Beginner's luck

Thanks to technology, it’s never been cheaper or easier for young investors to launch into the stockmarket

- DANIELLE ECUYER

The combination of a sharemarket boom, ultra-low interest rates, and Covid-19 has created periods of working and staying at home, combined with that I have not witnessed for decades.

Take it from a late-stage boomer – millennials are the lucky ones when it comes to investing in shares. You will benefit from digital and technological innovation that makes share investing more accessible, and the advent of multiple online platforms allows for easy and affordable investing, regardless of budget.

Add to that the excitement of living in a once-in-a-generation period of change: think about what we call the “mega secular” growth trends such as green energy, electric vehicles, decarbonization, data, eCommerce, digitalisation, gaming, and cybersecurity, to name just a few opportunities.

And you have far greater choice. You can invest your money in a way that aligns with your ethical values, meaning your investment decisions may even effect change, if you follow an ESG (environmental, social and governance investing) approach. You can also invest outside Australia, in the booming US stock markets or pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Take your pick

Traditionally, share investing was transacted through a private client stockbroker, who was not only an adviser but someone with who you would meet for a friendly annual catch-up to discuss your blue-chip portfolio. More often than not the amount of cash needed was higher than most of us could afford and the fees reflected the company research and advice we received.