The number of Brazilians who have been looking for alternatives to start investing is increasing, as shown by data from the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3). In the accumulated in 2021, there was an increase of 1.5 million individual investors in the capital market, which represents an increase of 56%.
But when making the decision to save part of the gains and make them pay off, many are unaware of the step by step. For example, when looking for a bank or a broker, what are the ideal investments for the emergency reserve or for a long-term investment.
So, how to start investing from scratch? experts heard by UOL give a series of tips for those who want to escape the most common mistakes and have more security before taking the first steps.
What to know before starting to invest?
For William Castro Alves, partner and analyst at Avenue Securities, the investor’s first move should be to form an emergency reserve. That is, saving an amount referring to a period of three to six months of your income, which is considered enough to cover expenses in case of eventualities, such as loss of job.
This resource must be applied in assets that allow withdrawal at any time, such as Treasury Selic, CDB (Bank Deposit Certificate) with daily liquidity (possibility of redeeming the money at any time, without losses) and fixed income funds. “Once you have reached this value, you can actually think about investing”, declares Alves.
Anyone who is going to start building an equity also needs to understand that the greater the expected return on an investment, the greater the chance of having eventual financial losses. In other words, the more you want to win, the more risk you have to take.
“With that in mind, investors will be able to evaluate alternatives that offer them high risk-free returns as anomalies with little credibility, and will likely be able to stay out of many holes”, says Patrícia Palomo, economist and financial planner CFP for the Associação Brazilian Institute of Financial Planning (Planejar).
Another important aspect is the level of risk that the investor tolerates. This means how much fluctuation, in financial terms, he feels comfortable in exchange for the possibility of a higher return. Financial self-knowledge is the key to this question, according to Patrícia.
Therefore, having defined the profile (conservative, moderate or bold), it will be possible to search for the most appropriate investment.
The deadline for leaving the appeal applied must also be analyzed. If the money has to be used within a year, for example, it is necessary to look for products that make this liquidity possible.
“If the space of time is longer, less liquid investment alternatives make sense”, says the financial planner.
In summary, what the investor needs is self-knowledge of the risk tolerance profile, the financial objectives and the term that can give up the resource to keep it invested.
Patrícia Palomo, economist and financial planner, CFP from Planor
Those who are unfamiliar with the universe of investments should be prepared, for example, for the ups and downs of variable income. Felipe Pontes, educational and R&D director at TC, cites the example of share prices and bitcoin (BTC), which rise and fall, therefore, are volatile.
“As the beginner is not used to the ‘I’m rich, I’m poor’, he may despair and make wrong decisions to buy when the asset is rising and sell when the asset is falling”, says Pontes.
“The first thing to understand is your profile as an investor and your life cycle stage. A more conservative person who is close to retiring should have less variable income than a person who has a more aggressive profile and is at the beginning of their careers and without children, or with bills to pay”, declares the director of the TC.
Investment director at PagBank PagSeguro, André Souza gives some tips for those who are going to start saving money.
“The ideal thing to find the most suitable investment is to answer questions. For example, why am I investing? What is the objective for the money? How long will it be invested? What is the risk tolerance, investor profile?”, says Souza.
Another important factor, according to the expert, is not to choose investment only because of past profitability. The returns from an investment depend on future events, such as the economic scenario in Brazil and abroad. Past performance does not guarantee good future performance, according to the director of PagBank PagSeguro.
What are the next steps to start investing?
To start investing, it is necessary to have access to an intermediary agent, who will mediate the purchase and sale of an asset, according to Mateus Vieira, financial advisor at Leve Pauta. It can be an investment brokerage or even a bank that offers this service.
Once that is done, you need to have the goals defined, the deadline to achieve them and how much you can save month by month (monthly contribution).
When choosing a financial institution, it is essential that it is one you trust. It can be a bank with which you already have a relationship or a platform with which you can identify.
The important thing is to know that it is a company regulated and supervised by Organs competent bodies: Central Bank (BC) and Securities Commission (CVM), according to Patrícia Palomo.
Alves, from Avenue Securities, says that, in the case of international investment, it is necessary to check if the brokerage or investment house has all the certifications to carry out the exchange and safe custody of the funds.
How to open a brokerage account?
Opening an account at a brokerage is very simple, with a process similar to that used by banks, according to Vieira, from Leve. Just access the website of the brokerage of interest, enter the necessary documents and data, and wait for approval.
Upon opening the account, it will be necessary to answer a questionnaire called “suitability” to define the investor’s profile, according to Pontes. For the director of the TC, the most difficult thing at this stage is choosing who will help invest the money.
Pontes’s suggestion is to talk to friends who already invest to ask which brokers they use and what the pros and cons are, in addition to taking a look at the Reclame Aqui ranking.
“I would consider [ao escolher uma corretora], therefore, the following factors: Is it free? Do you have a good offer of free products and services? Do you have good service? Works well? Talking to people and searching the internet will help you answer these questions”, says the executive.
Investing is not just for the rich
Many people still feel insecure about starting to invest, because they believe that this is a habit only for those with high purchasing power. Mateus Vieira, from Leve, declares that this reasoning is wrong.
Investments are means of multiplying wealth, not an exclusivity of those who already have a lot. With R$ 30 it is already possible to make an application in the Direct Treasury. You don’t have to be rich to invest. The advantage of starting small is learning from an early age.
Mateus Vieira, financial advisor at Leve Pauta
As Souza, from PagBank PagSeguro declares, saving money, whatever the income, is for any moment of life and serves as a way to make dreams come true and achieve them in a planned and faster way, in addition to always having an emergency reserve, avoiding indebtedness at unexpected times. “In other words, investing is really for everyone.”
Professional help or investing on your own?
The help of a professional is very welcome, says Vieira, from Leve. Those who prefer to go on their own in decision-making must understand what they are investing in.
“For people who are not interested or have no affinity with the subject, the help of a professional is necessary. There are investment options where you hire a professional to manage your resources, the so-called investment funds, which can also be an alternative interesting, depending on the person’s profile”, he says.
Pontes, from TC, however, says that it is always possible to invest alone, as long as the basic concepts of finance are studied —whether through texts, videos and courses—it helps in performance.
Those who do not feel safe should seek more in-depth content. But if the amount to be invested is high (“hundreds of thousands of reais onwards”), at least in the beginning it is advisable to rely on some kind of consultancy given by independent professionals who have the appropriate certifications, such as CEA, CFP, CFA, CNPI or CGA.
What are the most common mistakes a novice investor makes?
One of the most common mistakes of the novice investor, according to Mateus Vieira, is not knowing the asset in which he is investing.
“Often the decision is made based on what was heard in conversation circles, from digital influencers who are not experts on the subject or even motivated by wanting to earn a lot of money in a short term”, he declares.
In addition, the Leve consultant says that another very common mistake, especially in the first analysis of results, is to think that historical profitability is a guarantee of future profitability.
The recommendation of the Leve specialist is that a more complete analysis be carried out to understand if that is really a good asset, if it is in line with its objectives and in line with its investor profile.
See a summary with the most common mistakes of the beginner investor, according to the experts heard by the UOL:
Postponing the plan to start investing; Wanting to copy or follow the allocation that is designed for other people, with different profiles; Not having a diversified portfolio, that is, betting on just one asset class because you believe in its appreciation; Thinking that it will get rich overnight, without discipline and long-term vision; Lack of tolerance for risk; In the devaluation of an investment, abandon it soon; In the appreciation of an investment, adhere to it without first researching about it
