SoFi Member Investor Profiles: ‘Anyone Can Learn How to Invest’

Like many people, SoFi Member Amanda Carboni had always been curious about investing — but she also felt unsure. The markets looked risky. Intimidating even. What if she didn’t know enough, or even lost some of her money?

Amanda’s Investing Story

Fortunately when Amanda, an HR director in San Francisco, realized she could take advantage of the many resources available to new investors — and embrace a long-term view — things started to fall into place. She discovered the fun of learning something new, and how amazing it feels when you’ve pushed yourself to a better place in life. Read on to learn why Amanda says, “Anyone can do this!”

I was pretty skeptical at first.

I thought investing was more like gambling — that I would put my money in and end up losing everything. I felt pretty intimidated to try it on my own.

Then I had a Covid-19 moment.

Around the time when Covid-19 started, I decided it was time to take control of my finances and my future. I started investing through a work-sponsored retirement account because it had a company match. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I was determined to learn.

Don’t laugh!

Now I can say it: Investing is really not as hard as I thought it would be. I just recently started selecting my own investments, and moved some money to an account that allows me to pick individual stocks. Initially I didn’t like making riskier choices, but now I realize I’m still young enough to take risks.

Here’s my strategy.

I want to keep my portfolio diversified. I choose companies I like and also companies that I’ve heard good things about. When I started, my boyfriend helped me, but now I do my own research.

Make saving automatic.

I’ve set up my accounts with direct deposit, so I invest automatically. Once you know the power of compounding, you can’t go back — and automatic deposits help.

You really don’t have to know everything.

Sometimes I’m still confused about which decisions will help me get a good return on my investments. So I try to stay informed. I read SoFi, Nerdwallet, Investopedia, and receive daily emails from the Morning Brew. I also like to watch Mad Money and Fast Money. Just keep learning.

I’m proud to say…

I only began investing at the start of Covid, and I’ve already built on my net worth and my retirement savings.

Don’t be afraid

I think people fear investing when they don’t understand it or haven’t been taught to invest. But if you research and put a little effort in, anyone can do it!

The Takeaway

As Amanda can tell you, it might feel a little intimidating to start investing. But you’ve probably done harder things on TikTok. Admit it. And the outcome from investing might offer more long-term benefits. Just sayin’.

Like Amanda, you can figure out what you’re interested in: which types of investments fit your plan, what kinds of news and other sources work for you. And use the power of automatic deposits to stay on track! The key is having the confidence that you can find the answers you need — and you don’t need all the answers to get started. Open a SoFi Invest® account and open the door to new possibilities.

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 Ambassadors earn rewards for participating in the Ambassador Program.