When people ask, ‘what do you do’ What do you tell them?
I work as a Finance Executive for an IT firm in Lagos, Nigeria. I also run an accounting outfit for SMEs
What does financial wealth mean to you?
It means having enough to meet my needs as well as saving and planning for a comfortable future for myself and my family.
When did you start investing?
Someone introduced me to Risevest in 2019 but I did not do anything about it until last year in May. During the pandemic last year, all I did was convert my savings to dollars because the exchange rate was volatile. I found out that saving was not enough, so I decided to go back and research more about Risevest and eventually started investing around May 2020.
So what portfolios do you have with Risevest?
Currently, I have real estate, fixed income and stock portfolios.
How has your experience with Risevest been so far?
Risevest is the most reasonable financial investment decision to make in Nigeria today. I even got my close friends and associates to invest in Risevest because it makes a whole lot of sense. There is no naira investment I can do now that would guarantee that I am not working backwards. For instance, when you invest in Naira investments, by the time the money returns even with the interest, the value would have been eroded. Another amazing thing about Rise is that apart from the interest rate I gain on the investment, I also make money from the exchange rate fluctuations.
How do you approach investment today?
My husband and I are always talking to people about investing in Dollar-denominated investments. As a family, when we get our income, we take out savings and investments and try to live within our budget. We try to manage and delay gratification so we can plan and save for our future and that of our kids. Risevest is the plug that we use to do that.
What is the investing hill you are willing to die on?
For me, that would be the concept of delayed gratification. You have to put some money aside and live within and sometimes below your means so you can have a secured future. Even the bible says we should eat the fruits but sow the seed, don’t eat it. We have to sow the seeds for a guarantee of future fruits.
Since you started investing, what has been your wildest gain?
To be honest, I don’t monitor it that way, because we keep putting money in like every month. But my husband and I had a plan that I thought was hard to achieve. Somehow we have been able to achieve that and it was a big deal for me. Also, when you refer people on Risevest you get to make money, that is also a cool way of making money. To be honest, I don’t see why anybody won’t be using Risevest in present-day Nigeria. It works.
Since you started investing, have you made any losses?
No, but I think earlier this year the stock portfolio was not performing well. There was a time I invested some funds and it kept on dipping but eventually, it came back to the original investment before I withdrew it. Stocks are not for the faint-hearted.
What is the secret to not losing money when you are investing?
First of all, you have to know about the investment, I don’t invest because people say this is what you should invest in. I have to do my research, I go to the office, get all the information I need, call, text, email, and ask questions. I did the same before I invested with Risevest too.
What is the hardest investment decision you have had to make?
Having to invest even when I don’t have enough. For instance, my husband and I run our home on budgets where we apportion our savings and expenses in line with our income. Sometimes it is hard, but it has built that discipline in us. We know that once we get our monthly income, we must take out the savings first and then manage whatever is left for the period. Most times we have to give up things, push things to the future and plan with vendors that we can pay many times. Do you understand? It builds discipline in us because we know we have a plan that we are saving towards.
What do you wish you had known before making your first investment?
I wish I had known about Risevest earlier. And I wish I had been investing earlier because by now I would have had a lot of money.
What does a dream investment look like to you?
A dream investment for me will be a situation where I don’t have to work anymore. My investments will take care of me and my bills and pay my salary. Where my passive income is more than my active income.
So what are you doing now to make that dream a reality?
Investing in Risevest. I’m hoping Rise is going to help me make that a reality
Ha ha, Risevest is going to lead you there…
Yes, right now all I see is risevest, I would love to invest in cryptocurrency but I don’t have that much of a risk appetite. I don’t want to shift all the money I worked for into a very volatile investment. I don’t have that high-risk appetite.
How do you feel about your investment position generally?
I don’t know, it is just a plan for the future basically and I am happy that we have come up to where we are. And we are going to strive to do more and I know with time we can do better, so yes that is it.
What can you tell a beginner about investing?
Start where you are, if you think you are earning ₦50,000 and it is not enough, pull out something even if it is 5%. My younger sister is in school and I told her about risevest, I encouraged her and now she pulls out small amounts whenever she gets her pocket money. No matter how much you think you earn, pull out something and invest. You are trying to give yourself a better life in the future.
How likely are you going to recommend Risevest to new Users?
I have been doing that, I even did that today, I have been speaking to people to invest with Risevest. Especially with these recent hikes, I have been talking to individuals to invest. Today I spoke to a BDC and the rate for dollars was ₦530, how unreasonable.
If you have not invested now, you better run and go and invest, that is the message I have for you. Take advantage of the opportunity and invest now.
And I will recommend Risevest 100% to anyone and everyone. I do that all the time.