Sharesies customers in this age band currently have just under half of their investments in individual companies (47.8%). Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other funds make up the remainder, just over half at 52.2%, Cunningham added.
Auto-invest is popular with investors of any age, she said, with 100,000 people making regular investments this way.
Where younger investors are putting their money is interesting. Roll back 20+ years and only heavy hitters were likely to be investing direct in overseas shares. That’s one thing platforms have turned on its head.
On average, 53% of all holdings by dollar value in Sharesies are in the United States, but for this younger cohort, that’s 59%, Cunningham said.
The 18- to 30-year-old group are net buyers. For every $1.53 of investments they buy, only $1 is sold. They’re also buying through thick and thin, which may indicate they’re taking a long-term view of their investments.
Sharesies is a popular platform for younger investors. Photo / NZME
The top 10 investments for the under-30s is a mix of shares and ETFs, which indicates they’re likely doing more than just gambling on hot stocks. The Smart US 500 ETF is the most popular investment for this group on Sharesies. That’s followed by Nvidia, the Smart NZ Top 50 ETF, Air New Zealand, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF, Apple, Rocket Lab, Microsoft, the Smart Europe ETF and the Smart Australian Top 20 ETF.
Sometimes first-time investors haven’t a clue where to start, which is why the ability to invest tiny sums and learn on the job is so valuable.
A typical posting on Reddit from one young investor started: “I am confused as to whether Sharesies is legit. My friends use it … I don’t understand the premise of it, eg what’s it for, how it works, is it guaranteed to “give you” money? And can u even take it out?”
Advice from users was that it was legit and they started by investing small sums in well-known stocks such as Apple or ETF funds, and investments can be sold at any time. “You’ll pick up the acronyms and language quickly. At first it all sounded too complex and smart for me, but I’ve learnt a lot over the last year and have really begun to make a difference in my financial future,” one wrote.
A word of warning. It’s easy for new investors to feel like they’ve got a knack for picking winners. Higher-risk bets can drop fast when markets turn. Having said that, losing small sums early in your investing life can be a valuable lesson as well.
Finally, sharemarkets have had a strong run lately and that can’t last forever. Diversifying across companies, sectors and countries helps spread risk and reduce losses when markets turn.
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