Lessons from Young Investor #5, Alex Titriku

Name: Alex Titriku

Age: 24

Twitter/ Instagram: @kurusoo

My investment colleague and great friend Alex, is a trained Engineer currently pursuing graduate studies in the field of Analog and Mixed Signal Integrated Circuits and he is also currently researching into Optical Transceivers. … :). Let’s now find out about his investment life. 

When did he start investing? What was the drive?

He opened his first investment account just about when he got to College, largely due to the fact that he needed to be 18 to solely own one. But before opening his account, his parents had made investments on his behalf. These were mainly treasury bills and some stock investments. The idea of making money work for you was a fascinating one, According to Alex. “At the time I opened my first investment account which was a mutual fund; I was a rookie when it came not only to investment but the financial world. My initial draw to the world of investing was my sister since she worked in an investment firm and I was quite interested in what she was doing. But since then I have been driven by plenteous opportunities available to make returns that will be seed for various future projects,” He said.

His current investment portfolio is mainly split between two instruments: Mutual funds and stock investments.

Ok boss, so now, why the above instruments?

His answer was; “Mutual funds have always been a safe haven for low risk and amateur investors, but they still hold potential for some medium term goals. Even though my comprehension of the nitty gritties of investment has appreciated, I still keep mutual funds as an investment strategy since it takes off some of the work from my shoulder and places them on the fund managers, not for free though. I would also rather buy a mutual fund than keep my money in a savings account with low returns. Stock investments are much more captivating and require more work from the investor. Actively trading on the stock market comes with a lot of risk, but it holds greater prospects. You learn to make wise and responsible decisions and it helps keep your greed in check.” …… BAAM!!! That’s what I’m talking about. This guy is sharp. :) :)

Now I feel like probing more and to know approximately how much his portfolio was worth and how regular he invests, and before I finished the question, he smiled and said, “My investment worth is in the thousands of cedis. Be on the lookout for the next Forbes or Wall Street journal, there will be feature on my current net worth.”

Prior to embarking on his graduate school adventure, he invested regularly on a monthly basis but that frequency has reduced due to certain difficulties. Roughly, Alex has been investing for 5 years.

Mistakes from his investing experience

One of the major mistakes he made as a newbie in stock investing was his excitement over IPO’s. Any time he heard of an IPO he will get overly excited and jump straight into it. “I’ve been burned a couple of times.” He said. Another common mistake is making investment decisions based on emotions or without a thorough analysis of the value of the stock or the company. 

Finally when he started investing, he really didn't have a goal or a target and then realized  his returns were limited because he didn’t put much thought into it.

“It’s an ever learning process, but my lessons can be summarized into three simple phrase – have a goal, do your homework (avoid speculations) and don’t be greedy!” – Alex said to me

His Investment Mentor

His number one mentor is the Holy Spirit. It might sound strange to many but he is inviting you to give it a try. “The Lord not only directs our steps in spiritual matters but all other matters. In human personalities, I draw a lot of inspiration from Warren Buffet and John Rockefeller.” He said. “My investment friends, including you, Patrick, have been instrumental in shaping my investment ideologies. He added quickly.

A message to the investment community and other young investors;

“My advice to many is it’s never too small or too late to start investing. And as you begin to make gains, don’t forget to be generous to others. The giver will always be greater than the receiver.” Alex T.

He end with one of the famous quotes of Mr. Buffett- "Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies. And if they insist on trying to time their participation in equities, they should try to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful."

Alex uses one phrase to describe himself and that is, “I am a love child of a love God”. He has a passion for winning souls and raising leaders. And also loves to code when he gets the time.