What I wish I had known before I started investing

arvy's Teaser: Before I invested my first franc, I was convinced: I don't know enough. The market is too high. I can't afford to lose money. I'll wait until I understand more. Today, years later, I know: every single one of those beliefs was wrong. Here are the things I wish I'd known.

1. You'll Never Be "Ready" — and That's Okay

I spent months researching. Read books, watched YouTube, compared blogs. And you know what happened? I felt less ready, not more. Because the more you learn, the more you realise what you still don't know.

The truth: there's no moment when you "know enough." There's only the moment when you start. Everything else you learn along the way. And learning along the way is a hundred times more valuable than reading beforehand — because with real money you experience real emotions.

I wish someone had told me: Start with CHF 100. Not CHF 100,000. Make the first step absurdly small. Then the fear is absurdly small — and you're in.

2. The "Right Moment" Doesn't Exist

I waited. For the crash. For the correction. For the "cheap entry." You know what happened in the meantime? Markets went up. And up. And up.

Here's what nobody told me clearly enough:

The "perfect moment" is a myth. The "good moment" is: today. Not because markets are cheap right now, but because every day you wait is a day your money isn't working for you.

3. Losses Are Part of It — and They Feel Worse Than They Are

My first month as an investor: −4.2%. I opened the portfolio three times a day. My heart raced. I considered selling everything.

Today I know: −4% in a month is completely normal. It happens on average several times a year. And in the worst case — a major crash like 2008 or 2020 — the market fully recovered within 1–3 years.

What I wish I'd known: Losses on paper aren't real losses. They only become real when you sell. As long as you stay invested, a decline is just a number on a screen. And the companies behind it keep selling their products, keep earning money, keep growing.

"My biggest mistake wasn't that I invested badly. It was that I waited too long to start at all."

4. You Need Less Money to Start Than You Think

I thought investing was for people with CHF 50,000 in the bank. Or at least CHF 10,000. In reality, you can start today with CHF 1. Literally.

What matters isn't the amount — it's the consistency. CHF 200 per month, automatically, for 30 years — that will very likely become over CHF 200,000. Not because you invest a lot, but because you start early and stick with it.

5. Fees Matter — But They're Not the Most Important Thing

I was obsessed with fees. Compared providers to the second decimal place. Chose the cheapest one.

What I know today: fees matter — yes. But three things matter more:

First: Actually starting. 0% fees on CHF 0 invested is still CHF 0.

Second: Staying invested. A panic sell during a crisis costs you more than 30 years of fees. If you understand what you own, you don't sell in panic.

Third: The right decisions outside your portfolio. A single well-timed pension fund buy-in, a smart withdrawal sequence at retirement, or the right location choice saves you more than any fee optimisation ever could.

6. It's Not Just About Money

The most surprising insight: investing changed me as a person. Not because of the money — but because of what I learned about myself.

I learned that I tend towards impulsive decisions under stress — and that patience is almost always the better choice. I learned to think long-term — not just with investing, but with career, relationships, health. I learned to distinguish risk from danger: volatility is risk (and normal), a total loss is danger (and extremely rare with quality companies).

I learned that despite all crises, the world tends to get better — because companies solve problems, drive innovation, and create value. That's an optimism I didn't have before.

"Investing taught me more about myself than about the stock market."

7. You Don't Need a Degree — Just the First Step

I don't have a finance degree. I'm not an analyst. I'm someone who started at some point — uncertain, nervous, with far too little knowledge. And who learned along the way.

The only things you need:

That's exactly what we built arvy for. Not for professionals. Not for people who already know everything. But for people who want to start and get better along the way.

Start with CHF 1. Today. Not tomorrow. Not "when the market corrects." Not "when I know more." Today.

Your future self will thank you.