When people ask you what do you do? What do you tell them?
I have had versatile experiences in the corporate space ranging from Public relations to social media management, business development, sales, financial portfolio management and banking relationship management. Lol, I’ve done quite a lot. However, I currently work as a Turnaround Planning engineer.
What does financial wealth mean to you?
Being financially liquid at all times. An abundance of assets I can readily convert to cash without hassle. Basically getting to the point where I can get alerts in my sleep, my money working for me and being able to afford anything I want without stressing too much about it.
When did you start investing?
I started investing a couple of years ago with Axa Mansard mutual funds. I invested in that because the interest rate was a bit higher than the regular fixed deposit. Now I have my funds in a couple of things like agriculture, investments like Risevest, and also real estate. Also converting funds to USD sometimes to guard against currency risk.
Speaking of Risevest, when did you start using Risevest?
I decided to start last year. Actually, my friend Tola told me about Risevest two years ago and when she did I was like “hmmm audio money lol. Money that I am not seeing, I cannot do it and it was even in dollars, who will I chase when something happens to my capital?” So I waved it off. However, in early 2020, she brought it up again saying that I should invest in Risevest stating that the dollar was on the rise and if I had listened to her when she first told me about it, I would have made a lot more. This made me try Risevest, I started small and I’ve increased my funds as I’ve gotten more comfortable. I particularly like how Risevest gives prompts when rates are about to go up.
What has been your experience so far?
Well, my experience so far has been okay, but ever since I started investing with Risevest, I have not made a withdrawal so I’m not fully sure how that process works and if it’s hassle-free. It’s easier to withdraw from Naira based investments since Risevest is helping with currency risk.
How do you approach investing today?
I am what you will call a safe investor. I try not to do anything that is too risky because I want to sleep well at night. For instance, when I see an investment opportunity, I ask around for opinions from people that are more learned in the investments space than I am. I ask questions like are you guys insured? What is your plan for payout? I have had a couple of bad investments, so I basically try as much as possible to ask questions. And I trust the judgments of those investors that advise me sometimes.
What is the investing hill you are willing to die on?
If someone told me earlier in the year that the dollar was going to go to ₦500, I would be like Ahn Ahn, the ₦400+ we are in, is it not okay? So investing in dollars remains the best I have done so far.
Since you started investing, what has been your wildest gain?
Well, I made an investment once in agriculture under Jetseed and I made over 100 thousand return and this was after 6 months with a 600k capital. Most investments I have are long term.
What has been your wildest loss?
Ahh, I lost over ₦1.2M in 2020 majorly to individuals and companies that claimed to be trading FX. Also lost almost ₦500k in 2019 to a company trading Bitcoin so yeah I’ve lost quite some money. 2020 was not a fun year for me in that regard though. No matter how much money you think you have, any amount of money you lose will be painful. I’m also currently weary of people who give returns that seem too good to be true.
What is the hardest investment decision you have had to make?
Investing long term; I am a very money conscious person and I hate losing money. So if I see an investment that they are telling me to put money down for a year, I feel like those decisions are tough because a lot can happen in a year.
Before making your first investment, what do you think you should have known?
I wish I was more enlightened about the FX space. Saving money in USD. If I started the habit of converting my savings when the Dollar was ₦190, I’d have a better grip on my finances. I wish I was enlightened about buying stocks at the time as well.
When you dream about your investment, what does it look like?
The one that I will be sleeping and be hearing “pakamm” (credit alert) in my account. Lol making my money work for me and having my passive income coming in constantly and hopefully even be higher than my salary. Growth and stability in essence.
So Risevest basically?
Yes, yes Risevest basically!!
How do you feel about your investment position today?
I feel good, I feel like I am learning to take risks, I now invest in real estate (foreign real estate too through Risevest). So, I feel good about where I am right now but I know that there is a lot that I can still do. There are a lot of spaces I haven’t delved into like stocks, like bitcoin.
What will you tell a beginner about investment?
I will tell a beginner first to know their risk appetite, some people don’t mind, they can go all in. I know they say it also depends on your age, so the older you get, the less your risk appetite should be so that you have something to fall back on.
Also, get information, there is so much information out there on investing and what you can invest in. If you can do as much research as you can, you’d realise that the 2% that banks are paying on your savings account shouldn’t be counted as investment.
How likely are you going to recommend risevest to new users
I have spoken to a couple of my friends to join Risevest already. The guarding against currency risk is a plus and I particularly like that I don’t have to source for Dollars myself. So I would most likely recommend Risevest to new users.