First steps when investing

Enter the world of financial investments now

Would you like to discover investment options and take advantage of their potential returns? Getting started with financial investments doesn’t have to be complicated. We help you overcome the initial hurdles and understand the most important basics.

At a glance: what are sensible first steps?

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The basics: objective, financial reserve and basic knowledge

Before you get started, define your objective: do you want to build up assets over the long term, save up for a major purchase or boost your retirement provision? A clear objective can help you find the right strategy.

At the same time, it’s also important to build up a financial cushion of three to six months of your salary on a savings account, for example. By doing so, you remain flexible and won’t have to sell your investments at an inopportune moment.

Familiarize yourself with the basics. What are shares, bonds, ETFs and funds? How does diversification to minimize risk work? Some basic knowledge can make getting started easier – find information to help you begin here.
Be specific: your investor profile and investment solution

Each investor is different – it’s therefore important to assess your own risk appetite and situation realistically. Are you more cautious, or are you prepared to accept greater value fluctuations in return for higher potential returns?

When determining your investment solution, you have a choice: do you want to invest independently with an optional expert available at your side, or do you want your assets managed solely by experts?

A personal consultation can help you find the best solution for your situation.
Tip for smart investors: invest automatically and in the long term

Asset growth isn’t a sprint, but rather a marathon. Start by investing an amount you can do without in the short term and increase it step by step, as soon as you feel secure. The longer your investment remains in place, the greater your chances of growth – not least due to the compound interest effect.

A saving plan can help you invest regularly without having to actively think about it. This helps you build up your assets in the long term and avoid impulsively reacting to market fluctuations.

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Are you new to investing? Do you have lots of questions? That’s perfectly normal at the start.

The world of financial investments can seem complicated at first. However, if you take the time to understand the basics, you will quickly get to grips with what’s important. The following selection of questions and answers provides an initial overview.

For many, saving means putting money into an account for emergencies, major purchases or building up retirement provision. Interest is often negligible however, meaning assets hardly increase at all.

Investments can pay off. Those investing in shares, bonds or other asset classes have the opportunity for higher returns.

This comes with risk, though: the higher the potential gains, the higher the potential risk of losses. It’s therefore recommended to only invest money that you don’t need in the short term.

Your personal risk profile is determined by your financial situation and your readiness to accept risk. These factors influence each other.

Risk capacity: how much loss could you cope with financially?
Risk appetite: how do you react to fluctuations in value?

A consultation can help you determine your risk profile.

You can begin investing in just a few steps:

Analyse your financial situation: note your income, outgoings and savings goals.
Consider your investor profile: determine your investment horizon and capacity for risk.
Open a custody account or a suitable investment solution.
Invest an amount you can afford to do without during your investment horizon. This can either be a one-off payment or as part of a saving plan.
Review regularly: adapt your strategy to minimize risks and take advantage of any opportunities.

Our experts are available to help you through any of these stages.

A custody account is an account for securities. You can open one with a bank or an online broker. It’s important to compare providers here regarding costs, functions and service delivery.

Diversification helps reduce the risk of loss. Broad diversification over different asset classes, countries and sectors increases the investment’s stability.

By choosing the right investment solution and with your personally determined investment profile, you can set a good balance between limiting fluctuating risks and your chances of return.

Both are possible. A funds, crypto or ETF saving plan allows monthly investments in small amounts and is suitable for long-term asset growth. A one-off investment can make sense if a large sum is to be invested, such as from an inheritance or the sale of a company.

New investors typically turn to a funds saving plan

More and more customers gain their first investment experience with a funds saving plan, making regular, automatic investments.

How it works: very much like a savings account with regular inpayments
Opportunity: return can be higher than interest paid on savings
Risk: value fluctuations can be influenced through the choice of funds

Find out more

Customer example: how PostFinance customers invest

Here are some fictional examples of different investors, purely for illustrative purposes.

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Anna from Lucerne: enjoys travelling and is often on the go with friends

Anna invests 200 francs each month in PostFinance’s e-asset management. She made a one-off investment of 5,000 francs and set up an investor profile beforehand. Since then, everything has been done automatically. She trusts the experts who make her investments for her.

Even when she’s travelling, she can follow the development of her invested assets with the PostFinance App. If her life situation changes, she can adjust her saving plan at any time.
Markus from Engadin: a middle-aged IT specialist

Markus values independence and wants financial security for the future – particularly following retirement. He therefore invests regularly in the pillar 3a retirement fund.

The tax advantages and the opportunity to benefit from financial market developments in the long term particularly appeal to him. Therefore, he invests in responsible funds which take environmental and social aspects into account. Markus monitors the asset development regularly in e-finance whenever he pays invoices. He also reviews his investment strategy every three or four years and adapts it to his current life situation.
Sophie from the Jura: a sports fan and young professional

Sophie has just started her first job as an engineer. She wants to start investing early, but as simply and cost effectively as possible.

After comparing various investment options, she decided on ETFs, which portray the market at favourable conditions. She invests 150 francs each month with e-trading into two different ETFs that she chose herself. Sophie likes being able to build up long-term assets with little effort. Her motto: “Better to start now than to regret never having tried it later on.”
David from Zurich: UX designer interested in new technologies

Years ago, David set up a funds saving plan in “fund self-service” and makes regular payments into two different-themed funds. This lets him build up assets in the long term and skilfully distribute exchange rate risks.

As he also enjoys new technologies, he also invests a small amount of his money in cryptocurrencies with PostFinance. He knows that this investment option fluctuates, so he only invests money that he doesn’t need in the short term. This combination of security and potential returns gives him peace of mind.
Antonio and Clarissa from Ticino: small family business managers

Antonio and Clarissa manage a small family business together and have been married for 20 years. As their focus is on their business, they don’t want to constantly worry about their investments.

They therefore decided to use personal investment advice. Together with experts, they developed an investment strategy that meets their needs. Their portfolio is broadly diversified, and they receive regular updates and suggestions on their investment situation. They feel secure knowing that PostFinance experts monitor their portfolio and notify them if any adjustments are needed.