Invest in Australian shares the smart way

There's no reliable way to know whether the Australian share market will rise or fall next.

Rather than trying to time the market, Stockspot focuses on long-term investing. Australian shares are combined with international shares and other asset classes, helping reduce your reliance on the performance of a single market.

There's no single amount or percentage that's right for everyone.

How much you invest in Australian shares should depend on your goals, investment time frame and comfort with market ups and downs.

With Stockspot, your allocation to Australian shares is determined as part of a diversified portfolio suited to your risk profile, rather than choosing an Australian shares allocation in isolation.

Yes. Like all share markets, Australian shares can rise and fall in value, sometimes significantly over shorter periods.

Investing across many Australian companies can reduce the impact of any one company performing poorly, but Australian shares are still only one part of the global investment market.

That's why Stockspot portfolios invest across a range of asset classes, including Australian shares, international shares, bonds, gold and cash. Spreading investments across different markets and asset classes is designed to provide a more diversified portfolio and a smoother investment journey over time.

Buying individual Australian shares lets you choose exactly which companies you own, but it also means your portfolio can be more dependent on the performance of those companies.

An Australian shares ETF can give you exposure to hundreds of ASX-listed companies in a single investment.

Stockspot uses broad-market ETFs because they provide a simple, low-cost way to diversify rather than trying to consistently pick which individual shares will outperform.

You can buy Australian shares or ETFs yourself if you're comfortable researching investments, deciding how much to invest and managing your portfolio over time.

With Stockspot, Australian shares are included as part of a professionally managed, diversified ETF portfolio. We select the investments, determine the portfolio allocation, monitor your portfolio and rebalance it for you.

Australian shares are a core part of Stockspot portfolios.

We invest in the Australian share market through a broad-market ETF and combine it with international shares, bonds, gold and other asset classes depending on the portfolio suited to your goals and risk profile.

Your portfolio is then professionally managed and rebalanced over time.

Stockspot Model Portfolios currently use the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS).

VAS tracks the S&P/ASX 300 Index, providing broad exposure to around 300 Australian-listed companies across a range of industries.

This means you can gain exposure to a large part of the Australian share market without having to choose individual companies yourself.

Many Australian companies pay dividends, although dividend amounts and payment frequency can change over time.

Some Australian dividends also come with franking credits, which represent company tax that has already been paid. How valuable franking credits are to you depends on your individual tax circumstances.

Australian share ETFs collect dividends from the companies they hold and distribute that income to investors. With Stockspot, portfolio distributions are automatically reinvested as part of managing your investments.

All investing involves risk, and Australian shares can fall in value.

With Stockspot, your ETF investments are held in your own name under a unique HIN. Your Australian shares exposure is also combined with investments across different markets and asset classes, rather than relying on Australian shares alone.