{"id":558649,"date":"2026-07-20T07:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/558649\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T07:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:41:18","slug":"top-us-investor-on-how-irish-savers-can-get-ready-for-new-government-scheme-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/558649\/","title":{"rendered":"Top US investor on how Irish savers can get ready for new Government scheme \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saving is \u201ca wonderful strength\u201d of the Irish, says Motley Fool founder David Gardner. And yet our investing<\/a> habits are among the poorest \u2013 both literally and figuratively \u2013 in Europe. <\/p>\n

Now, as the planned launch of a new tax-efficient savings vehicle nears, the renowned US<\/a> investor, whose own Irish roots stretch back to the 19th century, says investing is a way we can all build wealth over the long-term.<\/p>\n

A literature major in college, Gardner is not a professional investor by education. But his experiences growing up set him up to be.<\/p>\n

He started investing at the youthful age of 18; the impetus was an investment portfolio his father had built for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I turned 18, he said \u2018Here you go, I\u2019ve been investing for you from birth. This is all you\u2019re ever getting from me so don\u2019t screw up!\u2019<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Ireland\u2019s new investment scheme: what Irish finance influencers were told behind closed doorsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

It was a \u201ccoming of age\u201d moment for the nascent investor. Back in 1984, funds weren\u2019t even on his agenda, so he did as his father had done, and his father before him had done, and bought stocks. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was how I was raised to think \u2013 but I started to discover that others didn\u2019t think that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some years later, in 1994, he founded the Motley Fool from his shed in Virginia, along with his brother, Tom. Starting off with an investment newsletter, today the Motley Fool offers a forum for ordinary investors to discuss and improve their financial decisions, with the goal of helping normal people get ahead of Wall Street. Its flagship service, Stock Advisor, gives two stock tips a month, as well as further financial advice, and it has been hugely influential in the US in helping ordinary investors to improve their financial futures.<\/p>\n

Its social media channels spit out inspirational advice such as \u201cmost fortunes aren\u2019t built by timing the market, they\u2019re built by time in the market\u201d, and \u201cthe biggest risk isn\u2019t losing money \u2013 it\u2019s losing patience\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"LahinchLahinch Golf Club, Co Clare, where David Gardner says ran out of balls on the 13th hole. Photograph: Oisin Keniry\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Gardner has also written books with his brother, including The Motley Fool: You Have More Than You Think. His latest book, Rule Breaker Investing, is about picking the \u201cbest stocks of the future\u201d and building lasting wealth.<\/p>\n

His Irish roots mean he\u2019s a somewhat frequent visitor to Ireland \u2013 he has distant cousins in all corners of the country, from the McIntyres in Donegal to the Gaughans in Mayo and the Murphys in Co Cork.<\/p>\n

More recently, he has brought his three children here on visits. Golf is a favoured pursuit when visiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played \u2018bad golf\u2019 in some beautiful places in Ireland,\u201d he laughs, recalling a recent foray at Lahinch, where he ran out of golf balls on the 13th hole. \u201cI took it as a sign that we weren\u2019t good enough to play at Lahinch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gardner is coming to back to Dublin next month for Investicon, a boutique conference for amateur investors which takes place in the Market Bar on Fade Street on August 27th. <\/p>\n

Picking high growth stocks\"AA trader at work at the New York Stock Exchange. ‘You have to be willing to endure the one year in three that the stock market goes down globally,’ says David Gardner. Photograph: Charly Triballeau\/AFP\/Getty <\/p>\n

He\u2019ll have a story to tell attendees. For some 30 years, Gardner picked stocks every month for Motley Fool subscribers, seeing himself as a champion of the underdog. These picks have returned 20.5 per cent annualised over 20 years \u2013 far above the stock market average of 9 per cent. <\/p>\n

But this has not been a risk-free return.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be willing to endure the one year in three that the stock market goes down globally,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n

And his best pick?<\/p>\n

Amazon. He bought into the US ecommerce giant at a cost base of $0.16 (due to stock splits etc). It\u2019s now priced at about $240. <\/p>\n

Another one was Nvidia, which he bought way back in 2005, also at a cost base of $0.16. You\u2019d pay about $196 for this stock today, having previously peaked at about $235.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot about patience from this one,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He has since retired from professional stock picking \u2013 after doing it for so long, he didn\u2019t want to keep spending so much of his personal time on it \u2013 but continues picking for his own portfolio. He also hosts a weekly podcast, Rule Breaker Investing. <\/p>\n

And he is still very much all about stocks. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have generally studiously avoided crypto,\u201d he says, adding \u201cit\u2019s very speculative\u201d. He\u2019s not against speculation, per se \u2013 \u201cI\u2019d encourage people to speculate a bit in life\u201d \u2013 but says it\u2019s better to speculate on stocks.<\/p>\n

If betting on horses or sports \u201cis one of the worst decisions\u201d, and on stocks is one of the best, because at least \u201cthe expected return is positive\u201d, crypto, he says, lies somewhere in between.<\/p>\n

What of recent major IPOs such as that of SpaceX, Elon Musk\u2019s multi-trillion-dollar business, which shattered trading volume records when it floated but has since had a volatile performance? Did he invest in it?<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not,\u201d he says, giving the reason that it floated at \u201csuch a gigantic size\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not opposed to SpaceX, but I like to find earlier-stage smaller companies,\u201d he says, pointing to a similar, but smaller, company, Rocket Lab, which was founded by Peter Beck in New Zealand in 2006. Gardner invested in the company at $18 a share, and it has since grown to more than $100.<\/p>\n

Irish investors \"AA billboard at the Nasdaq stock exchange in Manhattan, New York, promotes the initial public offering of SpaceX stock on June 12th, 2026. Photograph: Andres Kudacki\/The New York Times<\/p>\n

So what does such an experienced investor think of the Government\u2019s new plans to get Irish people investing through a tax-efficient investment vehicle, along the lines of Sweden\u2019s ISK, or the UK\u2019s ISA?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big fan of this idea,\u201d he says, pointing to the billions of euro in household deposits in Ireland, which stood at some \u20ac170 billion most recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis habit of saving is such a wonderful strength of the Irish,\u201d he says, adding that \u201csaving is harder than investing\u201d. After all, you have to get the money in the first place.<\/p>\n

He urges savers to use the new structure, which is expected to be announced come Budget 2027 day in October, to dip their toes into investing waters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not difficult to find a higher rate of return than 3 per cent,\u201d he says \u2013 although many Irish savers are actually earning far less than this on overnight deposit.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo with a tenth or a fifth of your savings, take an amount that you\u2019re comfortable with, and get your feet wet by buying into funds or shares directly, things you can relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Investment philosophy\"WallWall Street, home of the New York Stock Exchange: For David Gardner, the advantage of investing in stocks, as opposed to another type of investment, is that you become a part-owner in that particular company. Photograph: Angela Weiss\/AFP\/Getty <\/p>\n

Not taking a short-term approach, and tolerating a wobble due to market volatility, has played a major role in Gardner\u2019s investing success. It\u2019s about not responding with a knee-jerk reaction to fears about, for example, an AI bubble. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I encourage a reader, or investor to do, is think longer-term than the very near-term headlines. My approach, which works very well, is that I just keep buying and adding [stocks],\u201d he says, adding that a person should be looking at putting 5-10 per cent of their pay into the market each month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve ridden through every bad market,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

So how does he pick his winners?<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t own something you don\u2019t believe in,\u201d he says is key to his philosophy, and he practises what he preaches. \u201cI want to own things that I believe in or feel connected to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like his father before him, he built up a stock portfolio for each of his own three children. Gardner waited until they were each 21 and finishing college before flying out to them and sitting them down for a \u201cthis is all you\u2019re ever getting from me\u201d chat.<\/p>\n

He gave each of them diversified accounts, with about 25 to 30 individual stocks, trying to ensure they had companies they knew and understood, such as Disney or Netflix.<\/p>\n

\u201cA mistake would be to give them things they don\u2019t understand, to invest in things they don\u2019t feel connected to,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s what I encourage others to do. The amount of money is going to be different for every family \u2013 but it\u2019s not the amount, it\u2019s about the sense of ownership [from investing in stocks].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I fail all the time. I would say of the hundreds of stocks that I\u2019ve picked, probably about four in 10 of them have underperformed the market average\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0David Gardner, investor<\/p>\n

For Gardner, the advantage of investing in stocks, as opposed to another type of investment, is that you become a part-owner in that particular company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big fan of being an owner, of participating,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

But if you are very nervous about starting to invest, it\u2019s okay to take your time about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone should feel pressured or pushed into something they don\u2019t feel comfortable with,\u201d he says, adding that putting money into the market should be done in \u201cmeasured steps\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big fan of incremental actions and decisions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

And it doesn\u2019t have to be about concentrating your risk by investing in a number of stocks. <\/p>\n

\u201cIndex funds are fantastic,\u201d he says. Such funds track major indices, such as the S&P 500 or Eurostoxx 50, and are also available as exchange-traded funds, and typically have low annual management charges. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re getting a little share of every stock on the market,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Lose to win<\/p>\n

As with any investor, it\u2019s important to note that it hasn\u2019t all gone in one direction for Gardner. Acknowledging that many in the sector can be reticent to disclose losses, it\u2019s part of the idea behind Motley Fool to speak authentically. And Gardner admits to having had \u201cmany, many losers\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fail all the time,\u201d he says. \u201cI would say of the hundreds of stocks that I\u2019ve picked, probably about four in 10 of them have underperformed the market average. So, you would have done better by just buying the index fund. And sometimes they lost half their value.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, what has been a bad pick?<\/p>\n

\u201cPeloton, the Covid darling.\u201d <\/p>\n

The at-home exercise bike class stock peaked at more than $170 before plummeting to less than $6, amid a decline in users.<\/p>\n

But he doesn\u2019t let such disasters get to him. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf the winners far exceed your losers, then you\u2019re doing it right,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s an approach to investing that has helped him to succeed. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my own orientation, it\u2019s almost idiosyncratic \u2013 I\u2019m willing to lose more than the average person,\u201d he says, adding that while the most you can lose on your (ungeared) investment is 100 per cent, the potential gains are \u201cinfinite\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something that doesn\u2019t come naturally to most of us, however.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pain of loss is three times the joy of gains. We fear with more fervour than we enjoy success.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Gardner will be at the Investicon conference in Dublin<\/a> in August; www.investicon.ie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Saving is \u201ca wonderful strength\u201d of the Irish, says Motley Fool founder David Gardner. And yet our investing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[752,72,61,975,60,1388,5066,976],"class_list":["post-558649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-advice","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-investment","tag-ireland","tag-new-york-stock-exchange","tag-tax","tag-weekendreview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}