All About DIY Investing In India

If you’re reading this blog, you either want to become a Do It Yourself (DIY) investor in India or maybe you’ve heard of the term DIY investing and want to know more about it. 

Either way… we’re here to help and tell you everything you need to know about DIY investing in India. But, remember to speak to a wealth coach before investing your hard-earned money in any asset.

Alternatively, you could take the free risk analysis in the Cube Wealth app as the first step.

What Is DIY Investing?

In “Do It Yourself” or “DIY” investing, an investor makes their own investment choices instead of relying on an advisor. The DIY investor will build, manage and rebalance their own portfolio based on their judgment and reading of the market or economic conditions.  

How Does DIY Investing Work?

There are online and offline ways of DIY investing. But DIY investing primarily happens online because investment apps give DIY investors benefits like ease of access, low cost investing, and more. 

DIY investors can use these platforms to manage their portfolios, track the markets, automate their payments, etc. This convenience is especially useful for busy professionals. 

How Do Investment Platforms Help DIY Investors?

Online investment platforms that can be classified into 2 types:

1. Robo advisory platforms
2. Hybrid platforms
   

Robo advisory platforms give DIY investors access to investment options with little to no human advice or interaction. The investment options are based on mathematical models and AI algorithms. 

Hybrid investment platforms like Cube Wealth give DIY investors access to curated investment options but also the option to speak to a wealth coach to identify the right investment choices based on their preferences.

Want to know why investment advice is important for DIY investors? Watch this video

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Why Is DIY Investing Popular?

The popularity of DIY investing may be due to years of hard-selling by bank representatives, brokers, and others who are motivated more by their own targets rather than the individual investor’s goals. 

On the other hand, investment apps have made it easier for DIY investors to make their own choices. But beyond that,  DIY investing gives the individual investor a sense of transparency, control and clarity.

3 Benefits And Risks Of DIY Investing

There are obvious benefits to investing yourself. 

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Other benefits may include:

• Low expenses

Investing on your own may help you save on advisory fees.

• More investment choices

Your investment choices won't be limited to a fund house or company.

• No hidden fees

DIY investing will help you identify each fee for what it is.

Other risks may include:

• Not knowing your risk level

DIY investors may overestimate or underestimate their ability to take risks.

• Unclear investment objectives

An investment advisor primarily helps you understand your investment goals, which can be neglected when investing on your own.

• Looking at the rearview mirror

DIY investors may fall into the trap of looking too much into historical data and not future potential.

Best DIY Investing Options in 2021

Your DIY investment journey should begin after speaking to a wealth coach. This is important because you need to know your risk level and investment objectives. 

After that, you can potentially consider these best DIY investment options for 2021:

1. Mutual funds

It’s a large pool of money collected from numerous investors. A fund manager invests this money in various stocks, bonds, and other securities. DIY investors can choose to invest in:

• Debt mutual funds
• Equity mutual funds
• International mutual funds
  

Benefits of investing in mutual funds for DIY investors:

• Potentially high long term returns
• Start with as little as ₹1000
• Multiple scheme options
• Passive income
  

Here’s how hand-picked mutual funds work on Cube

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2. Stocks

A stock is a publicly-traded piece of a company that you can invest in on the share market. As a DIY investor, you can invest in these options on the Cube Wealth app:

• Indian stocks with advice from Purnartha
• US stocks and ETFs with advice from RIA Rick Holbrook
  

Benefits of investing in stocks for DIY investors:

• Low minimum investment amount
• Lucrative long term returns
• Liquidity
• Passive income
  

Did you know that DIY investors can invest in US stocks for as little as $1 on the Cube Wealth app?

3. Gold

Based on what you want out of your gold investments, you can choose to invest in:

• Physical gold - jewellery, coins, and bars
• Digital gold by Safegold using Cube
• Gold ETFs
• Sovereign Gold Bonds
• Gold Savings Schemes
  

Investing in digital gold by Safegold on the Cube Wealth app has several benefits for DIY investors:

• Start with as low as ₹1000
• Backed by 24k physical gold
• Stored in a secure vault by Brinks
• Buy and sell with a few clicks 
  

Read more about Digital Gold by Safegold here. 

4. P2P Lending

Peer to peer lending puts borrowers directly in touch with lenders. This cuts out the intermediary, who in most cases, is a bank. DIY investors can become a lender on 2 RBI Certified P2P NBFCs using Cube:

• LiquiLoans
• Faircent
  

Benefits of investing in P2P lending for DIY investors:

• Thoroughly vetted borrowers
• Passive income
• Potentially high returns 
  

Cube helps you build the perfect portfolio based on detailed risk analysis and your investment goals. Read more about building the perfect portfolio here. 

DIY Investing Vs Professional Advisory

Let’s look at the key differences between DIY investing and professional advisory.

1. Portfolio management

DIY investors will have to actively manage their own portfolios. This would require them to track the markets and periodically evaluate their portfolio. 

This may be difficult to do with a full-time job. At the same time, it’s unavoidable because your goals rest on your portfolio’s ability to generate returns. Cube makes this easier with one simple view of your entire portfolio.

An advisor will excel at this because it’s their responsibility to actively manage every aspect of the investor’s portfolio. An advisor has a better understanding of portfolio evaluation and the various ways to buy heroes and cut the loss-makers. 

2. Expenses

DIY investors can lower the overall cost of investing. Advisors may charge what is known as, ‘advisory fee’, that can eat into your profits. 

But you must ask yourself if scaling back on costs is a rational choice when you can get expert advice backed by years of investing experience from an advisor.  

3. Timing

Most DIY investors have a basic understanding of the markets. It’s all too common to see regular investors buy or sell at the wrong time. 

While Advisors may not be able to predict the markets, they know more about the general trends, the data and the various metrics that point to a ‘buy or sell’ decision. 

How A Professional Financial Advisor Helps

A financial advisor is someone who tells you what to buy. A good financial advisor suggests what you should buy based on your goals, timeframe, age, financial condition, risk profile, etc. 

There are obvious benefits that an advisor can give to a DIY investor such as objective investment suggestions and buying recommendations. 

Cube’s advisors even suggest when you should sell an investment. Watch this video to know more about Cube’s advisors

Should You Choose DIY Investing?

DIY investing banks on 2 crucial aspects of the individual investor:

1. The ability to make your own financial decisions
2. The art of making the right investment choices for yourself
   

If you’re comfortable with a & b along with actively tracking the market and periodically re-evaluating your portfolio, DIY investing could work for you. 

You would obviously incur a lower investment cost but at the same time, the DIY playbook must include: 

• Objective investment choices 
• Accurate reading of finances
• Clear investment goals  
  

Easiest Way To Start DIY Investing

DIY and advisory need not be at odds with each other. Cube brings the best of both worlds for DIY investors. That’s why Cube is the easiest way for DIY investors to start investing. 

The Cube Wealth app gives DIY investors access to world-class advice from trusted industry experts like Purnartha, RIA Rick Holbrook, Wealth First, and others. 

The app also has simple portfolio tracking features, no hidden fees, no unnecessary charts or graphs, and active in-app chat access to wealth coaches.

You can go one step further and become a Cube Prime member to get premium services like Portfolio Analysis, Exclusive Assets, Webinars etc. Download the Cube Wealth app or speak to a wealth coach today.