How old were you when you started investing (workplace pension not included)

Reg_Smeeton

30... but how I wish with the glorious benefit of hindsight I’d started at 20!

I could have rode the wave of the GFC all the way down and back up again... whether I’d have hadn’t the stomach and discipline for it at the time, I’m really not sure!

Having said that I just lobbed a lump sum into my SIPP last night so on that basis Im sure the markets still have some way to drop yet 

ossie48

I initially started hunting out all the best interest paying current accounts after paying the mortgage off at 48 and retiring ( After putting the kids through Uni we started to have savings). When they dried up as interest rates flattened I started investing in my early 50's thanks to this forum. All bases are covered thanks to DB pensions.

Linton

First fund bought at about 40 in the late 1980s through an IFA, excess income mainly going into TESSAs and pensions. Started online investing in the late 1990's with Stocktrade, one of the first UK online brokers.  They only traded shares, no funds.

london21

I started at 18 when I worked at M&S with sharesave scheme.

TadleyBaggie

39 in 1992. Took out a standalone AVC to cover the additional endowment mortgage capital repayment I was taking out. 

jimjames

hiraethh said:

How old were you when you started investing? (workplace pension NOT included)

I started investing in a S&S ISA at the start of this month, at the age of 26.

Same age I was. Although that was 25 years ago

Zola.

I started investing into a S&S ISA by 29. Wish it was earlier  
I started paying into a pension by 23.

coastline

Early 20's with government privatisation of BT, BG and other utilities. £500 investment was double overnight in most cases. Maybe I thought it was easy ? Next up it was funds through a FA. Not that good , wrong funds and then crash. Within 15 years another crash , might as well left it in the building society at that point. Late 1990's got a telephone broker and took control myself. Better results with individual stocks and research from the likes of Investors Chronicle on a yearly subscription. Always liked the charts and data as it hit's you straight off. Plotted my own charts with A4 graph paper. What could you do ? Not one for the library books as they can go on forever. Might be reading the wrong book anyway. !! Along comes the internet and it's transformed especially in the last 10 years. Data, data, data and it's for free. !! Fella I know paid £1200 a year from his broker for a fraction of what's out there now. What to do ? Keep drip feeding . Lump sum ? It's up yourself and nobody else. If you're unsure then fine. Take your time and even drip feed that. Give it 20 years really . Today I'd be buying a global tracker as a core holding and probably Capital Gearing Trust. Then add a bit around it. Good luck.

Dh6

At 32 I began to save into my pension and S&S Isa’s. I’d concentrated on paying off my mortgage beforehand.

gingercordial

Not until 40.  But I've been religiously paying into my pension since I was 21.