Up until recently, my idea of building wealth was how fat my bank account was. If my bank account was looking healthy with just enough zeros, then I considered myself a baby girl. It meant that I had just enough to take care of my bills and still splurge. Little did I realize that I was setting myself up for a bad financial life- one in which I was sorely dependent on my paycheck. Even worse was how my money was being badly affected by inflation, yet I was oblivious to this. All I thought I needed was to get more jobs or an increase in my salary. Yet forgetting that I wasn’t protecting my current earnings. All that has changed since I discovered investing.
Here is a baby girl’s guide to investing;
- Do a financial audit:
The first thing you need to do is carry out a personal financial audit. You don’t want to start without getting rid of any financial baggage that could ruin your goals. It’s like decluttering your closet- making space for some breath of fresh air and the possibility of some much needed cool and trending pieces. Same should apply to your finances. Whatever doesn’t fit into your new financial space, get rid of it. Also, have a clear idea of all your assets including cash.
- Have a financial plan:
This is where your financial goals alongside your budget comes in. You need to be clear about the financial path you wish to undertake. What do you hope to achieve from investing? This makes committing easier because you know exactly what you are looking to achieve. You can download the SFS Fund financial plan template
- Research investment products
There are several investment products in the market to meet your financial plan. However, it is very important that you do your research and carry out due diligence on any investment product before you plunge into any. As one who is looking to start your investing journey, I recommend mutual funds. It offers you flexibility- easy entry and easy exit. SFS Fund offers this with highly competitive interest rates and no penalty fees on pre-termination.
- Take action
Now that you have done your research and found a product that works for you, it’s time to take action- make an investment. Fortunately, there are investment products like SFS Fund that allows you to invest as little as N5,000. With the SFS Fund mobile app, investing on the go is easy and you have access to your investment anywhere you are.
- Automate your investment
Earning bigger returns and achieving your financial goals lies in your ability to stay committed. On SFS Fund, you can automate your investment such that you credit your investment account just as you receive your income. For salary earners, this is a lot easier as you can do this to align with your pay day ensuring that you put this money away before that new 26” 300 grams Asian Straight Bundles with HD frontal takes it all away.
Here is an extra tip that I use. If I need to go on a trip or make a significant purchase like my bone straight hair, I invest that money first, earn some interest on it before I take the money out to splurge- leaving my interest to keep building. I also use my investment account as a point of collection for any major expense I wish to make but yet to save up all the money that I need. Rather than use a savings account that yields me very little, I use my investment account. With SFS Fund’s easy withdrawal policy with no pretermination charge, I can do this.
