Big idea: The first three months are where your confidence grows — through small, simple actions.
What to expect
- Some days your balance may rise
- Some days it may fall
- You may want to check daily
- You may second-guess yourself
All normal.
Focus on three habits
- Keep investing small amounts
- Automate if possible
- Don’t over-check your balance
Keeping an eye on tax
You don’t need to become a tax expert, but it helps to keep basic records as you go.
- Dividends and distributions are usually taxed as income.
- If you sell an investment for more than you paid, you may pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT). In some cases, there may be a CGT discount if you’ve held your investments for over 12 months.
You can access these annual statements from your ETF provider — just make sure you hang onto them (or store them in a folder) so tax time is smoother. And if you’re ever unsure, a tax professional can help you work through your specific situation.
Checking in once or twice a year
Every 6–12 months, it can help to:
- revisit your goals and timeframes
- check if your contribution amount still feels right
- confirm your automation is running smoothly
- make sure your portfolio still matches your risk comfort
You don’t need to tweak constantly — just a light check-in so your investing keeps lining up with your life.
Why should I care?
Because your early habits set the tone for the next 30 years of investing.
This is just the beginning of a life-long journey.
Try this today
Set a reminder for three months from now: “Check in on my investing habits (and save my latest statements for tax time).”
