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Holly Mackay
Holly MackayFounder and CEO

How to invest, grow your money, and build wealth that lasts

"I'm not rich enough"

Let's get rid of the myth that investing is only for the wealthy.

The reality is that you can start your investing portfolio with just £10 a month - about the cost of a takeaway lunch. Many investment platforms have low or no minimum investment requirements.

Regular small contributions add up significantly over time thanks to compound interest, where your returns start earning their own returns. Whether it's through a Stocks and Shares ISA or a simple investment account, that £10 monthly investment is your first step toward building long-term wealth.

The key isn't how much you start with - it's simply getting started and staying consistent with whatever amount fits your budget.

"I'm rubbish at maths"

Investing isn't reserved for math geniuses. The willingness to learn is all you really need to get started!

Most investment platforms handle the complex calculations for you, and free tools can help with the rest. The key is understanding fundamental concepts like diversification and compound interest - ideas that are more about common sense than advanced mathematics.

What matters most is developing good financial habits, starting small, and being consistent with your investments over time.

"Investing is like gambling"

Let's be crystal clear: Investing is not like gambling.

When you invest, you're buying real assets that create actual value - shares in companies that make products, provide services, employ people, and generate profits. The historical track record shows that diversified investments tend to grow over time as economies expand and businesses innovate.

Gambling, on the other hand, is purely based on chance with no underlying value creation. When you gamble, you're playing a zero-sum game where money simply moves from one player to another, often with the house taking a cut.

Smart investing involves research, strategy, and patience to benefit from long-term economic growth. There's nothing random about it - it's a methodical approach to building wealth through ownership of productive assets.

"I don't have the time"

Long-term investing doesn't require you to be glued to financial news or constantly monitoring market movements.

Today's investment landscape offers plenty of hands-off solutions like index funds and robo-advisers that do the heavy lifting for you. These ready-made options automatically handle diversification, rebalancing, and other technical details that once required active management.

You can literally set up a solid investment strategy in less time than it takes to watch a TV show, then let it run with minimal oversight. Monthly automatic deposits into a well-diversified fund can build wealth steadily while you focus on your life, career, and the things that matter most to you.

The most successful investors often spend less time tinkering with their portfolios, not more.

Before you take those first steps...

Three reasons you should start investing today

Three reasons you should start investing today

Decision paralysis can keep you umm-ing and ahh-ing for weeks, months, or even years. Here's why you should get into gear and start sooner rather than later.

TELL ME
How much do you need to get started?

How much do you need to get started?

It's a common misconception that you need to have a small fortune to start investing. Turns out, these days you can get going with as little as £10 a month or even less.

SHOW ME
Why is investing better than sticking with cash?

Why is investing better than sticking with cash?

In an uncertain world, the idea of investing can feel like a leap of faith. But did you know that 9 times out of 10 in the last century, stocks have performed better than cash?

FIND OUT

Get inspired: the journeys of successful female investors

Investing tips to last a lifetime

The Money Advice Experts Swear By

Clare Francis

Director of Savings and Investments, Barclays

Clare started out as a financial journalist and had over 15 years of experience writing about personal finance before joining Barclays as Director of Savings and Investments in 2015.

Romi Savova

CEO, PensionBee

Romi founded PensionBee back in 2014 and has previously worked at big banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley - plus she has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dia Banerji

Head of Direct-to-Consumer Proposition, Standard Life

With over 20 years' experience in financial services, Dia was previously Vice President at JP Morgan Private Bank, and is a proud ambassador for Women Enterprise Scotland.

Oh, this is an easy one for me – from my Dad when I told him about how much all my friends were making on dot-com bubble speculation. He said, "explain what they are investing in." Errr... Anyway, being young and silly, I dived in with all £2,000 of my hard-earned savings. It didn’t end well. “Never invest in something you do not fully (or mostly) understand”. Thanks Dad. A cheap (ish) lesson learnt.

Tanya Laing
Tanya LaingFinancial Planner

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I think the best advice I’ve ever been given is on having a f*** off fund. Building up a fund that allows you to walk away from a living or work situation that is no longer good for you or has even become dangerous to remain in. Having some money in the bank makes it much easier to take control in these situations.

Jeannie Boyle: Chartered Financial Planner
Jeannie BoyleChartered Financial Planner

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My Dad advised me to start paying something, even a minimal amount, into a personal pension and to develop an investing habit as soon as I started working. Over the years compound interest has worked its magic and those small investments have grown, more than my younger self would have imagined.

Steph Smith: Financial Planner
Steph SmithFinancial Planner

Take control of your finances by:

Understanding taxes & pensions. Investing early with discipline, such as pensions. Diversifying their portfolio. Thinking long-term with investing, not constantly tweaking. Staying on top of financial trends & legislation

Small steps today = stronger financial future tomorrow.

Zoe Dagless Director & Financial Planner, Meliora Financial Planning
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Having children to begin wasn’t easy, however I was advised that as everything is getting more expensive to start saving for them into a S&S ISA as soon as they were born, even a little amount per month, as this builds up and will enable them to have a lump sum of money to use toward their education, house, new car or just a building block for their future.

Gemma Evangelou: Fidelity Wealth Adviser
Gemma EvangelouFidelity Wealth Adviser

Far from being king, cash is for paupers. Money in savings accounts goes backward against inflation so having savings makes you poorer not richer! Who knew? Love yourself - learn to invest!

Samantha Secomb: Chartered Financial Planner
Samantha Secomb Chartered Financial Planner

Go to Sam's profile