Copy MAAIKE OLDE OLTHOF Photography MARTIN DIJKSTRA | 4 minutes
I don't remember exactly how the subject came up but when I recently had Daan, a photographer, over, we got talking about investing. Daan said, "I really regret that I didn't start investing sooner." He is now -cautiously- active as an investor, and it is paying off. "I do it cautiously, without too much risk."
I nodded as if I fully understood that but corrected myself. "Oh, I asked, "Is that possible then, with little risk?
Of course! What were you thinking? You can make it as exciting as you want. And there are plenty of people and parties who can very thoroughly guide or help you with that. "Mmm..." I said doubtfully. "I've always felt that investing is mainly for people who have lots and too much money, so to speak." "So that's not the case. You have to know, I think I once started with a €100 deposit. Many people think you need thousands of euros of savings to get started. But investing can already be done with small amounts, which can grow into large portions over a longer period of time." He grinned a little after that last sentence. It made me curious. After all, who wouldn't want to "make a lot of money" through a one-off small deposit that, after years of patiently waiting, makes you a fortune?
"You know," I said to Daan, who was mostly struggling with his tripod, "I avoid casinos, poker or gambling. I think I would quickly get completely caught up in it, staying in the casino all day. Every time you win something, you want to bet again. I know myself, so I prefer not to take the risk. I'm the all-or-nothing type." Then I explained to him about Johan, my pet peeve. "He was the man I always saw at the fruit machine in the snack bar when I was a child, when I was getting chips with my mum on Wednesdays or Fridays. As a ten-year-old, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for a man in his fifties who just couldn't get off his stool."
Daan laughed: "And that's why, because of Johan in the snack bar, you don't do invest?" I nodded but admitted it might have been a wrong association. "I certainly think so, Maaike. I do have some tips. For instance, I've never made investments that I didn't understand. And you have to realise that the value can go up as well as down, so initially think of it as money to play with. Start with an amount you can afford to miss just fine."
"Well," I said, "then, I think I'd rather save anyway. But good thing you're so enthusiastic, Daan." "Yes, there is nothing exaggerated about that. My children are both in their early twenties, whom I have inspired to start investing already. Believe me: in a long time, they are going to be very grateful to their late father for that." He saw that I was still not eager. "For example, you could, I don't know, if you have a financial windfall, buy a safe share for €200 instead of eating out at a good restaurant."
That afternoon, long after Daan had left, the conversation was still dancing through my mind. Shouldn't I teach my children the same thing? And how much is a small amount? Maybe I shouldn't buy another black dress but make a small investment? Such thoughts ran through my head when the eldest came home from test week at school. With a smack, she put down her bag, threw her coat over the chair and plopped down on the sofa. "How dolled up you are!" she remarked. "Yes, the photographer was here today."
"Oh," she replied.
"And how was your test, Puck?"
"Terrible, it went really badly today."
"Which test was it again?"
"Business economics."
"Oh," I said surprised, because she usually gets the best marks in that subject. "You're usually good at that, aren't you?"
"Yes, but this chapter is so stupid. I don't understand any of it and it's incredibly boring." "What's it about?"
"Stocks, mutual funds, and bonds..."
Women invest better than men
Less emotion, more patience, and better long-term results.
Maaike Olde Olthof is a writer and columnist at LINDA.nl. She is author of 'Wat een Scheidboek'. Messy co-parenting and being a forty-something single provide enough inspiration for a novel or two. She also has two teenage daughters at home, a glaring dislike for household chores and, perhaps, a wish to get her finances in better order than they are now. What about her retirement? And what does the arrival of the new pension mean?
