My Money Sorted: Victoria

My Money Sorted is our series exploring people's experiences with money and how they got Sorted. For World Investor Week, we spoke with Victoria Harris. She's a portfolio manager at Devon Funds and co-founded The Curve, a safe space for women to learn about investing.

What is the best piece of money advice you’ve been given?

The power of compound interest. Compound interest is interest on interest on interest. You are starting from a higher base every time, which can lead to significant returns on your money if invested over the long term. It can make a huge difference, plus take a lot of the stress out of building a retirement nest egg.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I like to think I am a good balance of both. I have definitely learnt (and continue to learn) that the benefits of saving outweigh spending. Small sacrifices today can make a big difference in the future. This is something I always try to remember if I start leaning too far towards the ‘spender’ side.

How do you save?

I save by regularly contributing small amounts to a savings account. This is the key to building my savings balance. And if I do small but frequent amounts, it makes it more manageable. I contribute to my savings the day I get paid so there is no temptation to spend the money before I save it.

What makes you feel Sorted when it comes to your money?

Regularly contributing to my KiwiSaver and making sure I am in a high-returning KiwiSaver fund. This makes me feel financially sorted for retirement, which for me removes a lot of financial stress. Trying to remain focused on my long-term money goals gives me a sense of ease around my finances and helps me stay on track.

What were you taught about money as a child?

I was taught that money doesn’t grow on trees – which I’m sure is a phrase many other people have heard too! While the phrase might seem quite obvious, to me it meant that you need to work hard to achieve what you want and that nothing comes easy. I was also taught that short-term pain leads to long-term gain. Or in other words, I need to make short-term sacrifices or take risks in order to achieve my wealth goals.

When you think about your retirement, what do you see?

I know what I DON’T want to see. I unfortunately see a lot of women around me struggling when it comes to their finances and growing their wealth. This is mainly due to a lack of knowledge of how to grow our wealth.

However, it also comes down to the fact that 1) we are, on average, paid less than men, 2) we take time out of the workforce to raise a family, and 3) we live longer than men once we reach retirement.

This makes women much more likely to experience financial hardship at retirement. I don’t want to be one of these women, and I want to ensure other women can avoid this too.