{"id":7046505,"date":"2026-08-24T20:43:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/business\/investing\/the-best-question-this-year-the-barefoot-investor\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T20:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:43:32","slug":"the-best-question-this-year-the-barefoot-investor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7046505","title":{"rendered":"The best question this year \u2014 The Barefoot Investor"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

While you eat your broccoli, ask your parents:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old were you two 30 years ago?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Chances are they were about your age.<\/p>\n

Now show them the chart. It tracks what $10,000 in 1996 would be worth today if you\u2019d invested it in different things.<\/p>\n

Left in cash it becomes $32,459.<\/p>\n

Put into Aussie shares, it becomes $132,931.<\/p>\n

The difference? A hundred grand!<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if we invest and it crashes like your uncle Derrick is always warning about?\u201d they\u2019ll ask.<\/p>\n

Great question. Let\u2019s play a game.<\/p>\n

Imagine you\u2019re the unluckiest investor in the country. Vanguard actually ran the numbers on this.<\/p>\n

You invest $10,000 into a mix of local and global index funds \u2026 right before the dot-com crash.<\/p>\n

Another $10,000 \u2026 right before the Global Financial Crisis.<\/p>\n

And the last $10,000 \u2026 right before Covid hits.<\/p>\n

Every time, you buy at the absolute peak. Thirty grand at the three worst moments in a generation.<\/p>\n

So how did you do?<\/p>\n

Today it\u2019s worth $117,000.<\/p>\n

Yet if you kept it in cash it would only be worth $54,000.<\/p>\n

(And let\u2019s be honest, most of that cash would have disappeared on holidays, renovations, and \u201cjust this once\u201d spending.)<\/p>\n

The worst-timed investor in Australia still doubled the one who \u201cplayed it safe\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yes, things went wrong. Covid. Dot-com. The GFC. Uncle Derrick will keep warning you about the next disaster until the day he dies. The trick is to look at what quietly went right.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve done three things. You taught your parents something. You learned the best way to learn anything\u2026 by teaching it. And you flicked on the most powerful force in the universe: compound interest.<\/p>\n

Google \u201cAussie investing apps for kids\u201d, then get your parents to download one and buy some shares (called index funds) for you. You can start with as little as $5. And remind your parents they can invest some of their money too! Why should you have all the fun?<\/p>\n

Before you ask to leave the table, ask one last question to make your parents squirm.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old will you be in 30 years?\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be 38, Molly. Wealthy. And only just getting started.<\/p>\n

Your parents?<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll be pushing 70\u2026 still wondering if they should have started earlier.<\/p>\n

The truth?<\/p>\n

This was never a column about an eight-year-old.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about you<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The one reading this on your phone, or in the paper, or while you\u2019re meant to be doing something else. You\u2019ve got the chart. You\u2019ve got the proof. You\u2019ve got an eight-year-old who\u2019s already braver than most adults.<\/p>\n

So what the hell are you waiting for?<\/p>\n

Tread Your Own Path!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While you eat your broccoli, ask your parents: \u201cHow old were you two 30 years ago?\u201d Chances are they were about your age. Now show them the chart. It tracks what $10,000 in 1996 would be worth today if you\u2019d invested it in different things. Left in cash it becomes $32,459. Put into Aussie shares, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7046506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[10055,13177,4112,629],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7046505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investing","tag-barefoot","tag-investor","tag-question","tag-year"],"yoast_head":"\nThe best question this year \u2014 The Barefoot Investor - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7046505\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The best question this year \u2014 The Barefoot Investor - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While you eat your broccoli, ask your parents: \u201cHow old were you two 30 years ago?\u201d Chances are they were about your age. 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