Carly Barnes

The new normal in investing has arrived. And she’s smart, sassy, sexy and ready to make money!

This blog is by Carly Barnes, Relationship Manager at EasyEquities & Deputy Chairperson of CN&CO. And all round rockstar human.

The other day I met my younger sister for brunch.

The very fact that we met for brunch shows how grown up we’ve become.

Halfway into our Mimosas I took things to the next level on the adulting scale. I opened up my laptop and told her that today, she’d be getting a crash course in investing. She threw me an accusing look as if I’d interventioned her. The fear was real, and I recognized that same instinctual panic that I’d felt myself, just 5 years ago.

Back then, I’d never really given investing any thought.

Growing up it wasn’t something we spoke about around the dinner table, or at slumber parties. There was no mention of the stock market at baby showers or braais either. And it’s not something I ever overheard when getting my nails done, or while grabbing a solo cappuccino at a coffee shop.

Which is kind of weird when you think about it.

I always knew I wanted to have a career and to be financially independent. That was really important to me, and so many of my peers too. I had thought about the house I would want to live in and the places I would travel to, but I’d never once thought about how I would look after my money and ultimately myself.

That is, until 5 years back when I started my journey and invested in my first share. From that moment on I’ve grown in more ways I could have ever imagined and inspired others to do the same – on stages, blog pages, webinars and conferences.

But until investing is a conversation that can happen naturally while you’re filling up at a petrol station, or renewing your driver’s license or catching up over brunch… it’s going to stay over there. Away from our normal, everyday lives where it needs to live if we are to change the trajectory of wealth creation in this country, and our families.

So yes, I say to my 25-year-old sister, we are going to stop chatting about ex-boyfriends and start talking about ex-change traded funds. You won’t find a better long-term commitment. And next time we get together we’ll be comparing portfolios, not Pinterest boards.

Just then a friend of mine happened to walk into the restaurant and came to say hello. She saw us scribbling down a Tax Free Savings Account portfolio strategy on a serviette and said; ah yes I’m a huge fan of the Satrix MSCI World too but I’d throw in some Sygnia 4IR for good measure. The returns have been through the roof in the last year or so.

Maybe this normal is not as new as I thought.