Key takeaway from Savings Month: just start

If you are not a saver or are not saving enough, hopefully this Savings Month got you thinking about saving or saving more.

If you haven't yet made a commitment, there is still time - it is never too late to start saving, but sooner is better than later.  Read more: The worst investment decision you can make

Not sure you can manage it?

Not sure you have enough money to be a saver? Successful savers have a budget. A budget may sound like a killjoy, but nothing will kill your fun more than not being prepared for a crisis or saving for long-term goals. Read more: How can I save when there is more month than money?


Not sure where to start?

Here are five ideas to get you started.

1. Open a unit trust fund

Unit trusts provide easy options for those new to investing as they have low minimum investment amounts while offering diversification across a number of underlying shares, bonds or other securities. Read more: What are the benefits of investing in a unit trust fund?

Unit trust funds can even give you access to different asset classes: Read more: Why are there different kinds of multi-asset funds?

2. Start an ETF

Exchange traded funds also offer new investors low cost, diversified investments. These funds replicate or track indices on major stock markets. Many ETFs are also unit trust funds. Read more: What is an ETF?

3. Start a retirement annuity

You don't have to have an employer to start a retirement annuity. You can be the boss of your own retirement fund if you start a retirement annuity. Read more: How do retirement annuities allow me to create my own retirement savings?

4. Start a tax free savings account

A tax free savings account sounds like a great idea right - why pay more tax than you have to? It is a good product for those who plan to stay invested for a long time, but don't use up your contribution limits for short-term goals if you want to max out the long-term benefits. Read more: What do I need to know about investing in a tax-free savings account?

5. See how much it will grow

Want to know what your savings will amount to over time? Use our Savings Goal Calculator to see how much you can save by your target date if you start now.