Help & support
It can be tough knowing where to start your investment journey – from how much you need to start investing, to what you need to think about. The good news is you’ve taken the first step by starting to research.
Keep reading for some investment options and resources to help you along the way.
Saving is a way to store money for when you need it in the near term, whereas investing is about acquiring growth assets or assets that generate income, with the aim of building your wealth over the long term. The key differences between both are defined by risk tolerance, investment timeline and personal financial goal(s). So, what does that mean?
Saving is a process of putting aside money for use in the near future which pays you an amount of interest over that period.
Investing is a process of creating wealth in the future with long-term goals.
To understand the difference between investing and savings, here is a graph of how $10,000 has performed if invested in the Australian share market compared to earning interest in cash deposits over 25 years from 1996 to 20221. This covers periods of share market volatility such as the Asian market crash (1997), DotCom Bubble (2000), Global Financial Crisis (2008), and the COVID-19 Market down-turn (2020) to name a few.
You can start with a $50 investment in CommSec Pocket ETFs and when you are ready and able to meet the trading minimum investment requirement of $500 (this minimum amount is set by the ASX), invest in CommSec Australian Shares.
You can also explore CommSec Pocket ETFs and CommSec Australian Shares via ‘Explore’ on Investing hub, available to all CommBank app users.
CommSec Pocket ETFs
ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) are a cost-effective way to invest in a group of companies within a specific theme, industry or index. CommSec Pocket ETFs gives you affordable access to 10 specially selected ETFs.
Minimum investment: $50
Fees: Brokerage fee from $2 for transactions up to and including $1,000 or 0.20% for transactions over $1,000.
Late settlement fee is $10.
CommSec Aussie Shares
CommSec Australian Shares offer you access to over 2,000 Australian shares, listed property and a wide range of ETFs. This gives you the choice to build your share portfolio as you like.
Minimum investment: $500
Fees: Brokerage fee from $5 for transactions up to and including $1,000 to 0.12% for transactions over $25,0002 for trades settled using a CDIA.
Click here for full schedule of fees
Some important considerations include your personal goals, investment timeline and risk appetite.
These should align with your choice of investment, the fund’s investment objectives, and risk profile.
Additional considerations include:
It’s always important to learn as much about what you are investing in so that you can understand what are potential factors that can affect the performance of that investment.
As always, remember that investing carries risk. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance, and you should consider all reasonable factors when making an investment decision.
To help you learn more about investing, head to ‘Learn’ on Investing hub, available to all CommBank app users.
Simran Kaur, the founder of Girls That Invest, breaks down investing education and money mindset into easy-to-understand knowledge bites.
Check in on the weekly snapshot of the share market news and insights available every Monday in Investing hub insights.
Host Jamila Rizvi explores how it all works, gaining confidence in what you are buying, and what to do once you’ve bought your first shares, this podcast will continue guiding you through the whole process to help you become a confident share market investor.
You can invest directly from your CommBank app.
Simply log in, tap the ‘Investing hub’ tile from your app dashboard or Library.
Was the information on this page useful?
1 Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Sourced from Reuters, Real Estate Institute of Australia, CoreLogic and IRESS. Data from: 1996-2022 – to 30 June.
2 Brokerage fees applied for trades placed online (via website, mobile apps or other platforms) and settled via a CDIA or CommSec Margin Loan. Different brokerage fees apply if settled using a non-CDIA bank account, traded over the phone, deceased estates and if a third party is required. View full list of fees and charges.
The Commonwealth Direct Investment Account (CDIA) is issued by Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL 234945. This product is administered by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814 (CommSec), a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. CommSec is a Market Participant of ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. The target market for the CDIA can be found within the product’s Target Market Determination, available at commbank.com.au/tmd.
The information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. For this reason, any individual should, before acting on this information, consider the appropriateness of the information, having regards to their objectives, financial situation or needs, and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.
You can view the CommBank Transaction Savings and Investment Account Terms and Conditions, CommSec Share Trading Terms and Conditions, CommSec Pocket Terms and Conditions, Best Execution Statement and Financial Services Guide, and should consider them before making any decision about these products and services. Consider the PDS for each ETF prior to making an investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
To operate a CommSec Pocket account, you’ll need an eligible CommBank transaction account. Please consider the full terms and conditions which are available on request. CommSec Pocket is free to download however your mobile network provider may charge you for accessing data on your phone. Investing carries risks. The value of your investment may go down as well as up. The minimum allowable size of your investment is subject to fluctuations in ETF unit prices. Brokerage is charged at $2 per trade, for trades up to $1,000 and 0.20% for trades above $1,000. Consider the PDS for each ETF prior to making an investment decision. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
The CommBank app is free to download, however your mobile network provider charges you for accessing data on your phone. Find out about the minimum operating system requirements on the CommBank app page. Terms and conditions are available on the app.
