Andrew's Story

I mainly relied on value and growth measures, in particular the PE and PEG ratios. I looked at charts to try to time my entry point and get a feel for the long-term story of the share. I tended to rely more on ideas from other investors that I respected rather than unearthing my own ideas.

Yes, It’s made me far more independent in my approach. I feel like I have the tools to find shares to invest in that suit my own objectives and risk appetite. I use the screening tools for new ideas and it’s very easy to set up “Watch lists.” The StockReports have such a wealth of information and I’ve found that I’ve begun to take much more account of quality measures, like ROCE and ROE. The Portfolios are a great way to pull together all my shares and better understand the balance and risks associated with my investments.

I do feel that I’ve been able to construct a more balanced portfolio that will be more resilient in the long term. Given that my portfolio size is significantly bigger now, this definitely gives me peace of mind. I also find that I’m spending a lot more time monitoring my investments, mainly because it’s so easy to do so. The articles and discussion posts are always worth reading too.

Start small and prove to yourself that you can be a successful investor first. I would say, give it 5 years, keeping detailed records of all your transactions and costs and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the kind of future returns you can expect. It’s only by building up positive returns that you will have the confidence to invest significant amounts of your hard-earned money that will ultimately be life-changing.