If you've never opened an online trading app in your life (or you have but felt immediately overwhelmed) this is the episode for you. Dan Malone from honest.ie is a chartered accountant, chartered tax advisor and qualified financial advisor. He's analysed the most popular trading platforms in Ireland like Trading 212, Trade Republic, Lightyear, Interactive Brokers, Revolut and N26. Malone explains which ones might suit the novice investor, what hidden fees and sneaky charges you should look out for, and the tax implications come the pay-and-file deadline. This episode also explores how safe your money is, why most people shouldn’t be picking individual stocks at all, and Dan makes the case for long‑term, passive investing using low‑cost ETFs (exchange‑traded funds) instead. While there's plenty of jargon to get your head around, Dan explains it in plain English. Crucially, he explains why time in the market matters more than timing the market, why women are better investors, and makes the case for starting in your twenties.
If you want to go back and listen to our earlier episodes about investing, including this one for absolute beginners, you can find them on irishtimes.com/podcasts/better-with-money/
Presented by Aideen Finnegan.
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