How To Invest In Stuff You Actually Give A Shit About, ‘Cause It Is Your Hard Earned Cash

Invest

Investing has been a hot topic over the last few months. Recently, it’s become increasingly visible across social media and access to the practice is no longer exclusive to Wall Street hacks and cagey rich dads.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably experienced immense FOMO reading about the 21-year-old crypto-investors who’ve become overnight millionaires off Dogecoin. However, despite all the info in the world at our fingertips, it can still be tricky to get into investing and completely wrap your head around it all.

Like most things in life, you’re going to be way more invested (get it) in something if you’re actually passionate about it. So, if you’re looking to start your journey on the stock market, investing in areas you care about could be a good way to dip your toes in. At the end of the day, it is your money and knowing exactly where it’s going and what it could be potentially benefitting is important.

To get some further insight into investing in your passions, we spoke to Josh Gilbert, a market analyst at eToro, about how to get started.

Where’s best to start when investing in your passions?

According to Josh, investing in your passions is a great way to get to know the stock market. This is because you’ll be more interested in the research you’re doing around particular investments before putting any money down, and will therefore gain a greater knowledge of how it all works. 

“It may be worth starting to invest in sectors that you’re passionate about rather than doing individual research on stocks if you’re just starting. Looking at a Copy Portfolio or ETF that interests you is great to get started,” suggested Josh. 

He also noted that the gaming industry has experienced huge growth and interest from investors over the last year – which is telling of just how deep you can get with your individual interests when investing.

“For example, InTheGame. This industry has seen rapid growth over the past year and will allow you to invest in the sector of gaming rather than picking individual stocks.”

Is it worth investing in stocks that represent your interests over those you may not be as passionate about?

Josh noted that passion for a certain stock or industry can sometimes cloud judgement around it. There’s always going to be a risk involved, whether you’re investing in stocks you’re passionate about or not, so doing your research before any investment is vital to ensure you’re fully aware of any potential roadblocks ahead.

He also recommended investing in a combination of both stocks you are passionate about and those you aren’t to diversify your portfolio.

“You may have an interest in technology and therefore decide to invest in several tech names. At the same time, you can still be passionate about the renewable energy sector and pick various stocks” he discussed. 

What are some of the more non-traditional shares trending at the moment?

According to Josh, the most prominent shares trending currently are tech shares.

“They have been soaring since March 2020, although we have seen the sector slow down slightly year to date. Most investors are still heavily focused on technology stocks, with the growth outlook still favourable for many big names,” he said. 

Josh also noted that the semiconductor industry is trending at the moment too.

“Stocks such as AMD, Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor are trending heavily. Nvidia, for example, has vast diversification in its product offerings. The company supplies products to sectors such as Electric Vehicle Manufacturers, Gaming, Cryptoasset Miners and Personal Computing, which means its growth comes from various areas,” said Josh. 

It might even be helpful to sign up for an eToro virtual account to get a feel for what investing is like without putting any money down. It’s also important to note that this advice won’t apply exactly to your situation too, so make sure you’re making decisions you feel 100% comfy with before diving in.

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