Charlie lives in Andover and works as a management consultant in the technology sector. She started investing because she wanted to take greater control over her financial future rather than rely on someone else to make decisions for her. She has used Freetrade seriously since 2024, building a high-conviction portfolio focused largely on US technology companies.
Q: What first got you interested in investing?
A: I got into investing because I felt that the average financial adviser did not necessarily add enough value for me. I wanted to take control of my own financial destiny. The important distinction for me is that I am investing, not trading. I am looking at the medium to long term rather than trying to make money from short-term market movements.
Q: Why did you choose Freetrade?
A: I originally came across Freetrade through a promotion where you received a free share for signing up. I think I saw an advert on the Tube and thought I would give it a go. I had an account from around 2021, but in October 2024 I came back to it and started using it much more seriously. I do use another platform as well, but Freetrade is the one I use most.
Q: How do you approach your portfolio?
A: I already had ETFs and index funds elsewhere, so the purpose of using Freetrade was to take a separate pot of money and see whether I could beat the market over the long term by picking individual companies. My background is in technology, so I understand US tech companies and how large businesses make buying decisions around their products. I have built a high-conviction portfolio around that area of knowledge.
Q: What have you learned from experiencing losses?
A: Losses are part of the journey. Anybody who says they win 100% of the time is lying. When I have lost money, it has often been because I under-researched something or listened too much to hype and retail sentiment instead of properly looking at the underlying business. The loss itself matters less than what you learn from it. If you are a long-term investor and still have conviction in the company, sometimes a falling share price can even become a buying opportunity.
Q: How has investing changed the way you think about money?
A: I am now in a position where, on average, my monthly portfolio gain is about the same as my monthly salary. All being well, I am looking to retire at around 38. That was not achievable before I started managing my money properly. It has also changed the way I think about wealth. It is less about money itself and more about building assets. With the right research, conviction, patience and discipline, you can take much more control over your financial destiny.
Q: Has investing changed anything beyond your finances?
A: It makes me feel much more connected to the world. Investing is not just about money. You become much more aware of what is happening in the economy, what is moving markets and why. I try to manage my investments as though I were managing a fund and it was not my own money. That helps me apply more discipline and take some of the emotion out of decisions. It also feeds back into my work. I watch earnings calls for companies like Microsoft and Amazon because I invest in them, but that knowledge also makes me a better consultant when I am advising clients about technology.
Q: What does financial freedom mean to you?
A: Financial freedom to me means choice, and that means choice over how you spend your time. What you ultimately buy with money is time. That might mean being able to buy better food and live more healthily, or it might mean buying back time from an employed job.
I enjoy my job, so it is not necessarily about quitting. It is about having the choice to decide what you want to do and how you want to do it. For me, that choice is what financial freedom is really about.
The people featured in these interviews are actual Freetrade customers and were remunerated for their time. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Always do your own research.
