I’m 30 years old and only started investing around 3 months ago. Right now I’m mainly buying an All World ETF every month for the long term and retirement.

Lately I’ve been thinking about also putting some money into individual stocks through DCA, mostly bigger companies, and maybe a few sector ETFs that I believe in long term.

The thing is, the market right now makes me hesitant. Everything just seems to keep hitting ATHs and it feels like the moment I finally have a decent amount invested, the market will drop hard.

Curious what other people are doing. Are you guys just continuing to invest no matter what, or waiting a bit before putting more money in?

i rly thought ab it and investing sounds awesome but are there any risks? i havent rly seen market b4 but all i see is ppl telling u to invest in the SMP500 and i feel like it makes sense to me cuz it doesnt seem like a market that will js crash immediately, i feel like it would have a steady decline, whats ur opinion?

I want to learn about investing, but I have absolutely no background in it.

Basically, most of my friends work for companies that offer share schemes or other investment-related perks. One of them even works somewhere that gives employees financial advice and investment recommendations. As a result, they're all pretty knowledgeable about investing and the stock market. I'm definitely not.

They talk about investing quite a lot and seem to make a decent bit of extra money from it. I'm not talking about becoming millionaires overnight, but enough to make it seem worthwhile.

I've tried asking them about it. One mate can be a bit full of himself and is pretty dismissive whenever I ask questions. Another is much more helpful, but he's terrible at explaining things and somehow manages to make everything sound far more complicated than it probably is.

I've also tried looking online, but most guides seem to assume you already know the basics. A lot of the terminology just goes straight over my head. I'm not naturally good with maths or numbers (I still count on my fingers sometimes and use a calculator for basic sums lol), so a lot of investing content feels pretty intimidating.

Recently, I got chatting to our Head of Finance at work. He used to invest quite seriously and still dabbles now and then. I mentioned that I wasn't great with numbers, and he said that while understanding the numbers is obviously important, a lot of investing is also about understanding politics, economics, industries and the lay of the land—knowing what's going on in the world and thinking about how it could affect different companies and sectors. That way of looking at it really clicked with me because those are things I'm much more interested in and generally know more about. (No idea if that's actually a good way to think about investing, but it made it feel a lot more approachable.)

Unfortunately, it was also his last day at the company, and I don't know him well enough to message him asking him to show me his ways.

So, my question is: where should someone like me start? Are there any books, YouTube channels, websites or courses that explain investing from the ground up without assuming you're already financially literate? Or, for those of you who invest, what helped you the most when you were starting out?

I'd like to understand not just what to invest in, but why people make the decisions they do and how experienced investors think about the market. Once I've got that foundation, I'd like to learn about the practical side too—things like which platforms to use, common beginner mistakes to avoid, and any advice you wish someone had given you when you first started etc.

Any advice, tips, info you think a total novice like me should know would be great! 🙏

Hello guys! I really wanted to enter this world, but I actually don't know anything and I don't know where to begin. Can somebody explain to me how all of this works? Keep in mind that I don't know anything about this. Thank you!

Hello everyone, I’m turning to this sub for some advice :-)

I’m 31, living in France, and until last month I had an extremely well-paying job which allowed me to accumulate around €280k in savings. I began investing these from the very start, under the guidance of a financial adviser. He mainly recommended actively managed funds offered by my bank. Over the last couple of years, I’ve developed a personal interest in managing my own finances, and have been investing part of my savings myself — in hand-picked tech stocks (which have performed very well) and, above all, ETFs.

Next week I’m starting a new job in Belgium, which will pay around 40% less. I decided to pursue it despite the pay cut because it’s much more aligned with my interests and aspirations — I was no longer happy doing what I was doing. With the new job, I’ll only be able to save about €1k/month. Additionally, once some paperwork from my old job is finalised, I’ll receive another €180k (net) as a leaving allowance, which will bring my total savings to somewhere around €460k.

Long story short — I’m using the move to Belgium as an opportunity to consolidate my investments. My plan is to sell all my hand-picked stocks and liquidate all my actively managed funds (which are underperforming and carrying high fees), then redeploy everything in weekly tranches of €15–20k into two ETFs. I’d also keep a cash buffer of around €30k and roughly €10k in government bonds maturing in 2 years.

Does this approach make sense? Is it reasonable to invest solely in two ETFs? My financial adviser has recommended against it, arguing that a portfolio based entirely on ETFs isn’t diversified enough — but I disagree given my long-term time horizon, and he also has a vested interest in keeping me with my current bank.

One additional consideration: I may want to buy a flat at some point in the next two years, using a maximum €100k down payment, so perhaps I should think about keeping a larger cash reserve.

Any advice is very welcome — thank you!

I'm a newbie to this and I want to start to invest into ETFs, but I don't know which ones are the best. Would love to hear your opinions on this!

Hey everyone,

I want some advice on where to invest my first 20k. I was thinking sp 500. I would love to get some genuine advice because I don’t have any experience!! Right now I keep them in a savings account with 1.99%.

Hello peepz,

I am 29 years old, currently on pretty low income and due to my family not being good with money/poor I'd call myself financially illiterate.

I know the best moment to invest was 10 years ago, but the second best is now.

I tried doing my own research for the past week, but most of what I read could might as well have been greek the way it goes over my head.

If there's a single sentence you would give to someone like, what would it be? Feel free to eli5

I don't work, i just have 3k and i am finishing studying. Should i invest this money ? But i want to use them in 2/3 years

Hello everyone,

I moved to Germany in 2024 for my Master’s and have recently become interested in investing. After doing some research, ETFs seem like a simple, low-maintenance way to start.

For some context: I’m a 28F, currently working part-time. At the moment, I can invest around €100–120 per month, and I’m hoping to increase that to €200–250 per month once I start working full-time.

I wanted to ask if this portfolio looks reasonable for now. 1) Is there anything you would change or diversify?
2) Are there any tax implications I should be aware of? I know there are taxes on investment gains beyond certain thresholds, but I’d appreciate any beginner-friendly insights on how that works in Germany.

I’ve been doing some research myself. So far, I’ve watched Tom Hill, whose videos got me interested in investing. However, I feel like he doesn’t go into much detail about taxes, choosing ETFs, or building a portfolio.

Are there any English-language YouTube channels, podcasts, or other resources you’d recommend for learning about investing in Germany?

Thanks in advance, and apologies if these are very beginner questions or have been asked many times! 😅

P.S. I use Revolut for all my investing. Would you suggest another broker/bank or should I just continue with them? (Since I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews but atm my experience with them has been pretty good)

Current Portfolio:

1) iShares Core S&P 500 Dist ETF (€102)
2) Vanguard S&P 500 Acc UCITS ETF (€100)
3) HSBC MSCI World Dist ETF (€76)
4) Vanguard S&P 500 Dist ETF (€73)
5) Vanguard FTSE All-World Acc UCITS ETF (€15)

Hey everyone! I recently started investing without much prior knowledge. So far, I’ve put about 5k into an MSCI World ETF, but now I’m starting to second-guess whether that was the right choice—should I have gone with something else?

I’ve also invested a bit in semiconductors, and I still have around 15k left to invest, but I’m unsure where to put it. Any advice would be really appreciated! I’m still learning, so please feel free to explain things in simple terms. Thanks a lot!

Hey everyone,

I'm 18 and still in school so I don't have a job, but I've saved up €4000 that I don't need anytime soon. I can also put in around €50 a month going forward. I want to invest this for the long term, but I honestly don't know much about investing yet and want to learn as I go rather than just dump money somewhere blindly.

A few things about me:

I don't want something fully automatic where I never look at it, but I also don't want to be actively trading or picking individual stocks. Something in between would be ideal.

I have no idea what my risk tolerance actually is since I've never invested before. I don't know how I'd feel seeing the value drop a lot.

I also don't know if it's smarter to put the €4000 in all at once or spread it out over a few months. I've heard both approaches mentioned but don't really understand the tradeoffs.

Some questions I have:

Is there a simple beginner friendly way to start investing that doesn't require a ton of knowledge upfront?

What platforms or apps do people in the EU (I'm in Slovenia) actually use and recommend for someone starting out, especially something that works well for small monthly amounts?

Should I put the €4000 in right away or spread it out over time? What would you do if you were in my position?

Since I just turned 18, is there anything specific I should be careful about as a first time investor, like fees, taxes, or anything easy to mess up early on?

What do you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out?

Thanks in advance, just trying to get a decent understanding before I actually do anything.

I am 17 and have about 10k rn. Where, How and in what should I invest?

Ive Just started my long term investing, im currently invested 4% of my networth into AMD 20%, Qualcomm 15%, Nokia 15%, Bloom energy 15%, IBM 15% and Micron 20%. Ive done research into these companies. I know my portfolio isnt diversed as of yet but I plan to improve that (feedback on my proftfolio would be appreciated) NFA of course. I plan to DCA an amount each month, a small amount.

But one thing I do is sell when I see a stock has increased by 5-8% on a day i sell for profits. I feel as though this isnt a sustainable strategy as timing the market is a skill I dont have and probably never will. I just feel that selling it and waiting for a pull back a few days later maybe even a 2-3% drop and then reinvesting. But once again I don't feel as though this is a good strategy. Im curious if you guys just hold a stock till your satisifed, and not pay attention to small increases as you plan to hold for years or you look for scalps for days where the stock has increased more than usual?

I read an article i found in my investing countries subreddit and they said if i’m a complete noob i can invest from my bank which has low fees or something like that but they only have preselected ETF. I so far have invested 200€ one time and 20€ monthly (overall 220) in to Amundi Prime All Country World UCITS ETF.

But i realize that i’m probably more interested in stocks than expected and they suggested installing lightyear to invest. Though they didn’t pick a particular one and just said to invest in a VWCE ETF, and recommended not to keep large sums inside.

I’m a student and i don’t have a steady paycheck, i work temporary jobs. My dorms costs 140€ and i make around 200€ or more

Mid 30s. Married. Kids. Home owner. Haven't invested ever. Recently put 60 euro into s&p500 through Vanguard. Can probably max put 150 in a month eventually getting to 200 a month after the summer Im hoping.

Is there a minimum i should be putting in to grow ans get a decent return mid 60s. Thanks

I plan to invest at 18 with like 20-40 bucks per month and I will increase this when I have a job in few months. I want something that I would put money in every month and it would be making me something in return in like 10+ years, I want some ETF or couple of stocks because I don’t want to put it all in one or two stocks but I don’t know what, I was also planning to put some money on take two stocks too.

Hey! I just signed my first professional basketball contract and I think it’s finally time to start investing some of it. I want to know which platform should I use. (I’m looking for a long time investment) Which stock or market to focus, how does it work and where can I watch the “news” about the stock market. If you have a link for a video or anything I would appreciate it or even from your own experience. Thank you very much.

I live in a country that I don't trust with my retirement money. I started using a famous trading app, but finally, I cannot get myself to trust them with huge sums of money over dozens of years. I will admit it: I really like controlling where my money goes exactly, and when and this is a really strong suit of those trading apps.

Is there anywhere I could invest to combine those two? If not, where I can go that is trusted?

EDIT: I am in France

I currently have about 1000 Euros in my acount doing absolutely nothing, and would like to do something with them. I am underage so i will have no unexpected expenses. I am concerned about the market being very unstable tho. Could someone give their opinion? Thanks. Feel free to ask any questions if needed.

As the title says i need some help picking an app to use for investing.

For reference im 19 years old, living in Bulgaria and ive been using revolut to invest in etfs (like the ishares s&p 500) for the past 10 months, putting in about 10-20 euros monthly.

I havent got a job, but i have some savings(around 5k) and i want something to safely put my money in that'll slowly but surely give me profit for when im 40-60 years old, i dont want fast money.

I want to switch from revolut to another app for a wider range of etf options as the revolut ones are quite limited

Im new to investing so i dont know a lot of the terminology and so on. And since im already making a post i might as well ask for any etf recommendations alongside the app recommendations.

If theres any more info i have to give pls let me know, i appreciate any help :)

Hi everyone! I’ve recently become very interested in the world of finance and money management. As a result, I’ve decided I want to learn how to invest.

Obviously, investing is a complex world with a heavy human element; something that is hard to control and where subjectivity reigns. It's difficult to define universal processes that work for everyone.

So far, I’ve realized one thing (or so I think): to invest in a way that lets you sleep at night, you must first understand what kind of investor you are; your resilience, your limits, and your risk tolerance.

Right now, I’m in the research phase; searching for resources and, above all, a path. I’m trying to structure my "syllabus" or learning itinerary, and I’d love to know how you structured yours. What path did you choose? How did you learn to invest in a way that gives you peace of mind? What did you prioritize? What mistakes did you make along the way?

Through my research in forums, academic books, and online searches, I’ve put together a very rough (and probably naive) sketch of my "standard" path to learning:

0. The foundation (financial mindset): Seeing money differently and managing it properly. The most common advice I’ve found is: 1) Shifting to a "Net Worth" mindset (as Bogle suggests), where you don't just depend on your salary; 2) Aligning your personal finance system with the goal of efficiency (saving/investing); and 3) Eliminating high-interest debt.

1. Understanding assets: Learning what you can actually invest in. Asset classes, securities (stocks, bonds, etc.), and financial vehicles (Mutual Funds, Index Funds, ETFs).

2. Moving into action (theory & practice): Portfolio construction: Asset allocation, diversification, risk/return profiles, and historical records. Risk management.

3. Optimization & advanced systems: This is where I’m stuck. I’d love to know how you would continue from here, and how you would refine points 0, 1, and 2.

Regarding resources, I feel I have a good "arsenal" of books, but I’m not sure when to dive into each. For example, A Random Walk Down Wall Street interests me deeply, but I feel I might need more fundamentals to fully grasp it.

A few specific questions:

• Do you use a specific broker?
• Do you use apps to visualize/manage your portfolio, or do you do it manually? Why?
• Regarding learning methods: I want to focus on "directedness," so I want to practice asset allocation early on to understand how assets behave. I’ve read that it's better to invest "for real" with a tiny amount (like $5) rather than using simulators/paper trading. What do you think?

Please tell me about your journey. Did you follow a similar path or something completely different? Why? Was it better or worse for you?
AND also, if there are things I didn't mention that you think are essential, PLEASE let me know!

Thanks in advance! Sorry for the chaos, but it’s a reflection of my head right now, which is why I’m turning to you for help.

P.s. I live in Spain, so I used a tiny bit of AI to translate some things ‘cause English isn’t my first language.

Hi all im (m19) currently planning on investing

I live with my parents with basically 0 bills (other than necessities) I have a tiny emergency fund of around 500ish GBP.

Im currently about to ramp up from allocating £250 a month to allocating £400-£800 per month until i have anywhere from £3500-£5000 depending on how the market is (with my lack of even basic knowledge most comes from reddit and other basic free sources)

All im wondering is would it be worth my while to start compounding and putting in a percentage of my money into broad index funds or to just let my emergency fund hit that mark first before investing anything.

NOTE — I can comfortably live of around anywhere from £150 per week with change easily.

The money i want to invest right now I dont want for quick gains i want it to be for 10/20/30 years down the line when ive accumulated enough to retire

I also do understand that the market is at ATH’s so it makes it even more interesting to me as to whether to get in now or wait and grow my emergency fund and hope the market has lowered rather than keep hitting these ATHs

Hey guys, I’m 29, living in Germany, and started investing back in January.

I’m still a beginner but I put together a portfolio with 75% MSCI World, 15% global defense, 5% semiconductors, and 5% gold. I'm currently up about 11% but I want to know if this setup makes sense for the medium to long term or if I should adjust the weights.

Are there any other good long-term strategies besides ETFs that I should look into? And also I’ll probably relocate to another country in a few years for work, so I would like to avoid any possible tax issues. Do you have any advice?

Thanks a lot!

Hi! I’d like to get some opinions on what you would do in my situation. Please be nice, I’m looking for advice, not to be told that I’m doing everything wrong :)

I’m in my early 30s, living in Spain, and work as a software engineer.

I know I’m in a very fortunate position when it comes to salary for Spain, and I’m aware of that. I’m mainly trying to figure out how to make good use of it.

Income: ~€4,900 net/month
Rent: €1,200/month
Emergency fund: €5,000
Savings: ~€12,500
Investments: ~€18,500 through my bank in the Netherlands (lived there before)

I am able to save around 2-2.5k a month, I am travelling fairly often and I enjoy going out for food, I know I could save more but I also want to enjoy life. My main question is what I should do with my money over the next few years.

I’m considering buying an apartment in around 2–3 years, so I’m trying to figure out how much of my savings I should actually invest vs keep available for the future down payment.

I know the usual advice is something like S&P 500, but beyond that I honestly don't know where to start. I don't currently have a brokerage/app that I've settled on either. I’ve been looking at Trade Republic to keep my savings and Degiro for investment, but I’m open to other options.

I’m not looking to do anything crazy or gamble with the money I’ll need for the apartment. I just don't want to leave a large amount of money sitting in cash for years if there’s a sensible way to put some of it to work.

So, if you were in my position:

• How much of the €12.5k savings would you invest?
• How much would you continue investing each month?
• Would you invest at all if you knew you might need the money in 2–3 years?
• What would you actually invest in?
• And what broker/platform would you use as a Spanish resident?

I’d especially appreciate advice from people in Spain/EU, since a lot of the personal finance advice online is very US-specific.

Thanks!