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Newbie strategies + Where to start?

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Y.T.

"Impossible is Nothing..."
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Greetings everyone!

I am very new to the investing world and am studying to be a financial planner and maybe even a CFP one day.

I am 23 years of age (I wish I started earlier), am married and live in a home I have a mortgage on. Now I bought this home about 3 years ago when property markets were really good so I got it a really good price. My current loan is $417,000 with around $35,000 in the offset (the home is probably worth well over $650,000)

I guess what I need is a little advice (and I understand that it is general in nature and all that) on where to actually start. I will start with what I have had experience with in regards to investing.

My father has done some developments (biggest being a group of 9 Soho style townhouses comprising of residential and commercial) and some other minor house and land sort of developments. I have helped him with these in meetings with councils, builders, etc and I know the processes involved in doing these kinds of investments.

I have never done anything with equities or anything even related. My family is more into property and I have always been taught to buy what you can see which I know is not the BEST way to become an ULTRA billionaire!

I have done a budget as stated in the “Newbie Lessons” thread and I have read all the material throughout these forums. I class myself as “High Risk”, I’m only 23 years old and I have my whole life ahead of me, mistakes are going to happen but at least I have time to recuperate!

My budget pretty much tells me that my outgoings are around $5,331/month (including my mortgage and every bill) and my income (combined with my wife) is around $7,000/month so I have around $1,700/month to spare and I could maybe sacrifice a bit more to increase this amount.

Now onto the investment options I was looking at:

Personally I was looking into platforms and investing through them (managed funds, etc) and getting them to manage them for me. One I was looking at was the Mentor Portfolio Service with Oasis Asset which has fairly low fees and they have a huge investment range. The investments I was thinking of choosing were:

Macquarie Master Australian Enhanced Equities Fund 20.00%
Walter Scott Global Equity Fund 15.00%
Platinum Asia Fund 10.00%
BlackRock Wholesale Australian Share Fund 15.00%
Vanguard International Shares Index Fund 15.00%
Vanguard Property Securities Index Fund 10.00%
All Star IAM Australian Share Fund 15.00%

Total 100.00%

What does everyone think of these funds? Now I am not asking whether these funds are right for me, but generally, what do you think of the funds above?

I will be putting my initial investment amount of $1,000 and be investing $600/month regularly.

Another option might be to invest in real estate directly (residential) and build from there however you need more of a deposit or “initial investment” to be able to get into this field and I’m not sure on returns for either. The experience that I have had has shown me that property is a really good investment and that equities are much more risky but once I started reading on both they seem to have risks either way so I am a little confused as to where I should maybe start.

I guess my real question is... PROPERTY (residential) vs. EQUITIES (through managed funds or direct) as to where one should start.

If there are any questions anyone would like to ask feel free, I’m here to learn! =)

Thanking everyone in advance and excellent work on the forum, GREAT PLACE TO LEARN!
 
Why give your money to someone who doesn't care about it?
All managed funds want is fees from you.. they don't care about your money
Over the last year most funds have lost 40%

You class yourself as high risk, but could you explain to the wife and kids how the next family holiday will be cancelled because you just blew 50grand on the sharemarket.

I don't know much about property
But managed funds are the last place i'd put my money

Just my
 
I agree with Beamstas managed funds are only interested in getting fees.

You could probably spend 3 to 6 months reading up and understanding the mechanics of the market and then invest in high quality blue chip stocks if you want to develop a long term portfolio.

You also have to consider your time frame, ifi t is 5, 10+ yrs then you can afford to ride out the ups and downs of the market

If you are looking to chop and change regularly (ie buy and sell) then you need to consider how you will make those decisions and how much time you can devote to managing your trades.
 
Quick reply, really good!

In regards to managed funds I was in the mindset that I don’t know what I am doing at the moment so I thought I would leave it to the "professionals" but I could be wrong in that respect given by your statement.

In regards to the high risk statement I have spoken to my wife and she agrees with our risk profile and we don’t have any kids yet, which is one of the reason I put myself in this bracket also. I also have a reserve and enough money to cover living expenses for a short while should something drastically go wrong but with the remainder I am not really that fussed as to where I invest it as long as I know what I am doing in the process.
 

If you spend a a few months learning about the market you would be in a better position to judge whether the "professionals" will better manage your money.

The problem with managed funds is they want you to keep the money invested so in my view they cannot possibly act in your best interest all of them time.
 

A few comments:

1. Financial planners are mostly salesmen. This may or may not matter to you.

2. Your home may not be worth as much as you think. Homes have increased in value at an incredible rate over the last decade, and the question is whether those prices can be sustained. I would guess no, despite knowing nothing about the housing market, as corrections naturally follow periods of heightened speculation (which are naturally unsustainable).

3. Were property markets really good? Time will tell, but you may have bought late and held past the peak of the market.

4. While you have your whole life to recover, your view on this will likely change as you get older. For the majority of people, it's better for state of mind to build over time, rather than be prepared to bust out occassionally early on. If you reach 30-35 and have to "rebuild", you may regret your decision. Also remember that life can throw curve balls at you.

5. I don't think much of funds. As others have suggested, learn to do it yourself if you can.

6. Property is expensive and has far greater risk than most people realise. However, unless you're willing to be an active participant, the markets are not likely to bring you much of a reward.
 
Y.T. said:
Greetings everyone!

I am very new to the investing world and am studying to be a financial planner and maybe even a CFP one day.
Click to expand...

Just wondering which industry are you working in right now? I too have previously studied to become a financial planner and have received my RG146 a few months back. But I got more and more disillusioned at the industry and the amount of "sacrifice" needed to become the type of FP I wanted to be in Australia. (due to ultra heavy regulations unlike in other countries where there are far more freedom)


As Mr J has said, the "value" in your home is worth nothing until you have sold it. It is unlikely you will anyway in the short term. And the true value of your home is only realised until someone has PAID for it. So any valuations from a "profession" means nothing.

Your house is then regarded as a liability due to the ongoing interest repayment expenses and other obvious ones.


The property market has been so hot for the last decade or two that the average aussie has now prefer this particular asset class over anything else. They rarely, if ever, see an opportunity outside of this asset class. Fueled by the credit boom created from "all sort of reasons" in the last 2-3 decades, the property market is certainly in a bubble status in which several of them has busted in other countries. (as well as the higher end market in Australia)

Property is certainly not "THE ONLY" way to become an ultra billionaire.


That's a good start to have a clear budget and knows what is eating your income.

Remember though, some mistakes may have much larger consequences than you once believed to be. Property has a huge risk in the sense that it is usually highly leveraged and most average middle class family risk a huge portion of their income (and future income) into property alone. Trying to sell a negative equity property when both are out of job is one big risk and has happened many times before.


You are at risk because if either you and your wife lose the job, then your family budget would be in grave danger. Try to reduce your spending as much as possible.

Now onto the investment options I was looking at:
Click to expand...

We are not supposed to give any financial advises here. So it's hard for us to recommend/not recommend anything below.

If I were you, I would focus on repaying any credit card / car loan debt you may have. Then I would reduce my expenses to as low as possible and start building up a saving buffer (if not already done so) so that it would last at least 6-9 months in the event both of you lost the job. i.e. yes, that's $32,000+ of saving


One word. In a global credit crisis, every "traditional" assets become correlated. Standard diversification strategies through equity / property / bond no longer work in such markets.

You are basically invested in 100% equity with little or no diversifications. Check their funds (including listed property security fund) and see how "correlated" they were for the past 5 years. You would be surprised.



Because your experience has been biased for property. The good times your father has experienced in the past had made you the impression that "Past performance IS AN INDICATION of future performance". You may not be fully aware of the reasons why property was such a great investment back in the last 10-20 years, and/or fully appreciate the reasons why it may not continue to do so in the future.

Successfully investing requires a big picture thinking mindset and the ability to act against the crowd. Be a smart contrarian, but not a blind one.

I guess my real question is... PROPERTY (residential) vs. EQUITIES (through managed funds or direct) as to where one should start.
Click to expand...

Why property vs equity only? What are the other asset classes that may outperform them based on the current trend of the global economic crisis?

Thanking everyone in advance and excellent work on the forum, GREAT PLACE TO LEARN!
Click to expand...

Definitely.
 
Thanks a lot for all of the replies, everyone has been helpful! Now to answer some questions...


Currently i am in the accounting profession (father is an accountant and I work for his firm) and have prevously been in the mortgage broking profession. I know there are a mass of regulations in the FP space but the way i see it lots of FP's i know within my dealer group are on a very healthy income so why can't I? =)

Also being an FP to me is much more fun than being an accountant in my personal opinion (not saying one is better than the other).


I understand all that, I was just going by prices in my area. I bought the block for $133,000 (499sqm) and now blocks of around 150sqm are around $160,000+...

But yes the house isnt worth anything until sold, fully understand where you are coming from.


I actually went to a proprety investors seminar around a month ago and the person that was presenting was pretty much saying "equities = bad... property = good" and was saying that consistently over the past 90 or so years property has gone up on average 7% - 10% without a fall. not sure on the substance of his findings but it was pretty interesting to hear this.

I actually dont want to go into one asset class i would much rather diversify, however i think i need to read up a lot more on other asset classes to find myself somewhere to start.


You are at risk because if either you and your wife lose the job, then your family budget would be in grave danger. Try to reduce your spending as much as possible.
Click to expand...

I had done the budget a month ago and it does need to be revised but a lot of the payments cant really be changed for example mortgage, insurances (including home, life, car, etc) but i am sure i can tweak some things.

I am sticking to the 10% pay yourself first rule so i will definately be placing $x away for investing, the real question is WHERE!

All this is very interesting to me and i know this is the "aussie stock forum" but everyone on here amazes me by the amount of diversified information and depth they go into to explain things that are not even stock related and it is great to bounce ideas of everyone. As Temjin said i am biased towards property due to my previous experiences and i need to try other assets which is what i will definately do in the very near future.

Are there any books one would recommend to read in relation to what i need to know? Markets, asset classes/diversification, etc.

Thanks again!
 
for free basic information on the stock market and shares go to www.asx.com.au and then click the education tab.

They have a heap of stuff there on getting started and understanding the basics.
 
investorpaul said:
for free basic information on the stock market and shares go to www.asx.com.au and then click the education tab.

They have a heap of stuff there on getting started and understanding the basics.
Click to expand...
I really second that advice, Paul. The info is clear and easy to understand and imo shold be compulsory reading for any newcomer, before buying books etc.

Also agree with preceding comments about not using managed funds.
Take your time and learn how to invest directly.
 
Y.T

It's good to know that some poeple are learning from the Newbie Thread - I just wish I wasn't so busy at work at present and could add to it...you'll just have to wait patiently for updates.

1) There are a few firms around where Financial Planners are NOT glorified salespeople. (Including my firm) Don't folllow the dark side of the force young padawan, a great deal of Financial Planners are parasites.

2) In my opinion property/equity should be 50/50 (long term) - but of course at present equities looks more attractive than property, so I'm buying more equity than property at the moment, and in about 5 years will stop buying equity and start buying property again.

3) Managed funds ... Rant rant rant = yuck (this is not a recomendation yadda yadda insert disclaimer here)

4) "I actually went to a proprety investors seminar around a month ago and..." So ask yourself whenever you go to one of these things... does the presenter have a vested interest? I hope he sources his quotes...

5) Define "High risk" - (To me you would be prepared to take your hard earned savings, go to the casino and put it all on red - the potential to double your money, but also the potential to lose it all) - you need to have a clear understanding of the sort of investor you are (and because you have a partner - what their tolerances are).

6) How much have you now got from your budget and have you thought about reserves and gearing for your investment? Go compare LOC's and Margin Lending facilities (Never margin above 50% and let your LVR drop with the increase in equity).

Have fun


Cheers

Sir O
 

Rubbish

Think Soros.. Think Buffet
Now name a famous property investor

They are not even in the same league
 
beamstas said:
Rubbish

Think Soros.. Think Buffet
Now name a famous property investor

They are not even in the same league
Click to expand...


I agree with yr principle,

but a lot of very wealthy people made their money in property related businesses

Frank Lowy, John Simon? Aussies I know, but still

I personally know a guy worth $200M+(nett)...all in real property
 
I tend to agree with beamstas...

What the seminar guy was saying is a load of crap!!!!!

8 times outta 10 people who run seminars are in a grab for cash. Do your own research, and reach out on the forum - there is so much experience here!!!!

Look at the performance of the ASX over the same period and overlay the 2 charts (ASX performance Vs Property prices) - what do you have? both are rising and have always been rising - maybe not at the same rate, but imo typically equities provide better returns, depending on your investing patterns and level of risk.
 

Good times mate, they have had such a good time. I.Bankers have made even more money during the credit boom than FPs. Does that mean the boom will continue?

Also being an FP to me is much more fun than being an accountant in my personal opinion (not saying one is better than the other).
Click to expand...

I guess it's because FP deals with people more than an accountant. Great for people with extravert personalities.


Sir Osisofliver already mentioned it. If you were the presenter, and is remunerated from selling properties based on commission and value of the sale, why would you present evidences that would otherwise hurt your income?

And no, property HAS NOT CONSISTENTLY rise on average 7-10% over the past 90 years. The presenter has not shown you the full picture and validate his source properly. Property has indeed risen at that average over the past 2-3 decades (largely thanks to the boom in credit), but properties have only historically rise along with inflation (and suffer occasion massive falls) over the past century.

Let's look at it from another perspective. If annual wage growth remained at 3% and interest rate remained at CURRENT 50 YEARS LOW for the next 90 years, if property rise by an average of 10% per year over the same period, how "affordable" would an average property be to an average income earner in 2100? Since you are an accountant, I'm sure you can understand the maths.

Now let's look at it from the perspective of compounding. 10% rise per year for 90 years at today's average house price of $400k (for the sake of it), a house (or rather, the LAND) would worth 1.1^90 x $400k = $2,125,209,000.

And assuming the fractional reserve banking still exist in 90 years and that inflation is kept under control at 2-3% per year over the next 90 years, then EVERYONE in Australia with an average house would be MUCH RICHER than the "average" person.

Do you see the fallancy in all this? This is not sustainable at all. Unfortunately, people with vested interest in selling properties would always find ways to persuade potential buyers that the boom will last forever.

I actually dont want to go into one asset class i would much rather diversify, however i think i need to read up a lot more on other asset classes to find myself somewhere to start.
Click to expand...

Yep, www.asx.com.au reading list is a good start as investorpaul has mentioned. There are plenty more in this forum, do a quick search.


If you studied FP in full, you may be aware that "CASH" is an asset class by itself.


That's true, we go far deeper than just individual stocks.


Also try reading up investopedia.com

It's an excellent source of information.

I would recommend you get educated in the area of ETFs as well.

www.asx.com.au will have some brief info.

www.seekingalpha.com has more detailed info on international ones.

Good luck with your further readings.
 
beamstas said:
Rubbish

Think Soros.. Think Buffet
Now name a famous property investor

They are not even in the same league
Click to expand...

Donald Bren and Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor at $11bn and $12bn respectively ranked 26th and 29th in the World, tied with Soros who is at $11bn.

True Buffet is 2nd in the world but if you go through the list of top 30, over 75% are from retail or software - IKEA, Walmart, Bloomberg, Dell, ALDI, Google, Microsoft ect ect... there arent that many equity traders either in that list the main 2 are just Buffet and Soros so I think you're quite biased there in your opinion.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10...hest-people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html
 
One thing no-one has suggested: If you read the Noel Whittaker/Paul Clithero type books etc (the basic ones), they usually suggest that if you have a house and mortgage, you should focus all spare cash towards paying that debt down ASAP. Paying off the mortgage provides a zero risk, effective (pre-tax) return of the prevailing mortgage interest rate divided by (1 - your marginal tax rate).

Eg, if you pay up to 41.5c in the dollar in tax, and your mortgage rate is 6%, then your zero risk pre-tax return on money put into the mortgage is 10.25% pa. That's a pretty good return with zero risk, and this is what you would have to BEAT, consistently, with any other investment to actually be better off than having just put the cash in your mortgage.

Now allow for an average interest rate of say 7.5%, and that effective risk-free return goes up to 12.8%.

Over the long term, that sort of zero risk return is hard to beat. I can't think of anything else that can provide that sort of return with virtually zero risk, no entry/exit timing risk etc etc.

This has always lead me to believe that if you own a PPOR and have a mortgage, that the best strategy is always to pay off the mortgage with every spare cent ASAP (which is what I have always done). Then, once that debt is gone, use the spare cash to start building a portfolio of other assets (shares etc), or a trading fund etc. Additionally, if at this point you see a particularly good investment opportunity you have to choice to redraw some equity as well, but in this case you have the choice as to how much risk you are prepared to take as until you redraw, you own your house outright - plus then any interest you are charged becomes tax deductible (making it cheaper money), as long as you structure your loan/accounts etc correctly.

Ie, If you invest spare money before paying off the mortgage off, you are still paying the interest in effect with after tax dollars, so the capital is in effect costing you twice as much.

This is not personal financial advice - just outlining a strategy that I have always followed and that is widely recommended in widely available books on such matters. Do your own research!

PS: This principle does not apply to loans related to investment property etc, as then the interest is tax deductible.

PPS: Re property billionaires - what about Donald Trump???

Cheers,

Beej
 
PPS: Re property billionaires - what about Donald Trump???
Click to expand...

As much as he desires it, he should never be counted on these sorts of lists.
 
Please watch this video on Asset Bubbles, its 15mins long. Forward to the 6minute point if you are only interested in the property bubble (using US data, although I assume it would follow a similar trend in Australia.)

http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse/chapter-15-bubbles

YT, Managed funds are often shown to rarely outperform the market over the longterm, and with fee's taken into account they are often a bit under the market. This makes perfect sense though, as a small fund is successful and gets bigger, it then has less options to invest in. The largest mutual funds in Australia pretty much have to invest in the largest companies in Australia, so as they get bigger their returns track closer to the market.

However I know some smart Finance PhD's and lecturers who still use managed funds for convenience. So while it is important to know that Mutual Funds are in it for fee's, and may not be the optimal investment unit, for some the convenience is worth while. Its up to you if you want to get them to do the investing and save your time. Just know the risk.

Mutual funds will especially save in time and transactions costs in regards to access to international share markets, or property investments through mutal funds.
 
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