Wesley lives in Rugby, Warwickshire, and works in consulting, including AI and technology projects. He first started investing more than 20 years ago with an index tracker, when high dealing fees made buying individual shares feel expensive and inaccessible. When Freetrade came along, he began building his own portfolio gradually, starting with small monthly contributions.
Q: How did you first get into investing?
A: I started many years ago with an index tracker. I paid money into it regularly and it grew, but I always wanted to invest in individual companies as well. The problem at the time was the cost. You could be paying around £12 every time you placed a trade, so if you were only investing a relatively small amount, the fee was a real barrier. When Freetrade came along, I finally had an easy way to start building my own portfolio. I began with about £50 and then started adding money every month, usually £50 or £100, and transferring more in whenever I had spare cash.
Q: How do you decide what to invest in?
A: I mainly invest in technology companies because that is the industry I work in, so I have a better feel for which companies are doing well. I also work with customers across lots of different sectors. If I can see that a customer is healthy and spending money, that can sometimes tell me something about the strength of that business. Not every stock pick has worked, but overall I have had more successes than failures.
Q: What does your portfolio look like?
A: I use a mixture of active and passive investing. I have index trackers and funds in my pension, but I use Freetrade more actively to pick individual companies that I think are likely to perform well. My ISA is heavily weighted towards stocks, with a smaller amount in bonds and funds. I have gradually added things like treasury funds as they have become available. For me, the important thing is having a mix. Some parts of my portfolio are there to grow quietly over time, while other parts are investments where I have made a more deliberate decision about a particular company.
Q: What have you learned about reacting to markets?
A: One of the biggest principles I follow is to buy low and sell high, even though people often end up doing the opposite. I look for companies that have had some temporary bad publicity but where nothing fundamental has changed in the business. If the share price falls because of a short-term issue, I sometimes see that as an opportunity. I try not to panic sell and I do not panic buy either. If I have missed a rise, I accept that I missed it. There will always be another opportunity.
Q: How has investing shaped the way you think about money?
A: I have always had quite a long-term approach to money, but investing has reinforced that. I like being able to look at companies differently. We spend money with businesses every day, so there is something satisfying about being able to buy part of that company and have it pay you instead. I also try to pay myself first. I put money into savings and investments before thinking about spending it elsewhere. My aim is to keep building the portfolio and eventually get to a point where I can live off the income it produces.
Q: What are you ultimately investing for?
A: The goal is retirement, but ideally I would like to reach a point where I can live off dividends and leave the principal invested. For now, I just want the portfolio to sit there, accumulate, and grow. I reinvest what it produces and let it keep building over time. Financial freedom for me would mean not having to work. It would mean having money generating enough passive income to support me without relying on a salary.
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.
