Because no investor story is the same, we’ve decided to share some unique experiences of investors on Mintos.
This month, we bring you Bernard’s story, a nurse and Mintos investor living in the Netherlands, who shared his insights into the economy over time and his tips for other investors.
Bernard, tell us a bit about yourself and why you started investing?
“I started investing in the 1990s in the Netherlands with a financial planner, so I have a bit of investment experience. In 2019, a friend told me about Mintos and how user-friendly the platform is, so I started investing. Now, about one third of my portfolio is with Mintos.
Because I’ve worked many different jobs, my pension will not be enough for my retirement. To solve this problem, I started investing. When I retire, I won’t do anything extravagant, but I would like to go on more holidays and enjoy life. Investing for retirement is an ideal situation because I have time to let my money grow, since I’m in no rush to use this money now. I know in general, investing takes time and the longer you invest, the more money you will make.”
How do you educate yourself about investing?
“I never really learned about investing, and I don’t have much interest in learning. My investment strategy works for me, so I don’t really read about the finance industry or other strategies. Growing up, my parents never talked to me about investing. I had a savings account, and they told me about the importance of saving. However, you don’t make any money that way and your money will not work for you. This is why investing is so important. I want others to know that you don’t have to be an expert in finances or anything to invest. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve still been very successful.”
What is your investment strategy?
“I invest in high interest rate Notes. That’s my whole strategy, and it works for me. I don’t really focus on anything else. There are certain countries and lending companies that I invest in because of the high interest rates, and I don’t really switch it up. I’m a passive investor, so I don’t spend too much time moving my investments around. I love investing in Notes. I’ve been with Mintos for a few years now, so I can compare the before and after. Notes make me significantly more money, and I’m really happy with them.”
You’ve been investing in general since the 1990s. Do you have any insight into various states of the economy?
“I’ve seen many states of the economy. I’ve seen it crash multiple times, and I’ve seen it at its best. Not many people think this when the economy crashes, but it can be a good opportunity. When the economy is doing well, investing is generally more expensive, but when things start to crash, investing can be cheaper. The economy bounces back eventually, so if you invest when everything is cheap, it can be a great opportunity to make money.”
Do you see yourself changing your investment strategy in the future?
“Definitely not. My strategy is simple, but it works well for me. There are lending companies from a few countries, for example North Macedonia and Poland, that have a higher interest rate than other lending companies. These are the Notes that I choose to invest in. I know it’s not the typical way that people invest because I don’t really pay attention to diversification, but it’s a strategy that I am happy with and that I will keep using.”
Thanks, Bernard!
