With Elfin, we want to encourage you to do smart things with your money, like investing. After all, investing can be smart, it’s fun and also much more accessible than you might have thought: even with small amounts, you can already work on your financial future. But where do you start, and how do you build an investment portfolio? That’s why it’s nice to occasionally be inspired by other women who have also started investing. What amounts did they start with and what does their investment portfolio look like? Why do they invest in certain products and what is their goal? Read, get inspired and start investing yourself. This time an interview with Suzanne van Duijn!
Tell me, who are you?
I am Suzanne van Duijn, I live with my boyfriend and son in Utrecht and I am an entrepreneur. In fact, I travel a lot and regularly work from abroad, but also have “a life here. In addition, it is important to me that I have the freedom to choose where I work, when I travel, and how I live my life. That’s why I started location-independent business. I started doing business in 2016. Since then, I’ve traveled mega. I really love traveling: the world has so many beautiful places and such amazing cultures. In addition, traveling is tremendously good for your self-development, teaches you to put things into perspective and you learn a lot about other people. And I get a lot of inspiration from it!
Tell me, why did you start investing?
I didn’t really get into investing until early this year. Because I read the book Blondes Invest Better, I was triggered to start investing. My main goal was that as an entrepreneur, I need to take care of something for retirement. Index investing (in EFTs) seemed like a smart idea to me. That way I save for my retirement, and in 35 years it will be worth much more too. History shows that over that period you always have profits. By now I’m hooked, I like it, and I might want to invest more than just for retirement. I also find investing in real estate very interesting. And dividend stocks.
Has your mindset about money changed since you started investing?
Yes indeed! And that was exactly the reason I wanted to start as early as this year. Investing has a bit of a scary image for those who are not into it. Still, I knew this would be a good thing. But of course I wanted to get into it and practice a bit before I blindly buy some shares. So that’s why I started this year, with the goal of educating myself and really playing a little bit.
I now have something like 500 euros in my investment account, every month I deposit around 100 euros. From that, I then buy something every month. That way I can get used to it. Now I already don’t find it scary, I know better what I am doing and what I want. I find that this grows my money mindset. I no longer see investing as something scary because I know better how it works. Money I see more as a means. It also doesn’t really feel like my money anymore, sitting in my investment account. That way I can deal with it more objectively.
What do you think is important when it comes to investing?
While I’m sure there is a lot of money to be made from it, I try to invest less in parties like Shell, McDonalds, Heineken and other big players that I don’t necessarily “100% support. I prefer to invest my money in sustainable initiatives, in cool startups, in “beautiful” companies. Furthermore, fun divivend is of course important. And, of course, an upward trend 😉
What does your investment portfolio currently look like?
I currently have five products in my investment portfolio.
- Shares of Berkshire Hathaway – Warren Buffet’s company. With his company, he in turn invests in a variety of other companies. And what’s good enough for Warren Buffet is certainly good enough for me. I trust that man! So I invest with him.
- Van Eck VectorsAEX: an ETF that tracks the AEX. Always good it seems to me. And dividends, too.
- Vanguard All World Div ETF: an ETF that tracks the global market. You can’t get more spread out, and also nice for divivend.
- Vanguard S&P 500: an ETF that tracks America’s 500 largest companies. Seems like a good spread to me too, and divisive too.
- Basic Fit shares: I bought those in coron time. Then they rose hard. But now they are dropping again, so I am going to sell them. This is not really a company I want to invest in. But it was a fun exercise. I didn’t lose anything.
Suzanne invests a lot in ETFs. Would you also like to know what an ETF is and how to invest in it? Read that this article!
All of these products are in my ING investment account. In addition, I recently joined Peaks to invest with my change. I know the costs there are high, but like I said, this year I’m not really about profits yet, but mainly about practicing and growing my knowledge and money mindset. When I really get into big money, I’m going to do everything at ING. Or maybe I’ll also open a separate retirement investment account, say with Brand new day or Bright. More attractive fiscally, too.
Read all about retirement investing here, this is extremely important, for everyone, but especially if you are an entrepreneur like Suzanne!
What does your dream portfolio look like?
I would like to invest in water. I think fresh (drinking) water is going to be a tremendously scarce product in the long run, and so not only is there a lot to be made from it, but it’s also an industry where more money needs to go. Companies must secure our future drinking water! I like to invest my money in that.
The Japanese market also seems cool for me to invest in. The Japanese economy seems to have been quite stable for a long time. Little growth,but a lot of stability. Fine also for dividend stocks I guess.
I have no bonds at the moment, so perhaps it would be useful to invest more in them in the future.
Further: continue to spread out as much as possible. In terms of countries, industries, products, etc. A second home also seems like a good investment to me.
How much money do you currently have invested?
Only 500 euros.
What is your ultimate investment goal?
In 35 years I want to have accumulated at least 500,000 euros in assets, my pension.
This would require me to start putting in about 400 euros per month, but for now I don’t have that money. I am now buying a house and a lot of money is going into that. Fortunately, this is also a smart purchase for the long term. If I am mortgage-free in 30 years, I will obviously need less pension again, so this amount is not set in stone but is my aspiration.
If I start making more money, and can invest more than 400 euros a month, I will definitely do that. Then, in addition to my retirement goal, I will invest for the slightly less distant future, such as for a nice sabbatical in 15 years or so.
What does your life look like when you have met your investment goal?
Then I can enjoy my retirement carefree! If I no longer have a mortgage, a nice house, a fine pension and another state pension, I can continue to enjoy my freedom in my old age even if I can no longer work. Although it could also be that my business would then still provide passive income, just as it does now. I am a great believer in: live now! This is why I already take mini-retirement regularly. I don’t want to enjoy myself only after I have met my investment goal. But extra money in the future is always included, of course. It is simply a waste NOT to invest.
Inspiring! Definitely that mini retirement 😉 Last question for now: what advice would you like to give women who also want to start investing?
Enjoy now, but also think about later. Start investing, even if it is like me with less than 100 euros per month. Read up on yourself, start practicing. Broaden your knowledge and money mindset. After that, the real party can begin!
