Welcome to readers from around the world!
Although I am writing primarily with experience of the UK market, the basic principles of the DIY Income Investor are applicable in any country.
The basic approach is still:
- increase your wealth potential by becoming more cost-conscious, reducing expenditure and minimising the amount of tax you pay
- build up your Income Pyramid
I encourage people to 'invest at home' and not to get too adventurous: if you invest in an asset from another country you are running up a hidden currency risk, plus losing out on currency conversion costs.
The main difference between countries is the detail of legislation on savings, investment, tax and pensions - these give rise to different investing tax-avoidance (i.e. legal) methods or investment vehicles. Most countries want to encourage saving and provide incentives - so, for example, SiPPs (self-invested pension plans) in the UK are mirrored (more or less) by IRAs in the US.
So, despite these national differences it is still possible in most countries to invest (largely) tax-free in a range of low-cost, DIY investment classes.
Post titles will indicate where specific national information is given (e.g. by saying 'UK' or 'US'). But you will have to do your own homework on what works in your country.
If you have an appetite to learn more and devote more time to investing you could then:
- buy ETFs initially (unless you are already an experienced investor) - these are available on many stock exchanges
- build up your own portfolio of high-yield shares
- buy your own government stocks and corporate bonds
Generally, you should avoid any complex investments that involve payment of commission or annual charges, such as 'funds'.
If possible, keep everything online - this will make it easier to manage your investments.
For Canadian visitors, a lot of local information is available at the DIY Financial Webring, which contains a lot of useful local information, including an excellent Shakespeare's Primer
I am not a financial advisor and the information provided does not constitute financial advice. Please check this information yourself thoroughly and independently before making any investment decisions.
