Do I invest each month myself or let money build before buying shares?

Hi there,

It’s entirely up to you. My personal opinion is that it is impossible to time the market as no-one has a crystal ball and so I would consider getting on with it. Check the impact on fees. If you buy little and often in an ad hoc way, the transactions charges can add up, particularly for shares. But Hargreaves now offers free regular investing so it’s actually a very sensible approach in terms of fees and charges. Drip feeding in will smooth out your buying price and it also sets it all up to just tick along in the background – with minimum ongoing input from you.

I would investigate regular investing via the HL website and get cracking. As usual the normal caveats about making sure you don’t have expensive debt you’re neglecting/have a cash buffer for emergencies, etc, apply. As a final note, your question sounds as though you are a less experienced investor. If that’s the case, I would be hesitant about individual shares and read up on either ‘ETFs’ or low-cost ‘’ as simple ways to get started as you build confidence and learn the ropes. Forgive me if you’re the Wolf of Wall St and raring to go!

Holly