A lot of people make New Year’s resolutions. And there are those who want to do something good for themselves before or during the summer holidays: to lose weight, stop smoking or to start investing. Making a plan is the first step, but how do you stick with it? We have 6 tips for you that will help you make investing a habit. One thing we can already tell you: it’s mainly about being well prepared.
How much do you have left over after your expenses are taken care of each month? Many people don’t really know that. So it’s wise to compare your income to your expenses, and it’s also important to keep a buffer to absorb unexpected costs. You’ll then know how much money you can invest. You can make an initial deposit with us from as little as € 20.
If you have a clear investment goal, it will be easier to continue investing longer. Make this goal as concrete as possible, like ‘Send [name of your child] to university in 15 years’, for example. Also decide the level of risk you are willing to take with your investments. It is then also useful to know how to spread your risk. If your goal needs to be reached within the next two years, the risk of investing is usually too great, and it’s then better to save.
Not sure what you want to invest in yet? Or are you waiting for the right moment to start investing? If so, keep the old adage in mind: ‘Tomorrow never comes’. Good to know: there are well diversified investment funds and ETFs that invest in dozens of companies and/or bonds, offering you a sizeable spread. The ABN AMRO ESG Profile Funds managed via Guided Investing also have a wide spread.
There are costs associated with investing. You pay for services like the management of your investment portfolio and the information you receive about this, and, in some cases, for buying and selling investment products. To prevent unpleasant surprises, it’s important to know about these costs and when you will need to pay them.
When investing, you do not have to invest a lot of money right from the start. You can also arrange for periodic investing, where you deposit a small, fixed amount in an investment fund every month. You can do this from as little as €20. With this type of investing, you set up the amount of the periodic deposit once – so you never run the risk of forgetting to deposit funds – and then it continues automatically (until you cancel it). Of course, you’ll need to make sure that there are sufficient funds in the account from which the money for the periodic deposit is drawn. You can also set this up on Internet Banking.
Investing, by its nature, has peaks and troughs, and the value of your investment portfolio can change from day to day. That sometimes makes investors nervous. That’s also why it’s a good idea to have an investment goal and a plan to focus on. It’s all about the long term, after all.
Investing involves risks. You could lose (some of) the money you invested. If you are going to invest, it is important that you are aware of this. Invest with money you can spare. Read more about the risks associated with investments.
Find the answers to frequently asked questions about investing on our service page.
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