Investor Journeys—Dane VickersInvestor Journeys—Dane Vickers

Since graduating, he’s started working full-time at Mike Pero Mortgages. The steady routine and paycheck has allowed Dane to kickstart his investment journey—in the hopes that one day he’ll own a Tesla!

Tell us about your first investment!

I started investing because I wanted to have more control over what I invested in and be able to easily change my investments if I wanted. I felt my savings account with the bank was at a low interest rate, and started feeling more comfortable with risk. I liked the idea of playing around with money.

Sharesies was my big power move into the investing world. The first time I invested, I split my money equally between the Smartshares US 500 fund, Smartshares Australian Resources fund, Smartshares NZ Top 50 fund, and Smartshares NZ Bonds fund. I wanted to start off by having that diverse risk factor across different markets.

What do you like about having an investment? Why should people try it?

I like that I can check my Portfolio, watch my returns, and see how all that can change over the course of the day. It gives me control over my investments. People should give it a go because it gives you that feeling of reward when you see your Portfolio grow. Dividend Days are the best when you get a small lump sum of money deposited into your Sharesies Wallet to either reinvest or treat yourself with.

How did you feel after becoming an ‘investor’ for the first time?

I felt like an adult. It gave me a sense of power and control. I didn’t know if what I was doing was right or wrong. But I did my own research on these ETFs, and felt that broadening my investment could only prove valuable in the long run.

I was a little worried about the chance of losing money, as I had become used to a bank account where my money was safe and would always be my money. These worries were relieved once I set my mind on the long-term goals. Even when my investments went down when the market dipped, I knew it was only a matter of time before it increased again.

You mentioned that you’re investing for a Tesla! How is investing helping you get that Tesla?

Having Sharesies as an option to easily invest my money makes it more enjoyable to put that little bit extra away into shares. To make my dreams become a reality, I’ll continue to invest a portion of each month’s paycheck into Sharesies. This way, further down the track I’ll start to see the dream become a reality as my Portfolio grows with dividends and increased share prices.

What tips would you give to everyday people who think you need loads of money to invest?

I always thought that too! But to be fair, before Sharesies, that belief was pretty accurate. With Sharesies, you can put in small amounts each paycheck. Even if you only put $50 a month into Sharesies, by the end of the year, you will have invested $600 (which could have grown too!).

What is the best piece of advice you’ve given (or been given) about investing?

The most important piece of information I’ve been told is to ride the rollercoaster. Investments can go up and down, but only the weak hands sell when they’re low—because you can bet the rollercoaster doesn't stay at the bottom for the whole ride.