With the change brought by COVID-19, we have seen the Bank of England slashed interest rates in an attempt to boost economic growth in the UK. With the very little reward for saving and a lot of uncertainty, many are looking to explore other ways to grow their money pot and put in place strategies for generational wealth.

Yet, many people still have perceptions of investing that just simply aren’t true. ‘You have to be rich to invest’ or ‘investing takes too much time’ are some of the most common misconceptions. In this article, we will be dispelling these myths and more to provide you with the clarity needed to embark on your investment journey.

1. ‘You need to have a lot of money to start investing’

This is simply not true! With an increasing number of platforms targeted to the everyday investor, many platforms allow you to begin buying stocks with as little as £10. Some even allow you to invest the spare change from your purchases by connecting your bank account to the app.

2. ‘You should sell when the market is in trouble’

As tempting as it may seem, selling when the market is down may not always be the best decision. By selling stocks in hard times, you are locking in the losses made on the sales. Instead, it may be wise to view these hard times as an opportunity to purchase additional stocks at a discount.

3. ‘It takes too much time to invest’

Investing isn’t like what we see on the Wolf of Wall Street for regular people. Instead of studying the stock market every day, you can make use of Robo investors. These are a form of artificial intelligence that can invest in companies on your behalf based on your risk tolerance and how much you are willing to spend.

4. ‘Stocks are the only investment options available to me’

This is a very common myth. As well as stocks, you can purchase other assets such as:

• Bonds: a form of debt sold by governments and companies to raise capital
• ETFs: contained a varied portfolio (stocks, bonds etc) and are sold like shares on the stock market
• Currencies: the buying and selling of different global currencies on the stock market

Plus a few others.

In conclusion, these myths may have been circling in your mind for some time now but be rest assured, they are just that. Investing is entirely accessible for all whether you start with a large or small amount and there are options to suit everyone.

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