Investing is now the way to secure great Aussie dream
Young people are turning to investments with high returns to help save for the deposit on their first home.
LOFTY stock valuations and the biggest investment tax shake-up in decades don’t appear to be impacting the risk appetite of young Australians, according to investing platforms.
This cohort is increasingly turning to investing to save for their first home deposit and is seeking outsized returns to achieve it, said Craig Keary, chief executive at micro investing app Raiz.
“We’re seeing twice as many customers move up the risk ladder, so to speak, than those that move down,” Keary said.
“We’ve got a younger cohort of customers, who are very much investing for the long term, and they’re global citizens and have a greater understanding and focus on international markets.”
The Raiz app offers users a choice of portfolios with different levels of risk or asset types, for which users can opt in for regular contributions or rounded-up deposits from daily purchases.
Younger investors understand the importance of regular investing and compounding and, while the sheer cost barrier to home ownership has gotten larger, stock trading is more accessible than ever, Keary said.
“They’re turning to investing to save for that deposit but, equally, they’re recognising that they are going to have to invest on a regular basis and in a disciplined manner to get to that ability to even contemplate owning a home,” he said.
“Despite the volatility we’ve seen in markets now for a couple of years, people recognise that it’s actually about time in the market, not timing the market.”
Rob Talevski, Australian chief executive of trading platform Webull, said there were no signs that the federal government tax reforms had dampened younger investors’ thirst for growth stocks.
“On the tax changes, our clients are focusing more on what is being left alone, rather than what is being touched,” Talevski said.
Under the changes, the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount on assets held longer than a year will be replaced by an inflation-adjusted 30 per cent minimum tax on capital gains.
“While it’s true that growth capital will be taxed harder, the majority of Webull clients seek growth in US shares, and the outsized gains remain attractive, irrespective of the new CGT calculations.”
That said, Webull’s clients were holding on to dividend income, franking credits, negative gearing share portfolios and anything tucked inside superannuation, all of which will be untouched by the reforms.
“That doesn’t mean younger investors in the accumulation phase are piling into ASX-listed lower-growth, higher-yielding stocks; but certain age groups will,” Talevski said.
“It does mean that clients are looking at corporate and SMSF (self-managed superannuation fund) broking accounts across the board to optimise returns, while continuing to target high-growth US sectors.”
