell anytime.
All you have to do is click on the sell button on the platform through which you bought your shares, and they will sell them for you at the day’s price.
The platform would not sell your stocks and shares at the price you bought them, but they will sell them at the price the stock or shares are going for on the day you intend to sell them.
It is advisable to hold on to your stocks and shares when you buy them. I do not encourage people to keep buying and selling their stocks and shares because the idea of investing should be to yield profits, grow wealth, and befit from the company’s growth in the long term.
However, if you choose to sell your stocks and shares because you need the money or no longer believe in that particular company’s performance, you can sell them anytime.
You can sell as long as the company is quoted on a recognized stock exchange like the London stock exchange, new York stock exchange, or NASDAQ.
4. What are Funds and How do I Buy Them?
A fund could be a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF). A mutual fund is different from an exchange-traded fund in that mutual funds are not traded on the stock exchange.
Funds are simply a basket containing a specific number of stocks and shares or commodities put together by a fund manager.
When you purchase a fund, you are technically investing in all the commodities in the basket.
Some funds are technology funds that invest in tech companies, while some invests in the top 500 companies.
5. Are Investment Platforms Banks?
Investment platforms are not banks in that they do not offer you a chequebook. These platforms are not where you can transact business, pay people for services or accept funds on investment platforms.
An investment platform allows you to invest and access stocks and shares ISAs, cash ISAs, lifetime ISAS, funds, trusts, and even real estate. You can invest in all sorts of commodities through an investment platform.
As the name suggests, an investment platform is for you to open and fund your investment accounts.
6. Are Investment Platforms Safe?
This is one of the commonly asked investment questions I have received of recent. I understand why you are uncertain about investment platforms being safe, especially if you are worried that they have got all your money even though they are not a bank.
Well, investment platforms are regulated by the FCSE (federal regulatory body in the UK), and your funds are protected, so if anything happens to your money up to 75000 pounds, the British government will refund that money to you.
You must check that the investment platform you are using is regulated and ensure that there is provision for that platform to pay your money back from the government if it collapses.
Avoid apps and platforms that have not sought regulation or licensing from the government. Make sure that your investment platform has regulatory compliance.
7. Is Buying Shares the Same as Trading?
Buying shares for long-term investment is not the same as trading because trading is a short-term investment. You are buying and selling when you trade.
Trading is when you are trying to buy low and sell high. For me, trading is as close to gambling as you can get in investing because it is a high-risk investment.
It is different from long-term investing, where you buy stocks and shares and hold on to them until you can double your money.
Trading happens very quickly. Some people make gazillion amounts of money in trading, but they also lose a lot.
8. What is the Difference Between ETFs and Mutual Funds?
The difference is that ETFs are traded on the stock exchange market while mutual funds are not. It also means that when you want to sell your ETFs, the price is available as soon as the stock market is open, and you can sell immediately.
Mutual funds would require you to send a sell-bid to the mutual fund manager, who will give you a tentative price and come back to you.
The issue with this is that the price you eventually get to sell it might be slightly different from the price given when you put in your sell bid.
Mutual funds are not immediately sellable because the mutual fund manager does the selling for you, unlike in ETFs where you can sell it as quickly as stocks and shares.
A lot of mutual funds are usually actively managed to make them cost a little more than ETFs.
9. Which is the Best platform to buy shares?
The best platform to buy your stocks and shares depends on what you want to buy. If you are interested in just funds, vanguard investor is popular, affordable, and easy to use.
For those who wants to buy more than funds, go for platforms like Interactive investors, AJbell Youinvest, or Hargreaves Lansdown.
AJbell Youinvest and Hargreaves Lansdown are some of the best platforms if you love to learn and not just invest. These information platforms provides you with indebt research about different funds and the stocks and shares to buy.
There are also robo -investment platforms like Nutmeg where you do not have to choose your investments yourself. After telling them your risk appetite and investment goals, these platforms pick suitable investments for you by using artificial intelligence.
10. Can I give you my money to help me invest it?
No! do not give anybody your money to invest for you. You do not need to do that. Get on an investment platform and do it yourself.
If you are not convinced, speak to a licensed regulated stockbroker. They will charge you a fee, but they will help invest your money in regulated and controlled trusts.
I think you do not even need a stockbroker because these investment platforms are quite easy to navigate.
If you still have investment questions and need a more detailed conversation with me, you can email me at ronkeodewumi@gmail.com. I’d be glad to put you through.
