Investor Journeys—Chris & Anne
Chris (60) and Anne (61) share how their combined knowledge of investing is helping fund their daily lives and future retirement, and why they’re encouraging their respective grown-up children and young grandchildren to learn about investing too.
Tell us about yourself!
Chris: We live and work in Invercargill and spend as many weekends as possible at our bach by Lake Manapouri. When the time is right, we plan to retire there.
Anne: We both enjoy boating, water sports, fishing, and spending time with our family and friends. We’ve had successful careers, and I’m an amateur singer who has represented New Zealand on the international stage.
What’s your money story?
Anne: Chris and I came from humble backgrounds with hard-working parents. Our childhoods were filled with love, family, friends, and lots of sport and activities. But money was always tight.
Chris: I was introduced to investing, finance, and insurance at a young age. I had a strong interest in economics at high school. My father had shares and fixed-term investments while I was a teenager. He was my mentor.
Anne: We know how a broken marriage can impact a family financially. When we got together, we pooled our resources and knowledge of investing. I had more experience in property from building and owning several homes over the years.
Chris: I had more experience in shares and the financial markets. We’ve both worked in the financial services sector at various times. It helped us expand our knowledge. Between us, our skills complement each other.
Tell us about your first time investing
Anne: My first investment was in my family’s home. We’ve since invested in shares, property, and multiple superannuation schemes.
Chris: In the 1987 sharemarket crash, we saw first-hand how some people had their wealth wiped out overnight. More recently, we lived through the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) so we know the risks that come with investing. We also know that risk can come with reward. To balance the ups and downs, diversification is a key part of our investment strategy.
How do you manage your investments now?
Anne: Our focus on diversification is the same as when we met, but our appetite for risk is changing as we get closer to our retirement. We have KiwiSaver, some investments, and own our home and bach. Sharesies is an important part of our mix.
Chris: We’ve tended to play the long game, but recently invested in more liquid investments because we want to retire early and travel. We review our risk level regularly to avoid making knee-jerk reactions if something takes a dip.
How and what have you learnt about investing?
Chris: We use a range of information to research our investments, including business contacts and websites. We keep a close eye every week on what's happening with the share market and our portfolio. Things can change quickly. We also don’t want to miss an opportunity.
Anne: We read companies’ annual reports, look at their dividend history, share price fluctuations, and how well managed they are. We also google companies in case anything relevant to the company's reputation or track records needs to be considered.
Chris: Investing doesn’t need to be scary or challenging.
Anne: We don't lock in our losses unless we need to. Sometimes we cash in on our wins and enjoy the rewards. You only live once!
Why is investing important to you?
Anne: Investing is providing us with funds for our retirement and money to enjoy life along the way. Our investing successes allow us that pleasure.
Chris: I’ve always seen investing as a way to build my wealth. After my recent health issues, we've decided to enjoy life to the maximum. And it’s fun to watch our Portfolio grow over time.
Why are you helping your family learn about investing?
Chris: Our grandkids are likely to be faced with entirely different circumstances in the years ahead. The sooner they understand investing, and the potential risks and rewards, the better. We hope they’ll research the 1987 share market crash, and the GFC. They need to learn that what goes up can come down, and know about the benefits of thinking long term.
Anne: This year, we’ve gifted our seven adult children and partners, and six grandchildren, a start in Sharesies with Sharesies Gifts. I suggested to my children that Sharesies is a great way for them and their children to get a foot in the door, spread their risk, and learn about the world of investing. Sharesies is easy to manage and understand.
Chris: The learning aspect of investing is serious, but we want investing to be fun for our family. We're arranging an ‘Annual (Family) General Meeting’ so we can discuss our successes and failures, and share information with each other.
What would you say to someone who doesn’t think investing is for them?
Anne: Investing can be for anyone. Even though the value of your shares can change as share market conditions change, there are benefits to investing from a young age—including the compounding returns and dividends over the long term.
Chris: Even investing modest amounts can have a positive effect on your financial wellbeing.
The people shown in our Investor Journeys are Sharesies investors, and their stories are actual experiences they’ve had with us. They’re paid for their time to record their story.
Ok, now for the legal bit
Investing involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. We don’t provide personalised advice or recommendations. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time written. You should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice when considering whether an investment is appropriate for your objectives, financial situation or needs.
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