Spending some time in the ANZA Investor Group could answer all your lingering questions, and make a few friends along the way, Gerard Ward finds.
There are groups within ANZA covering all the bases, from sports and photography to wine and book clubs. Most groups form purely because someone was looking for a particular group, and decided to start their own. Why would a topic as big as investment not be catered to?
‘I first joined the ANZA Investor Group shortly after moving to Singapore as a way to get to meet other Australian and New Zealand professionals who shared a similar interest,’ ANZA Investor Group coordinator and fee-based financial adviser Jarrad Brown says. ‘Singapore is a popular destination for expats looking to progress in their careers and build their asset base, and I felt that such a group would be an excellent avenue to share ideas and discuss strategies.’
‘We usually have 15 to 20 people attend each of our meetings, and they’re held on a Wednesday from noon to 2pm at a restaurant or café,’ Jarrad says. This year members will be meeting up at Club Meatballs on China Street.
At these meetings, a guest speaker is invited to come talk about a particular topic – ranging from a gold explorer, Australian property investment adviser or fixed income portfolio manager. The guest speakers were introduced this year with the aim ‘to expose our members to as many topics and opportunities as possible, to encourage them to ask more informed questions and empower them to make more informed decisions about their own finances,’ Jarrad says.
From there the group discusses and socialises over lunch, usually following up with those last-minute questions. ‘At each of the meetings we have people with a wide range of financial experience, from portfolio managers through to those who are just starting to dip their toes in the water when it comes to investing, and this makes for a very meaningful discussion,’ Jarrad says.
What makes the group more than just a networking session is the ANZA Investor Group Portfolio. Working in Australian dollars, the group reviews investment portfolios as if it were a true fund. ‘The ANZA Investor Group portfolio has only just been started this year with the aim of encouraging more involvement, creating more information and ensuring that our guests and members have an opportunity to have a “hands-on” experience in constructing, managing and reviewing an investment portfolio,’ Jarrad explains.
‘We review the existing portfolio’s performance, how the various assets have performed, and also discuss and agree on whether we will add the particular opportunity that was presented to the portfolio.’
Presentations to look forward to this year include an Australian gold miner listed on the ASX, a property investment adviser focused on Australian residential property, a Singapore-based fund manager focused on Asian equities and the CEO of a rapidly growing social media company about to list. ‘One of the key benefits of the group is that there is never any sales pitch to our members, and never will be. It is simply an open forum for any and all questions to be asked and discussed.’
‘Having been involved in the group for over two years now, and reinvigorating the group this year, I must say that the key highlight for me to date has been meeting other Australian and New Zealand professionals in an environment where we can openly share ideas about our personal finances,’ Jarrad says.
For anyone interested in finding out more, all it takes is a quick email to find out more. A big part of what makes ANZA great for members is how supportive each group is, no matter what the topic – ANZA Investor Group is no different.
To join the ANZA Investor Group, email Jarrad at anzainvestorgroup@gmail.com.
