Would you say no to a stake in one of Australia’s top companies?

How would you like to be part-owner of a successful business? Maybe even one of Australia’s top 200 businesses?

You’d be foolish to say ‘no’. Right?

So why is it that whenever the word ‘share’ is mentioned people get the jitters and lose interest?

Is it because the first thing they think about is the potential to lose money? Lots of money?

Very likely.

But the reality is that owning shares is the same as being a part- owner of a business.

Once you get past that concept, it should make the decision to invest in shares a lot easier.

“Shares should be something people feel really comfortable with,” says Campbell Green director and financial adviser Craig Wockner.

“I’m talking about ‘ownership’ in the top 200 listed companies in Australia. Once people understand that they get quite excited about it especially considering the bank pays about 2 per cent interest but if you’ve got shares you can get a 4 to 5 per cent dividend per annum – and they can grow in capital value as well.”

It’s really not black magic. This much-maligned investment option, with a bit of understanding, can actually work extremely well. The problem is many people only hear the horror stories of the risky small companies where investors can make 10 times their money … and lose the lot. They think shares equal gambling.

The reality is we need to look at shares as a slow and steady investment that with quality management can be both rewarding and exciting.

And many people don’t realise that their money is already invested in shares through their super – something they feel quite comfortable with even if they don’t realise this is the case.

Mr Wockner says there are some incredibly exciting companies on the Australian 200 Index which make for amazing investment opportunities. One of these is a wine company exporting US and Australian wines to what it has identified as an immense growth industry – the Chinese middle classes.

“When you hear about a company that deals in a product which a lot of us really enjoy and that it is going into the biggest market with a booming economy, it certainly makes the fear go away,” he says.

“Investment managers research these companies and can tell what the potential increase in profits could be in a long-term investment.”

Another company breaking new ground is Woolworths which, through its company Quantium, has 200PhD scientists writing algorithms about the brand’s shoppers, formulating special offers targeted directly at the end-user … you!

“Who wouldn’t want to be part-owner in such an innovative forward-thinking business?” he says.

And it’s not so very hard to make it happen. There are options as low as $1000.

A financial adviser can calculate how much a person can afford as well as look at finding a more transparent way of investing their super.

A bank account can be setup to hold the investments, which can be accessed just like regular internet banking.

Then sit back and watch the investment grow and diversify. And as payments can be made weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on finances, it takes the pressure off and ensures the end goal, to gradually build the account up, is achieved.

A lot of shares pay dividends plus there is always the return on the capital growth. These can also be tailored to what the client wants, for example, higher income or even ethical shares.

“The cost involved in setting something like this up is really not high and can be done with little to no out-of-pocket expense because we can use people’s super to pay for it,” Mr Wockner says.

“It’s not as daunting as people think.”

If you would to investigate investing in shares, contact us today.