Didn’t get curious about investing until your 30s? Neither did SoFi Member Shannon Whelan, a sales rep in West Palm Beach. But once she had a little extra cash — and some inspo from Dad — she was on it.
Shannon’s Investing Story
Luckily, Shannon’s not the type to worry about following the rules. She was able to freestyle it for a while, while she got the hang of things — learning how to trade, do her own research, and try out a variety of sources. Here’s what you can learn from her success (no parental input required).
It’s true, my dad got me started.
My dad is in finance, and he had been investing in stocks for me for years. But to be honest, I wasn’t interested until my 30s. Then I found myself with little debt and some extra money to play with — and I decided I was ready to try investing myself. That was 10 years ago!
The right app made a big difference.
I started investing on another platform, but for some reason I didn’t pay much attention to it. Then I learned that with SoFi I could have my checking, savings, and investing accounts all in one app. It was more convenient and the app was extremely easy to use. Now I check my portfolio every day.
I’m a DIY investor, but …
I also like to do a little trading on the side. I think of it as a way to diversify my holdings.
My favorite investment so far?
My dad suggested many ETFs that I could invest in. (That’s exchange-traded funds.) So I did my own research to understand why ETFs have a lot to offer — and sometimes with less risk than other kinds of investments. Most ETFs are low cost and include a mix of stocks which help diversify the portfolio.
You don’t have to love all things financial to get into investing.
I’m not super into finance, or reading up on the stock market. But if I keep hearing about a particular stock or ETF, I’ll look into it on my own. Sometimes I watch YouTube videos with investment experts talking about different things to invest in. But I always make my own decisions.
The best investing advice?
Do your research early and invest as much as you can. Now I wish I’d started in my 20s.
What I love about investing…
Seeing my account grow!
The Takeaway
It’s never too late to start investing, and Shannon’s story is an inspiring example of how much you can learn once you’re ready to dive in. It can be fun and helpful to get some introductory tips from people you know (it doesn’t have to be Dad), but ultimately investing is getting comfortable with the way you like to do things — whether that’s using a smarter app or exploring new sources that help you feel better informed.
The next natural step is taking the reins and opening an account with SoFi Invest®. Whether you’re excited about ETFs or curious about crypto, SoFi allows you to explore and learn so that you can achieve your goals.
SoFi Member responses are from the SoFi Ambassador survey, conducted in July 2021. All responses are published with the permission of the SoFi Member, and have been edited for grammar and clarity by SoFi editors.
SoFi Invest®
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