Erica's video tutorials for new investors

‘I’ve never been great with money, to be honest, it’s always kind of stressed me out. My approach to personal finance in my 20s was to just not look at my bank account. But I made a promise to myself that before I turned 30, I would become more proactive about my money situation.’

Erica looks to get educated on investing and understand the risks, creating a checklist before deciding to take the investment plunge.

1. I’m contributing to my Pension Plan through my work.
2. I’ve paid off any high-interest debt such as credit cards and loans.
3. I have an emergency fund, 6 to 12 months of take-home pay kept in a savings account that’s accessible if I need it.

‘As a total beginner to investing, everything initially felt overwhelming. Even something as straightforward as choosing what account to open was enough to send me spiralling. But with the help from my colleague Rob, I became a client of our Direct Investment Service and filmed my entire sign-up process.’

Erica asks our expert Rob Morgan about the different account types you can choose from when you start investing

• Investment account
• Stocks & Shares ISA account
• Self Invested Personal Pensions "SIPP" account

‘I wanted to invest my money wisely, but it’s not always easy to know where to start. We all should have the opportunity to feel financially safe, and the key to that shouldn’t be hidden behind barriers of financial jargon.’

Erica asks our expert Rob Morgan about the investment choices available and how you can make your first investment.

• Shares or equities
• Bonds
• Funds

'Financial literacy is a skill we all can improve in, but with lots of information out there, it’s not always easy to know where to start.' 

Erica explains how the stock market can impact your investment journey.

'The language that is used by most financial institutions makes investing feel inaccessible to everyday people – and if you don’t have an economics or finance degree then you don’t deserve a seat at the investing table. However, we all should have the opportunity to feel financially safe, and the key to that shouldn’t be hidden behind barriers of financial jargon.'

Erica explains what Albert Einstein called the '8th wonder of the world' - compound returns, otherwise known as compound interest.

'I wouldn’t call myself an expert (yet), but every day that I learn more about investing I feel increasingly more empowered about the future of my finances. How I invest, the funds I choose, and the amount of risk they involve is totally up to me – and that’s a pretty liberating feeling. I still have a long way to go, but it feels so good to know that I am finally on track.'

Erica explains inflation and cash erosion in a modern context.