Simpler home loans.
What a feeling.
We’ve simplified our home loans and dropped bundled packages.
No more packages. No annual package fee. Same great rates.
Our online platform makes it easy to trade shares, manage your portfolio and expand your investing knowledge.
Applications for ANZ Share Investing accounts will close on 1 July 2022.
Published September 2019
Your portfolio contains any investments you’ve made, such as shares, bonds and property. It’s common for a portfolio to include such a mix of asset types.
You likely already have an investment portfolio. Your superannuation is invested in a range of asset classes.
Many people build wealth independently of their super with a separate investment portfolio. For Australians, property and shares are the most popular investment assets.
The decisions you make about your portfolio now could very well pay off in five to 10 years. In most cases the longer you invest in an asset the better, as time can smooth out fluctuations in markets and the value of investments tends to build over time.
With that in mind, we’ve put together some ideas for kick-starting your investment portfolio.
If you’re new to investing, you might be feeling a little nervous about picking which shares to buy. A simple way to start building your portfolio can be to invest in a managed fund or exchange-traded fund.
Managed funds are slightly different from shares. In a managed fund, money from individual investors is pooled together and managed by a fund manager who makes the buying and selling decisions.
The funds might be used to invest in a single asset class such as shares, property or bonds, or can be used to invest across multiple asset classes or multiple geographic locations. This all depends on the underlying investment strategy of the managed fund you go with. So make sure to research funds you are considering investing in, to find one that suits your needs and appetite for risk. You can also invest in shares on your own – in fact, it’s common for a rounded portfolio to include a mix of managed funds and shares.
An exchange-traded fund (or ETF) is another type of investment. It can be bought and sold on the stock exchange – kind of like shares.
An ETF can allow you to invest in several different asset classes or companies in one trade. When you invest in an ETF you could buy stocks in multiple companies within a certain industry, such as healthcare, or in a particular currency, such as the Australian dollar.
Another common choice among ETF investors are those ETFs that track a market index such as the S&P/ASX 200 or a certain commodity, such as gold (they can mirror these investments without needing to hold the actual asset). Unlike a managed fund, an ETF isn’t always actively managed.
If you want complete control in building your portfolio, choosing your own shares is one way to do it. Perhaps you’ve done some prior research and know exactly which shares you’re interested in, maybe you just want to retain the power to buy and sell yourself, or you’re already well-versed in how to trade.
The shares you buy will depend on various factors, such as how much you want to invest, the kinds of companies you want to invest in, your financial goals and how much risk you want to take on (your risk appetite).
Your share investment might be intended as a long-term commitment whereby you can earn steady returns. In that case, you might want to invest in well-established (or ‘blue chip’) companies that are generally considered to pose less risk. If you want quicker returns you might be willing to risk money in speculative companies, where the share price can be volatile.
Regardless of your risk appetite, when you’re choosing your own shares it’s best to invest diversely across different companies and industries. This means that when certain shares do well they can offset potential losses from other shares. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Keep in mind that even with a diversified strategy, in a widespread downturn such as the global financial crisis you can incur big losses. But in the long term share investors tend to make gains.
There are a few different avenues you can take to bring yourself up to speed on the world of share trading.
The sharemarket is heavily influenced by economics and changes in other markets, so it’s worth brushing up on the Australian economy (if you’re buying Australian shares), international economies (if you’re buying shares in foreign companies), exchange rates, government policy and any information specific to the industry you’re investing in.
You can access share prices, market news, and more through an investment platform such as ANZ Share Investing (Applications for ANZ Share Investing accounts will close on 1 July 2022). You can even go deeper and read individual company reports or stay up-to-date with company alerts so you know more about the businesses you’ve bought shares in. If you already have in depth knowledge in some companies or sectors this could inform your investment decisions.
We’ve put together a guide explaining things to think about before you start share investing and we’ve also got a guide on getting started with $1000.
It’s important that you’re aware of the risks involved with investing in shares. While there’s potential for significant financial gain, there is an equal risk for hefty losses and you can lose some or all of the capital that you have invested. Make sure you do your research, start out by investing in funds or companies that you feel comfortable with, and only invest money that you can afford to lose.
You should look out for red flags, including companies that haven’t made any profit, have significant debt or are under investigation. You should also be wary of stocks that have consistent drops in value over the past three to five years.
Naturally, investing attracts a lot of queries. For more information on ANZ Share Investing accounts and other commonly asked questions, make sure to check out our share investing FAQ.
Open an account online
It takes minutes to open an ANZ Share Investing account.
Applications for ANZ Share Investing accounts will close on 1 July 2022.
Talk to us
Our customer support team are here to help.
Monday - Friday, 8am - 8pm (Sydney/Melbourne time)
Are you keen to learn how you could build your personal wealth through the sharemarket? Read more to learn about how to start share investing.
Supporting a family saw Ric Mills decide it was time to plan for the future.
Learn about Sam Aldenton's commitment to her super and saving for a house so she can have financial freedom.
Learn about how Sam Aldenton is paying attention to her super and saving for a house so she can have financial freedom. |
Learn about how Sam Aldenton is paying attention to her super and saving for a house so she can have financial freedom. |
Learn about how Sam Aldenton is paying attention to her super and saving for a house so she can have financial freedom. |
Learn about how Sam Aldenton is paying attention to her super and saving for a house so she can have financial freedom. |
The ANZ Share Investing service is provided by CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited ABN 69 081 002 851 AFSL 246381 (CMC Markets Stockbroking), a Participant of the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX Group), Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX) and Chi-X Australia (Chi-X) at the request of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited ABN 11 005 357 522 (ANZ). Disclosure documents relating to ANZ Share Investing products and services are available on anzshareinvesting.com or by calling us on 1300 658 355. ANZ is the issuer of the ANZ Cash Investment Account, ANZ Share Investment Loan and ANZ V2 PLUS Account. The obligations of CMC Markets Stockbroking are not guaranteed by ANZ. CMC Markets Stockbroking and ANZ are not representatives of each other.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. This information is of a general nature and has been prepared without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of the information, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.