Do you remember your first step into a foreign language class? The strange words, the unfamiliar grammar rules, and the struggle to make sense of what’s being said? Now, imagine trying to learn investing and business in Australia without knowing many English words.

This is the story of our amazing guest for today's episode, Raul Engel. Born in Brazil, Raul found his new home in Australia back in 2014. His was a tale of resilience, growth, and a commitment to hold the torchlight for his fellow Brazilians.

He arrived in Australia with an investment portfolio and entrepreneurial spirit that started as a teen. In 2020, Raul launched an online project to empower Portuguese speakers to take control of their financial destiny. His work has never been more important, as one in three Australians were born overseas.

Raul's mission is simple yet powerful. He believes investments aren't just about growth. Rather, investments are the armour that protects your wealth from the unpredictable swings of life. He also promotes the acceleration of wealth building by increasing your income. It's a three-part recipe for success that he lives and teaches.

We couldn't be more thrilled to have Raul on our show. Our chat takes us through his journey, including his time in the Brazilian army and his start as a Bondi tradie. This episode resonates with us, as we had to navigate Australian financial rules and permanent residency once.

But it gets even better: Raul also drops a thrilling announcement for the first time in our podcast. But, no spoilers here! While we've penned down some insights from our chat, we promise there's so much more in the full episode.

Why did Raul Engel start investing at 18 years old

What were you up to when you were 18? Most of us at that age were trying to figure out our career path or grappling with exams. But Raul, well, he was a different breed. At 12 years old, he was already a young entrepreneur. By the time he turned 18, he had set his sights on his next adventure: long-term investing.

We're often asked: What is the perfect age to start investing?" . Our answer: the earlier, the better. And Raul's story perfectly illustrates why.

But why invest at such a young age? For Raul, it wasn't a winning lottery ticket or a surprise inheritance from a long-lost relative. Instead, the lessons from entrepreneurship ignited his curiosity in long-term investing. His experience running a business had taught him how money works, and how to have a better relationship with his finances.

As an entrepreneur, he understood the value of careful planning, taking calculated risk, and long-term vision. These lessons turned into his winning formula in the investing world. He recognised the importance of diversifying with other assets and compound interest long before many of his peers.

Often, our personal money beliefs can affect how we approach our finances. The way we look at money is formed by the environment we grow up in, the education we receive, and the experiences we have. For Raul, entrepreneurship gave him a distinct advantage — he was able to start building his wealth early.

Imagine you're planting a tree. The earlier you plant it, the more time it has to grow, right? Investing works the same way. The sooner you start, the more time your investments have to grow through the magic of compound interest.

It’s exactly why Albert Einstein said: “the most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” By starting young, you're not just investing your money. You're investing towards freedom.

Settling in and understanding the Australian financial system as non-English speaker

Raul came as an international student in 2014, stepping into an environment vastly different from anything he'd known. Moving to a new country can feel a bit like being thrown into the deep end without swimming lessons. And if you don't speak the language? Well, that's the deep end with strong currents going against you.

It wasn't just the language barrier that made thriving in Australia initially difficult. Understanding things like the tax system or super in Australia was already overwhelming in itself. Back then, it was hard—and still is—to find personal finance content tailored for non-English speaking expats here.

Australia is a melting pot of cultures. If you gathered ten Aussies in a room, about three of them would have been born in a different country. That's 7.6 million people as of 2020 , and still going up. It's crucial that these folks get access to financial literacy to set them up for success in our country.

So, when Raul arrived in Australia, he started studying and getting his finances in order. He even helped fellow immigrants break the language barrier by translating websites. This simple act would then transform into a larger project.

In 2020, Raul started teaching investing and entrepreneurship to Portuguese speakers. His group, focusing on Brazilians living in or moving to Australia, has become a place to learn from each other and succeed together.

In the last three months alone, Raul’s group of investors and entrepreneurs swelled by almost a quarter. For every 100 members Raul had, he added 23 more. And he is close to reaching a crowd of 3,000 active members. That’s about the same as almost filling a concert at Luna Park Sydney – if the concert crowd were a new generation of growth drivers in Australia.

How did Raul build his diversified portfolio of investments and businesses?

Raul is not only an investor, but also a savvy digital marketer. He is the proud owner of his own businesses, and a partner in several others. But his income diversification didn't stop there.

As we mentioned earlier, when Raul was just 18, he began exploring the universe of financial investments. It’s a personal journey that started with shares and real estate. A few years down the road, as the crypto wave swept the globe, Raul joined in. He's been riding this wave since 2016, and let's just say, he's been enjoying the surf.

Now, you might be wondering: "Isn't it scary to have such an aggressive investment approach?"

As an entrepreneur, Raul loves risk – but not the reckless kind. Raul's investing story isn’t about chasing every shiny object that comes along. Instead, it's about diversification, knowing your appetite for risk, and going in with a plan.

Raul tries to offset his riskier assets with a wide base of less volatile assets that provide a steady income. Income-generating assets such as dividends and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) act as his safety net. The steady stream of returns keeps Raul’s financial boat afloat even when other assets are not doing well.

What's next for Raul? Now that he’s become a permanent resident in Australia, he's looking to invest in the real estate market. This latest pivot will further diversify his investment portfolio and add to his regular income.

Throughout our chat, Raul's way of investing teaches us something. Successful investing isn't about hitting a grand slam home run once. It's about small, regular wins over time, and learning to adapt when things change.

Raul Engel’s general advice for immigrants who want to be successful in Australia

We asked Raul Engel something many people want to know. How can immigrants, and really anyone, make it big in Australia? This question is a big deal, given how diverse our community is. Raul’s response is both uplifting and practical, and channels years of know-how about long-term investing.

He told us: Investments are a great way to grow, but more importantly to protect your wealth.

His words are underpinned by a truth many of us sometimes forget. Imagine your earnings as a leaky bucket. You're continually pouring in income, but expenses – some expected, others not so much – are trickling out. Over time, these leaks can empty your bucket.

So, how can you protect what you’ve worked so hard to build? In Raul’s eyes, by consistently investing whatever you can for a long time.

By channeling some of your earnings into investments, you're essentially patching up those leaks. You're taking steps to ensure your hard-earned wealth doesn't just slip away unnoticed.

Weaving through Engel's insights, another golden thread appeared. The real accelerator to your wealth is increasing your income.

Investment is vital, yes, but so is actively working on increasing your income. Anyone can achieve this in two ways. You can either climb the corporate ladder or start a business (or a side hustle). For more tips, Episode 14 covered the topic of how to increase your income with Patti Lupari. Now, let’s bring it all together. Think about your wealth as a garden. Your income, in this scenario, is the water that nourishes your garden. The more water you pour, the more your garden – your wealth – grows. Investments, meanwhile, work like a protective greenhouse. They shield your wealth from harsh elements like inflation and downturn in the sharemarket .

Listen to the full episode

Raul Engel has given us a masterclass in investing, business, and protecting our wealth. So, what’s the takeaway here? Long-term investing and diversification will protect what you’ve worked hard to earn and save. Adding income streams will grow your portfolio faster and make financial independence a reality much sooner.

Don't forget: we've only just scratched the surface here. There's a lot of wisdom tucked away in our full interview. So tune in to the episode below to get a scoop of insights we couldn’t squeeze into this article.

Happy investing!

Tash & Ana