Everybody wants to invest. It's how they start that matters.
“Dinah, I’m scared to invest… because I watched my parents lose everything.”
A client said this to me recently, and my heart broke a little.
She grew up seeing arguments about money. The shame. The regret. The weight of one bad investment sitting on an entire family for years.
And that fear stayed with her into adulthood - shaping every financial decision she makes today.
She’s not the only one.
The Part No One Talks About: Investing Trauma Runs Deep
Most people already know they should invest.
Some believe they’re already “investing” - because they bought a stock once, followed a tip, or put money somewhere that sounded sensible.
But here’s the truth:
👉 Not everyone is investing right. And when investing goes wrong, the pain doesn’t stop with the person who lost the money.
It affects their children… their grandchildren…even their mindset toward opportunities.
I’ve spoken to so many professionals who:
❌ fear investing because they saw their parents lose money
❌ associate investing with conflict, guilt, and shame
❌ feel paralysed by the idea of making a “wrong move”
❌ carry financial anxiety they never created
These experiences don’t just shape portfolios. They shape identities.
And it’s no wonder - because safe, grounded investing conversations are rare.
Why People Don’t Start: There Is No ‘Middle Ground’ in the Market
On one end: energetic finfluencers dropping stock picks on TikTok.
On the other: highly technical fund managers presenting at global summits.
But where is the guide for the normal, busy, hardworking professional who simply wants to invest wisely… without being sold to?
For a long time, there was no one in between.
And I understand this deeply - because I made my own mistake too.
My First Investment: The Money Lesson That Stayed With Me
In my early 20s, after saving diligently for a few years, I wanted to invest.
A friend introduced me to land banking.
It sounded logical: Land is scarce. Population grows. Prices rise. What could go wrong?
So I invested my first 5-digit sum - a huge amount for a young professional.
And then?
Poof. The money disappeared.
The emotional rollercoaster was brutal - from excitement to doubt to anxiety to regret.
For 20 years, nothing. Until it resurfaced as a 70% loss.
I was lucky - I had time to recover. But many people invest at a stage in life when:
· they have families
· they have mortgages
· they need their money to work for them
Their margin of error is small - and that’s why so many never get started.
What I Learned in Banking: There Are Many Ways to Invest
During my years in investment banking and private banking, I realised something important:
👉 There isn’t one best way to invest. There are many - but only if you understand yourself.
Your risk profile. Your time horizon. Your goals.
This is why beginners feel so overwhelmed. They’re trying to fit themselves into someone else’s strategy.
A Free Webinar to Help You Start the Right Way
I’ve created a simple, beginner-friendly webinar to help people understand investing with clarity, confidence, and calm.
🤓 Build a Portfolio You Understand
🗓️ This Friday, 5 Dec 🕗 8PM Singapore Time
🎥 Replay for all who register
If you - or someone you know - has been wanting to start investing but feels unsure, overwhelmed, or afraid… please share this with them.
Sometimes just one safe, clear conversation is all someone needs to change their financial future.
