S2E1: Investing with $100 a month as an undergrad? Why not!

Sep 1, 2024

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Start early, compound your wealth, and try not to beat the market.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

Finance literacy experts always tell us to “start young” so we can make full use of the effect of compounding and grow our wealth from a young age.

But how early is early enough for first-time, young investors? Can an undergraduate without a full-time job start investing?

Crucially, if someone has just $100 a month to invest, what can they do with that amount?

In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan also looks at how university investing clubs help undergraduates to start growing their money, and the first investments that they can buy to begin.

Her guests are Associate Professor of Finance Matthew Dearth from NTU who brings 30 years of finance experience, and NTU undergraduate Victor Tan, who has invested since age 18.

The NTU Investment Interactive Club helps to link students to the finance community and hone their practical investing skills. It was founded in 1999 and now has over 5,000 members.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 How did Victor start investing at 18?

4:53 What’s the recommended age for people to start investing?

9:25 What products should people buy as a first investment?

12:17 Should we try to beat the market or do individual stock picking?

16:06 The biggest investment mistakes our guests have made

21:27 Where do you get your investing advice or knowledge from?

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Host: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow