Beginner · Getting started
How much money do you really need to start investing in Australia?
It's the first question almost everyone asks, and the honest answer is reassuring: a lot less than you think. Most brokers in Australia let you start with around $500, and some let you set up small, regular deposits. You don't need a windfall to begin.
The real minimum is about brokerage, not the share price
When you buy shares, you usually pay a small fee called brokerage. If that fee is $5 and you invest $100, you've effectively paid 5% just to get in the door. Invest $1,000 and the same fee is 0.5%. That's why the practical minimum isn't the price of one share — it's the amount where the fee becomes a rounding error rather than a tax on your enthusiasm.
Small and regular usually beats big and rare
Investing a set amount each month — say after each pay — does two quiet but powerful things. It builds the habit, and it smooths out the price you pay over time. You'll never perfectly time the market, but you don't need to. Consistency does most of the heavy lifting.
The best amount to start with is the amount you won't need to pull back out next month.
Before your first dollar goes in
- Keep an emergency buffer in cash first — money you might need within a year shouldn't be in shares.
- Pick an amount you can add to regularly without stress.
- Understand what you're buying and how exposed it makes you — that's the part most people skip.
The size of your first investment matters far less than understanding what it does to your overall risk. That's the habit worth building from day one.
See it on your own portfolio
Find out which of these forces your ASX portfolio is most exposed to — in 60 seconds.
Keep reading
Market order vs limit order: the simple difference
When you go to buy, your broker asks how. Market or limit? Here's the difference in plain English — and which suits a careful beginner.
Financial adviser or do it yourself? An honest comparison
You don't always need an adviser to invest — but sometimes one is worth every cent. Here's an honest way to decide which camp you're in.
PortLens provides general information only — not personal financial advice. Examples are illustrative. Always do your own research or speak with a licensed adviser before making investment decisions.
New to a term used here? See the plain-English glossary.