Investing

My name‿ is Carl,│ and‿ I started‿ investing ten years‿ ago with fifty^fif-dy dollars‿ a month. I was not trying to get rich;│ I simply did not wan(t) my savings to lose value│ while they were sitting^si-ding‿ in the bank.

My first‿ investmen(t) was very boring:│ a savings‿ accoun(t) with‿ a low interes(t) rate. Later^la-der,│ I bought shares‿ in three companies‿ and‿ a small flat with my wife. Some years the return was‿ excellent,│ and‿ in 2020 we los(t) money on‿ almost‿ everything. That‿ is normal,│ an(d) my advisor tol(d) me one thing│ that I^{thad I} have never forgotten:│ only inves(t) money you do not need‿ in the nex(t) five years.

Inflation‿ is the reason‿ I do not keep‿ everything‿ in cash. Las(t) year,│ prices‿ in my country rose by eight percent,│ and‿ a bank‿ accoun(t) pays two percent,│ so my money was losing six percent‿ of‿ its value. Of course there‿ is risk,│ an(d) sometimes‿ I get it^geddit wrong. However,│ in the long term,│ shares have‿ always recovered. If you are young,│ time‿ is the biggest‿ advantage you have.