Hi chaps and chapesses of Mustachian Post, very interesting site and forum you have here that I found quite by accident when Googling investment information relevant to Switzerland. I hope to be able to stock around and learn from you guys.
Background:
So, my story is that reaching my late 30’s I finally stopped buring my cash and saved a little money (a modest 50k) and decided to invest. I have been involved in and researching the technology industry all of my life, so this is an area where I feel comfortable exercising judgement and taking calculated risks with my money as I have a decent idea (within reason) what the future is going to look like and which companies are going to grow and dominate it.
Trading platform:
As a Postfinance customer, I immediately looked at them for a trading account and opened one right up. After making an initial small “trial” investment I did more research and saw that there are cheaper options out there such as Cornertrader if you want to stay in CH, and IB if you want to hold your securities out of CH. However, in the end I have still decided to stick with PostFinance because:
- The interface is extremely easy to use.
- Transfers from my bank account to my e-trading account are instantaneous.
- I am not doing a high volume of transactions (aiming for longer-term holding), and they are all on SIX in CHF, so combined with the 90chf yearly rebate it’s actually not so much more than Cornertrader.ch. I do not do enough trades for making IB so worthwhile as yet.
Current progress:
So far results have been positive. I currently have three securities:
-Security 1 (15% of holdings): Up 16%
-Security 2 (25% of holdings): Up 11%
-Security 3 (60% of holdings): Up 2%
Security 1 was my “trial investment” and I was far too conservative with the amount I put into it before the price shot up. Still, no use crying over spilt milk. Security 2 is looking steady, and Security 3 is the one that is my “long-term big gains” investment that by 2020 should really see some significant returns.
Future strategy:
As I have now invested all of my savings I am going to be aiming to put around 4k a month into further investments, so I need to assess whether Cornertrader is going to be better for me going forward or not.
I have to say, there is something incredibly satisfying about investing vs keeping your money in a bank, and I think as long as continue to keep a cool head on my shoulders, not let emotion cloud my judgement and choose my targets carefully I should achieve my aim of increasing my savings at a rate that is significantly above interest over the coming years.
So, in closing…
I am happy to hear any opinions or recommendations from you guys on how to maximise my efficiency as a low-volume (likely buying once a month or so) trader in Switzerland.
Cheers:
Engvestor.