InvestSMART’s Effie Zahos remembers having “FOJI” – Fear of Jumping In – when she started investing as an 18-year-old.
“I had no idea about investing back then,” laughs Zahos. “I bought two bank stocks because I thought the banks charged lots of fees, so might be a good business.”
From there, Zahos developed a lifelong interest in investing and a career in investment education. She established and edited Money Magazine and is now a prominent money commentator and Chief Content Officer at InvestSMART Group, a digital-investing platform.
Zahos is presenting at the upcoming ASX Investor Day on “How to Start Investing”. ASX Investor Day is ASX’s premier investor education event for retail investors.
Known for her lively presentations, Zahos is passionate about increasing financial literacy in Australia. “Most people still don’t know enough about investing,” she says. “As a nation, financial literacy is something we need to improve.”
As this edition of ASX Investor Update is published, ASX is again proudly supporting World Investor Week, which is a global campaign to raise financial literacy awareness. Running from October 7 to 13, it is promoted by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in partnership with the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).
Zahos recently designed an InvestSMART survey to test financial literacy. Distributed by YouGov Australia, a market researcher, the quiz had 15 questions on a range of investment topics. One thousand people completed the survey.
Almost three quarters of respondents failed the test. The median score: five out of 15. “There’s so much more we can do to help people learn about the basics of investing, particularly women and those with lower incomes who had lower scores, on average, on our test,” says Zahos. “It’s not hard to learn about investing and it could make such make a difference when you start.”
Effie Zahos, Chief Content Officer at InvestSMART Group
Zahos will discuss the survey results in her presentation – and even has a few questions planned for the audience. “My presentation at ASX Investor Day is designed for absolute beginners who don’t know much about investing but are keen to learn and potentially get started in the market.”
The other part of Zahos’s presentation is on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). “When I started, I invested directly in stocks,” she says. “These days, investors can choose from a range of ETFs on ASX to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of companies through an index, at lower cost.”
Zahos says the information will be “ETFs 101”. “The content is designed for people who might not know what an ETF is or have limited knowledge about them. I want to help people understand why it’s important to ‘look under the bonnet’ when considering an ETF to see what it owns, and also the potential benefits and risks of ETFs, and whether an ETF suits their needs.”
Register now for ASX Investor Day
Zahos is one of more than a dozen investment experts presenting at ASX Investor Day in Melbourne on 16 November 2024 and Sydney on 23 November 2024.
Investors in other cities and towns can watch the presentations on-demand on the ASX website when they become available in early December.
It’s a good idea to register early for ASX Investor Day to secure a place at the event.
Held at a five-star hotel, ASX Investor Day is a fully catered event with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided. Stalls at the event contribute to a lively atmosphere and are a great way to source general information from investment firms or meet presenters (no financial advice is provided).
Ian Irvine, the long-time Master of Ceremonies at ASX Investor Day believes this year’s event is particularly timely. “If interest rates in Australia start to fall next year as many economists expect, that might have potential implications for people who have their money invested in cash products and live off the return.”
Irvine adds: “In my opinion, it might be a good time to think more about income investing in the context of potentially lower rates next year, and also about stocks, funds or listed investment companies that may help people earn the yield they require. ASX Investor Day is good way to learn about income investing.”
ASX Investor Day, says Irvine, continues to grow each year. “The event is an excellent place to start for those who want build their investment knowledge. The sessions are fast-paced and lively, and the content suits all types of investors.”
ASX Investor Day content
Morning sessions at ASX Investor Day in Sydney and Melbourne feature an economic update from CommSec. Then follows a panel discussion on investment megatrends with asset managers such as Vanguard, Magellan Financial Group and Resolution Capital.
For the second session of ASX Investor Day, attendees choose between sessions in the Green Room breakout (for newer investors), or the Gold Room breakout (for more advanced investors).
The Green sessions include Zahos’s presentation and others on gearing through ETFs (Betashares), investing in artificial intelligence (Global X) and key considerations and trends for Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (nabtrade).
The Gold sessions include presentations on warrants (Citi), active ETFs (Macquarie Asset Management) and investing in cryptocurrencies through ETFs (VanEck).
The afternoon session, open to all attendees, focuses on investment ideas and themes. The first presentation features a series of investment experts who will pitch their Top Investment Ideas for the year ahead. The second is the ever-popular Buy, Hold, Sell session.
Bell Direct Market Analyst, Grady Wulff, is hosting Buy, Hold, Sell, which is always a highlight at the end of ASX Investor Day.
Wulff expects to discuss Bell research on artificial intelligence stocks, utilities, gold miners, copper producers, healthcare companies and some Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts. “Small-cap stocks are another area where Bell Direct currently sees more potential opportunities,” says Wulff.
Wulff will also explain what Bell analysts look for when recommending stocks. “I’ll tell attendees about the investment logic behind that recommendation in terms of company fundamentals and valuation,” she says. “I’ll also explain why some brokers might say a stock is a buy, and others say it’s a sell – and how to make sense of broker recommendations when you start investing.”
Grady Wulff, Bell Direct Market Analyst
A feature of Wulff’s presentation will be the use of technology to gauge the audience’s view on a stock – the so-called “wisdom of the crowd”. “I’ll ask the audience whether they think a stock is a buy, hold or sell. It’s a fun way to get lots of views on a stock and remind investors that there is often a range of positive, negative or neutral views on a stock.”
Other ASX education resources
ASX Investor Day is part of a suite of ASX investor education services.
They include:
- Free ASX online courses on shares, ETFs and bonds that are an easy and convenient way for new investors to learn about investment basics.
- The ASX Sharemarket Game – one of the world’s great simulated sharemarket grading games – helps investors test their knowledge in real-time markets. Participants receive $50,000 of “virtual cash” to invest in the market, helping them to develop their investment skills before investing using the real thing.
- For more advanced investors, the ASX/TradeFloor Options Trading Game is a way to test their options knowledge, again with $50,000 of virtual cash. The sandbox environment is open now, with the game set to kick off on 21 October.
- ASX’s regular podcast series – The Ideas Exchange – features monthly market updates and interviews with a range of leading investment experts.
- ASX newsletters, such as ASX Investor Update, provide investor education and details of upcoming ASX events and initiatives.
- For investors who seek more information on companies, ASX also hosts the ASX Small and Mid-Cap Conference and ASX CEO Connect.
Attendees can learn about these and other ASX education resources at ASX Investor Day or by visiting Investment Tools and Resources on the ASX website.
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The views, opinions or recommendations of the author in this article are solely those of the author and do not in any way reflect the views, opinions, recommendations, of ASX Limited ABN 98 008 624 691 and its related bodies corporate (“ASX”). ASX makes no representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the content. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or investment advice. Independent advice should be obtained from an Australian financial services licensee before making investment decisions. The information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on information in this article consider its appropriateness and accuracy, regarding your objectives, financial situation and needs. Do further research of your own and/or seek personal financial advice from a licensed adviser before making any financial or investment decisions based on this article.
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The views, opinions or recommendations of the author in this article are solely those of the author and do not in any way reflect the views, opinions, recommendations, of ASX Limited ABN 98 008 624 691 and its related bodies corporate (“ASX”). ASX makes no representation or warranty with respect to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the content. The content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Independent advice should be obtained from an Australian financial services licensee before making investment decisions. To the extent permitted by law, ASX excludes all liability for any loss or damage arising in any way due to or in connection with the publication of this article, including by way of negligence.
