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How to invest

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Learn how to invest, set your goals, understand investment risk, choose and diversify investments, and track your portfolio over time. 

Start investing with confidence

Steps to invest with confidence. Build your investing knowledge with three key steps: make a long-term plan, check where your information comes from and stay alert to investment scams.

Develop an investing plan. Set your financial goals, understand your risk tolerance and investing timeframe, and research investments that could help you reach your goals.

Questions to ask before you invest. Use the eight key questions in our investing checklist to understand an investment's risks, costs and potential returns, and whether it might be right for you. 

Build and manage your portfolio

Choose your investments. Understand different types of investments and ways to invest. 

Investment diversification. Learn how spreading your money across different asset classes, investments, countries and funds can reduce the impact of individual investments performing poorly. Find out how to keep your portfolio diversified over time.

Track your investments. Find out what to check after you invest, including performance, income, fees, risks and access to your money. Learn when to review your investments, spot warning signs and what to do if something goes wrong.

Understand investment costs, tax and protections

Investing and tax. Understand how investment income and capital gains are taxed, the deductions you may be able to claim and the records you need to keep for your tax return.

Borrowing to invest. Understand how borrowing to invest can increase both potential returns and losses. Learn how investment loans work, the risks involved and ways to manage those risks.

What is a wholesale investor. Understand what it means to be treated as a wholesale investor, including the consumer protections that may no longer apply.

Other approaches to investing

Micro-investing. Learn how micro-investing lets you invest small amounts through an app or online platform. Understand how it works, the fees and risks, who owns the investments and what to check before you start.

Investment platforms. Understand how investment platforms bring investments, transactions, reporting and portfolio management together. Know what features, fees, benefits and complexity to consider before deciding whether a platform could suit you.

Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing. Learn how ESG investing considers environmental, social and governance factors. Understand different ESG approaches, what to check when choosing a fund and how to recognise greenwashing.

Islamic finance in Australia. Understand how Islamic finance works, how it differs from conventional finance and the types of products available in Australia. Find out how these products are regulated and what to check before choosing one.

Finding the right investments can be challenging. If you need some help to build a diversified portfolio, talk to a financial adviser.