Robin's Story

I began investing (in the 80s) with only the FT pages for help. I would draw graphs daily of shares I was interested in. Then I found a computer program called "Wallstreet", which made life easier in charting. I also read Jim Slater's The Zulu Principle and subscribed to his weekly tip sheet and then to Company REFS (first in book form and then on a disc), which was extremely useful. However, it didn't move with the times but along came Stockopedia, which I use all the time to judge my buying and selling.

Yes, Stockopedia has changed my investing style. The introduction of the Ranking system and Ed Croft's advice to avoid "story" shares has greatly influenced me. I have many sieves set up on Stockopedia and use them all the time.

Each year I easily outperform the FTSE 100, which is one measure of success. If I were to leave it to an active manager or follow passive investing, I am sure I would not have done so well. About two years ago I added USA to my Stockopedia regions - that was well-timed as the USA market has kept me in profit for this last year. During the lockdowns I have spent rather too much time at my computer, and worry that I may be overtrading. However, it has been necessary to tilt my portfolio towards the new normal, so perhaps it is as well that I have been able to do so. Once the golf courses open again, I trust I will not be spending so much time thinking about my investments and will just be able to let them run and live life as it is supposed to be lived!

Advice to an investor just starting out: Put as much away as you possibly can. Use ISAs and SIPPS. Time is on your side, so don't try to get rich quick. Do not follow tips without checking the company, do not overtrade, do make your own decisions, do diversify, do talk with other investors. Go to investors' conferences, but be wary of charismatic CEOs - I lost on three companies that had star CEOs, two of whom were crooks. Keep track of how you are doing. There are many companies out there, so you will need an investment tool like Stockopedia to help you whittle the number down for serious investigation.