In an interview with The Straits Times, our CEO Nicki Ramsay disclosed her perspective on her personal investments and how one should navigate their capital in the constantly evolving investment markets.
You can read the full article here, or our summary below:
Nicki’s investment insights
“Money is a tool that provides an option to spend the time as per one’s wishes and it has often meant spending time on something important to me or experiencing something new or different, rather than buying a next material thing,” said Nicki Ramsay, chief executive at payment platform CardUp.
Nicki believes in agile and flexible investments, and that people should avoid investing in assets that have high-lock in periods and platforms with high processing fees.
When it comes to investments, her view is also that one should not be afraid of taking risks. The higher the risk, the better the return. However, it has to be a calculated risk for all the investors, and one cannot invest in high-risk assets endlessly. So, how does she invest?
According to Nicki, everyone should be able to classify their capital allocation as per “what they need and what they want.” Going by this mantra, she keeps aside some cash and invests in diversified exchange-traded funds and high-risk assets.
Her investment journey
Nicki has always been watchful with investment options. However, she strongly believes that today’s investment landscape with the introduction of new fintech wealth management platforms has left young professionals with a plethora of opportunities in a more simplified manner.
She followed conventional investment options in the past, including keeping cash in low interest-rate bank accounts and vehicles, as these used to be the norm. In addition, there were limited options for capital allocation in more diversified assets and limitations such as high lock-in periods made all these options very rigid in nature. Therefore, for any new investors, it was always cumbersome to identify high growth opportunities in capital allocation. In short, it was difficult for an investor to identify their first steps when it came to investing their capital. However, she likes the fact that technology has turned the table, and consumers are now at the centre of investments and not the financial institutions. She believes new fintech platforms are putting more control in the hands of consumers, all while making it flexible and driving financial literacy about investments.
Buzz in Bitcoins
Over time, Nicki has grown fond of the digital currency Bitcoin. She sees Bitcoin as a long-term high-risk, high-reward investment. The cryptocurrency has introduced innovation in the industry and the way people invest in their assets. Although it is a highly volatile bet, on the downside, one should not be afraid to invest the amount they feel comfortable losing.
“Being a builder of financial services myself, I see first-hand the age of infrastructure our daily lives are built on. Bitcoin, as the first truly digital currency, knocks down so many barriers of legacy technology and enables innovation,” she said.
CardUp’s growth plans
Being a founder, she believes her best investment yet, has been her own company. “Spending my energy that I believe improves financial services and changes consumer behaviour, which I have watched grow while surrounded by talented people I am proud to call my team, has been extremely fulfilling,” she adds.
Learn more about our CEO Nicki Ramsay here.
Header image credits: The Straits Times/Gin Tay
