What age did you start investing?

[newtrader1982]

Always interests me to see at what age people made that decision to start investing, and what made them make that decision. Thought this could be a good thread where people could talk about when and why they made that decision and what was that first initial investment they got into. Also if that first investment worked out or not.

My first investments was in property when I was 18 brought a couple of houses for around $220k, ended up selling them a few years later for about 100k profit, wish I held onto them though not many 3 bedroom houses you can buy these days for $140k and $89k....

 

[Calliope]

Always interests me to see at what age people made that decision to start investing, and what made them make that decision. Thought this could be a good thread where people could talk about when and why they made that decision and what was that first initial investment they got into. Also if that first investment worked out or not.

Aged five when I put my first penny in my new piggy bank.

Reason? Inborn Scottish thrift.

Did it work? Of course.

 

[WilkensOne]

Always interests me to see at what age people made that decision to start investing, and what made them make that decision. Thought this could be a good thread where people could talk about when and why they made that decision and what was that first initial investment they got into. Also if that first investment worked out or not.

Had been interested in investing for a long time, seems to flow with how my brain works My first investment was when I turned 20, a couple thousand dollars of shares. I'm only 22 now so can't say much about what has happened to that money, I know it kicked me into gear as I have a lot more in the market now still conservative until I learn some more.

Would be interested to know how everyone else got started.. does seem to be difficult to start with property in the present :bad:

 

[McLovin]

I got a Dollarmite account (do they still do something similar? The lady from CBA came to class and handed out or deposit books and a piggy bank) when I started at school, so I would have been 5. Bought my first share at 14 (Aerodata -- don't ask me why!). I was given some shares prior to that but I don't really count them as it wasn't my decision.

Investing in shares was kind of by accident, I just happened to pick up the paper on Saturday morning and started reading the business pages and one of my sister's friend's parents was over at was talking about Anaconda Nickel which was at about $4 and had a 52 week low of <$1, the capital gain sounded pretty good.

 

[skc]

My first share was bought in 1999 and it was the IPO for ******************. That was the first year since I finished Uni and I guess I didn't know what to do with my paychecque.

I never heard of hotcopper before, had no idea about the financials, but it was a time when you buy any dot.com float and you'd make money.

It ended up being taken over by Bourse Data in about 3 weeks after the float at 2x the float price in a script deal.

Obviously I had no idea what is a script deal... So I ended up holding onto those shares through the dot com bust... and Bourse Data itself eventually got taken over by St George.

Overall I recovered 1/3 of the money I put up... mind you we are only talking about $2k. It was a mostly-blind exercise and a good laugh looking back now.

 

[newtrader1982]

Aged five when I put my first penny in my new piggy bank.

Reason? Inborn Scottish thrift.

Did it work? Of course.

Mate my old man is a Scott so I think some of it rub off on me, I remember when I was a young fella and my parents would give me money to catch the bus to school but I would end up keeping it and walk.Every $ I would get I would try and keep and it would make me sick when I had to spend it. Has the be the Scottish blood comming out in me.

 

[newtrader1982]

Had been interested in investing for a long time, seems to flow with how my brain works My first investment was when I turned 20, a couple thousand dollars of shares. I'm only 22 now so can't say much about what has happened to that money, I know it kicked me into gear as I have a lot more in the market now still conservative until I learn some more.

Would be interested to know how everyone else got started.. does seem to be difficult to start with property in the present :bad:

Before you invested into the shares did you do much research or did you just jump straight in? I think with property it is alot better now then it was 5 years ago because of the interest rate being so low and the lack of rental properties on the market. I only wish I kept those properties that I brought in the inital stages of my investing

 

[newtrader1982]

I got a Dollarmite account (do they still do something similar? The lady from CBA came to class and handed out or deposit books and a piggy bank) when I started at school, so I would have been 5. Bought my first share at 14 (Aerodata -- don't ask me why!). I was given some shares prior to that but I don't really count them as it wasn't my decision.

Investing in shares was kind of by accident, I just happened to pick up the paper on Saturday morning and started reading the business pages and one of my sister's friend's parents was over at was talking about Anaconda Nickel which was at about $4 and had a 52 week low of <$1, the capital gain sounded pretty good.

AAHHH the old dollarmite account I forgot about that. I used to take it to school every friday with my $2 or $3 in it for them to come around and collect. Yeah they still have it I have got one for my daughter alot easier now I just go online and deposit her money in it. Alot different to the amounts we used to have in there I think she has about $5k in it, might have to hit her up for a loan

 

[McLovin]

My first share was bought in 1999 and it was the IPO for ******************. That was the first year since I finished Uni and I guess I didn't know what to do with my paychecque.

I never heard of hotcopper before, had no idea about the financials, but it was a time when you buy any dot.com float and you'd make money.

It ended up being taken over by Bourse Data in about 3 weeks after the float at 2x the float price in a script deal.

Obviously I had no idea what is a script deal... So I ended up holding onto those shares through the dot com bust... and Bourse Data itself eventually got taken over by St George.

Overall I recovered 1/3 of the money I put up... mind you we are only talking about $2k. It was a mostly-blind exercise and a good laugh looking back now.

1999 I bought Boss Resources, the changed their name to Aussie Online and the SP went from 7c to 77c.

Those were the days!

ETA: A quick search of ASX shows the shell is still around it's now Aspen Group...Quite a ride they've had

Select company name

ASPEN GROUP - previously known as
ASPEN GROUP LIMITED
AUSSIE ONLINE LIMITED
BOSS RESOURCES NL
BALLARAT CONSOLIDATED GOLD NL
BALLARAT CONSOLIDATED GOLD LIMITED
WESTERN GULF MINING LIMITED
WESTERN GULF OIL AND MINING LIMITED

 

[WilkensOne]

Before you invested into the shares did you do much research or did you just jump straight in? I think with property it is alot better now then it was 5 years ago because of the interest rate being so low and the lack of rental properties on the market. I only wish I kept those properties that I brought in the inital stages of my investing

Yeah I agree that is true of property for sure, but the house I am living in I would consider that of a FHB just sold for $600k.. that isn't affordable in my opinion haha but I agree the rates have helped.

I did some research.. not enough to be perfectly honest, the stocks are from a subscription I have so I waited watching for awhile as their recommendations went up in value, up between 5-30% in roughly 2 years on a conservative strategy which I am sticking with until I can test a better option with a system. Also doubled my money in 1.5 years with AAPL.. then sold at break even.. was a great learning experience watching it go from 300-700 and then back to 450

Luckily I am young, stupid and haven't risked anything I can't lose but a lot of valuable experience for sure

 

[skc]

My first share was bought in 1999 and it was the IPO for ******************. That was the first year since I finished Uni and I guess I didn't know what to do with my paychecque.

Lol. I didn't know this would get auto-cencored.

It's the other stock forum for those who are wondering.

 

[newtrader1982]

Yeah I agree that is true of property for sure, but the house I am living in I would consider that of a FHB just sold for $600k.. that isn't affordable in my opinion haha but I agree the rates have helped.

I did some research.. not enough to be perfectly honest, the stocks are from a subscription I have so I waited watching for awhile as their recommendations went up in value, up between 5-30% in roughly 2 years on a conservative strategy which I am sticking with until I can test a better option with a system. Also doubled my money in 1.5 years with AAPL.. then sold at break even.. was a great learning experience watching it go from 300-700 and then back to 450

Luckily I am young, stupid and haven't risked anything I can't lose but a lot of valuable experience for sure

True I just brought a property for $700k but only cause I have the intentions of moving into it I thought I would rent it out for about 3 years to try and get the loan down to something not so crazy, I have had it for about 21 months and have it down to 500k so it is going ok.

I have always been interested in trading and was actually looking at subscribing to the Rivkin report many years ago but not long after he was getting done for insider trading and the idea fell by the waist side. do you recommend your subscription do you find it to be a big help?

 

[pixel]

Does inheriting count?
If so, I must've been about ten when a great auntie, a Dentist's widow, left me a bundle of "Ilseder Huette" - to help me with the cost of Uni.
Just Google "Lengede" and read what happened in October 1963. Of course, the R's fell out of the share price, but somehow it stabilised within a few months; so I persuaded my parents to let me top up from pocket money I'd earned during school holidays, working odd jobs - from lumberjack's assistant to proof reader. Sure enough, after a couple of years, Salzgitter Chemie made an all-cash takeover bid. My first 4-bagger.

My "real" entry into shares took however a while longer. It wasn't until I was working for CRA, now RIO, that I received a few staff options to be exercised within 3 years - or earlier, if one left the company - at the vwap of a week set in advance. Which just so happened to be the week following "that" Monday in October 1987. When I left a year later, converting 900 options at $5.85 was really a no-brainer.

Memories of "Ilseder Huette" - shares must be really easy. This time, my wife got hooked as well, and we've never looked back since.

 

[Sharkman]

15

can't quite remember what made me get into it, too long ago now, but do remember splitting about $1500 (which was all i had at the time from odd jobs like paper runs, car washing etc.) into a couple of IPOs.

one was sunbeam victa (remember them?), it didn't do so well. my parents had also subscribed to that IPO. eventually they opted to cut their losses and run, and told me i should do the same. but as i'm sure most parents would do, fearing i would get scarred by the experience and shy away from investing when i became an adult, they acted as a backstop and gave me the money i had lost as a gift. now that i'm older, i realise that could have been quite dangerous - had that happened repeatedly i might have grown conditioned to expect a free non-expiring put option with every share purchase...

thankfully they didn't have to do that on any further occasions. the other IPO i subscribed to, which was roughly around the same time, ended up performing a tad better. a certain biopharmaceutical company whose name begins with a C...

 

[stock nub]

Ahhh the memories of the CBA dollarmite account.

I first purchased shares when i was 18. Now only if i my stock picking skills now were as good as back then! My first three shares were PNA, CVN and IIN. PNA went from 30 cents to $1.20, Cvn went from 5 cents to 70+ cents and iinet was bought at a dollar and never traded around that level again.

The more sobering reality is i sold CVN after making 100% profit, sold iinet for a 30% gain and rode PNA from 30 cents to $1.20 then back down through the GFC to 8 cents and then all the way back up again. Eventually sold out for a solid profit.

While i had absolutely no idea what i was doing at the time, the experience was invaluable.

 

[wadesansom]

Always interests me to see at what age people made that decision to start investing, and what made them make that decision. Thought this could be a good thread where people could talk about when and why they made that decision and what was that first initial investment they got into. Also if that first investment worked out or not.

My first investments was in property when I was 18 brought a couple of houses for around $220k, ended up selling them a few years later for about 100k profit, wish I held onto them though not many 3 bedroom houses you can buy these days for $140k and $89k....

well i am 23 now, i starting investing at 22. i finished school at the ripe age of 18 and spent every cent i earned travelling europe, asia and the middle east. once i turned 22, i decided i wanted to plan for the long term, so my parents lent me a deposit for a house last year. it is a 3 bedroom house, with a bungalow attached - bought for $150,000. the rent exceeds the loan repayments, property management fees, landlord's insurance and water rates. all i need to save and pay for is the land tax and repairs.

thus, i am quite unaffected by the costs of my ip - as i have almost completed my business and commerce degree; and being a uni student does not allow for an abundance of cash flow, it is important that i own an ip that i can more or less ignore. i currently work between 25 - 35 hours per week, until i finish full-time uni. my budget is quite simple: 50% of my wage goes into untouched savings, 30% into spending (necessity and desirable purchases), and the last 20% goes into an investment savings account. as i do not drink, smoke or take drugs, i save a fair bit faster than my friends

once that 20% reaches $500, i transfer it into my cmc account and hopefully buy some good stocks with it. contrary to the advice i have received, i would like to invest as i learn... if i lose, then so be it. so far i have purchased stocks in SLR and CMT, they seem to be attractive businesses to me that the market may not have responded to (at least i am hoping this is the case)

i plan to make some capital gain on my purchases, and invest the surplus into "bluechip" businesses for stable dividend returns. other than that, i am using my 50% savings to save up another deposit for either another ip or my first home (whilst using some of it to travel, as i just returned from the usa).

what is interesting; is seeing so many people becoming investors before me (22 years old). practically no one around me is on the same page, they would rather spend all of their money on cars and clothes. i suppose my parents brought me up with different values...

 

[boofis]

well i am 23 now, i starting investing at 22. i finished school at the ripe age of 18 and spent every cent i earned travelling europe, asia and the middle east. once i turned 22, i decided i wanted to plan for the long term, so my parents lent me a deposit for a house last year. it is a 3 bedroom house, with a bungalow attached - bought for $150,000. the rent exceeds the loan repayments, property management fees, landlord's insurance and water rates. all i need to save and pay for is the land tax and repairs.

thus, i am quite unaffected by the costs of my ip - as i have almost completed my business and commerce degree; and being a uni student does not allow for an abundance of cash flow, it is important that i own an ip that i can more or less ignore. i currently work between 25 - 35 hours per week, until i finish full-time uni. my budget is quite simple: 50% of my wage goes into untouched savings, 30% into spending (necessity and desirable purchases), and the last 20% goes into an investment savings account. as i do not drink, smoke or take drugs, i save a fair bit faster than my friends

once that 20% reaches $500, i transfer it into my cmc account and hopefully buy some good stocks with it. contrary to the advice i have received, i would like to invest as i learn... if i lose, then so be it. so far i have purchased stocks in SLR and CMT, they seem to be attractive businesses to me that the market may not have responded to (at least i am hoping this is the case)

i plan to make some capital gain on my purchases, and invest the surplus into "bluechip" businesses for stable dividend returns. other than that, i am using my 50% savings to save up another deposit for either another ip or my first home (whilst using some of it to travel, as i just returned from the usa).

what is interesting; is seeing so many people becoming investors before me (22 years old). practically no one around me is on the same page, they would rather spend all of their money on cars and clothes. i suppose my parents brought me up with different values...

Where on earth did you find a 3 bedroom home with a bungalow for 150!

 

[wadesansom]

Where on earth did you find a 3 bedroom home with a bungalow for 150!

if i told you... i would have to kill you.

hamilton, victoria.

 

[tech/a]

Where on earth did you find a 3 bedroom home with a bungalow for 150!

Started with my first own business at age 22 ( Lawn round )

Was buying 4 bedroom homes for $90k in Adelaide in 1995-6
Stopped buying in 2002.
All were immediately positively geared.
First shares around 1993.