We’re all looking at ways to ensure that we’re going to be able to put our feet up one day, retiring with a nest egg of sorts, and those in the know will often say that diversification is the key.

A little expert advice never hurts, either.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Tiger Brands is one of those shares you don’t want to touch with a pole, given that the deadly listeriosis outbreak originated from a factory they own.

The death toll stands in excess of 170, and there is surely no coming back from that.

Well, that’s not how some experts see it.

Financial analyst Henry Biddlecombe popped past Cape Talk for a chat with Bruce Whitfield on The Money Show, and actually picked Tiger Brands as one of his top three shares to buy.

Before you judge, have a little listen:

Ja, no, that actually sounds like solid advice. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi backs that up, stating that the listeriosis epidemic is now under control.

Sign me up, except for the fact that I have no idea how one goes about buying shares. Don’t give me that look, because you don’t either.

Owning shares has been historically proven as the best way to build your wealth over the long term, and there should be a lot more of us doing it, so here’s a helping hand.

This is where something like EasyEquities comes in, which has made it so easy for people like you and I (and those other people) to buy shares in any company listed on the JSE.

We clicked on Tiger Brands, and here’ what we found:

There’s no minimum investment amount either, so you can start off small and build your portfolio over time, once you become more comfortable with how it all works.

Decide on a monthly amount to pop in, or choose one off – easy.

EasyEquities is what we call a low-cost disruptor, making it possible for investors to invest in shares with whatever amount they have available, as opposed to the actual share value.

Take your pick of a JSE stock, put in what you’re comfortable with, and you might actually care about what happens to the markets.

It’s not just local shares as well, because you can also get your hands on some of the world’s biggest names.

User Chris Slack has documented his experience with EasyEquities on a blog post, and it’s worth taking a look at what he has to say:

Although he’s only in his second year of studying, Chris Slack has big ideas about where he wants to be in 50 years. This includes retiring comfortably and travelling the world. “A bank account is never going to generate wealth, the stock market, however, is a place where your money actually has the opportunity to make money,” says Chris. “When you’re young you may not have much money, but you do have time, and when it comes to the world of investing, the power of compounding is the second greatest super power you can have.”

Chris started investing using EasyEquities because it was the cheapest platform he could find; and offered him the most amount of variety…

After building a local portfolio of shares and ETFs, Chris wanted to explore his opportunities offshore. “I realised I also had the ability to invest in the US. Because EasyEquities is cool and offers fractional shares it meant I could buy even the most expensive US shares out there for whatever amount I could afford,” says Chris.

“At first I was a nervous, you know, investing in massive brands across the world, in US Dollars. Not to mention, the sheer number of companies was rather overwhelming. But I quickly got over it and I am now happily a Netflix, Amazon and Alibaba shareholder!”

I’m no expert, but I’m going to snap up some Alibaba shares ASAP because that seems to be a golden ticket.

As Chris alluded to, there’s far more on offer than simply buying shares, and if you don’t trust your own judgement you can follow the advice of experts.

Ranging from low-risk all the way through to high-risk ‘Baskets’ and ‘Bundles’, you’ll find some of the industry’s leading minds tailoring share portfolios to suit your needs.

It’s actually rather thrilling to check in on the shares you invest in, and it’s also another tick in the ‘adult’ box.

Take that, teachers who said I would never amount to anything.

Happy investing, friends.

[source:capetalk]