I have met hundreds of prospects and am currently consulting an amazing base of clients. So I figured I’d like to categorise their investing personalities, so that you could see if you happen to fall into one of the said personalities. Do take note that this is just from my own observation. Some people may emulate a combination of these investing personalities, and some may upgrade or downgrade accordingly.
Pleased to introduce you the five common investing personalities :p
1. Those who don’t know, don’t care, don’t do.
2. Those who complain about how “bad” the market is, that they choose to not invest at all – that their form of investment is by saving money in their bank savings account.
3. Those who have invested for a short period of time and felt that the ups and downs of the stock market, gold, index, unit trust and other form of investment is uncertain – which gives them anxiety, that they rather stick to what they know (Fixed Deposit, EPF, ASB, Tabung Haji, overvalued real estate, etc) to achieve their short, medium and long term goals.
4. The DIY investor; the ones who befriended the brokers, agents, financial advisers to fish and pinch for information and invest on their own to save some sales charge.
5. Those who understand that investment is for long term, so they stay invested for as long as they could to earn above the mediocre returns to beat inflation like a champ. These investors also understand that working with subject matter experts such as independent financial advisers with a minimal fee can help them to materialise their financial goals in the most effective way.
So, which type of investor are you?
With advancement of technology and usage of artificial intelligence on the rise, the financial landscape is changing rapidly. Investors now have more apps and platforms to choose from. Plus, articles and videos on investment are accessible at any time of the day.
But yet, with these influx of information, how does an investor filter what they need to know and connect this filtered information to craft their very own investment portfolio that is tailor made to their own dreams, wants and needs?
We are all unique. We have different goals for ourselves and our loved ones. Can Google or DIY investment platform help an investor to adjust their financial plans accordingly, especially when the market is crashing, or coronavirus just swept off billions of global market share, political turmoil in our hometown continues to erase hope, and most importantly, can these platforms help to manage your fear, and instil faith?
Fear is something that keeps us going, the same fear is also the reason why we stay awake at night – thinking about how life could be better if we could have just a little bit more of this and that, or if only our government could behave, some may say, and ask us what Malaysians truly want, rather than what they want.
It is fear that drives us to want to invest or not wanting to invest at all. This fear can cost us money in the long run, whether in a good way or the total opposite.
I am definitely into technology and automation, especially when it comes to paying my bills. But when it comes to my money and my life’s savings, I somehow value the human touch. Back then when I was still employed in a foreign bank, I had access to investment tools with reduced service charge because the bank would want to encourage its employees to tap on their products. If I were to invest on my own, the bank officers wouldn’t help to suggest or manage my portfolio. I wasn’t into saving those tiny sales charges, it made no difference I felt. So I chose to stay idle, because I didn’t know much about investments then, which tool to leverage on to match with the endless goals and visions that I have.
Then boom. I became an independent financial adviser shortly after. With credentials that only 900 other Malaysians have, as opposed to millions of Malaysians, I know where I stand, the hope that I carry with me that I get to pass on to the clients that I serve, especially to those who are at the verge of giving up – whether because of the death of a loved one, divorce, separation, being in debt and what not. These external circumstances whether we realise it or not, affect our decision making. Can Google or apps do this for you and I?
It’s like using a recipe one finds on Google, but when the real cake is out of the oven, one wonders why the cake isn’t fluffy. But Uncle Google said 2 eggs, and I used 2 eggs! (Real story, by yours truly – that’s why I don’t bake heh, I call my good friend who is a professional baker to bake and fix my cravings). I choose my battles wisely.
Working with an independent financial adviser like me helps an investor to address their fear when it comes to investing. I tell my clients what’s happening, what could happen, what will happen if this scenario happens. Opportunities are everywhere. We complement this relationship with technology as it helps investors to connect their fears and dreams to suitable financial planning tools. As you can see, technology doesn’t and shouldn’t dominate our lives. It is meant to assist.
You can have the best of both worlds, having someone to be by your side while you invest (umm, as a Scorpio I am quite the loyal kind, whether professionally or personally – all hail Scorpios! lol) and using technology to get there faster.
However, these two combination could work only if you have identified what you truly want and stand for, and to believe that your goals and dreams are something that you want to pursue, be it sending your children to a good school someday, wanting to retire and still being able to travel and see the world, and so much more. It only requires one commitment from your side – that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. This bit is your responsibility, afterall, dreaming is free, it’s the hustle that’s sold separately.
My job is to bridge you to your dreams.
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