From the Perspective of a Malaysian The $100 US market does not really buy much. Perhaps, if I’m lucky, a single stock after commission. That was the first fact that greeted me, and to be frank, it did sting because I was hoping for a sweet portfolio. 
What i ended up getting instead were fractions of fractions of a share in two ETFs, or one share of a very cheap company if I wanted it at all. Many apps in Malaysia allow me to purchase fractional shares of popular get more info companies for the same effect, and i put a grand $100 into a fractional share broker. $60 goes to S&P500, and the rest into shares of two companies I’ve had personal experience with and thus were familiar and not-so-complex investments. No complicated charts, no strategic trading. Just plain and simple curiosity about the viability of small time investing. First 3 months – nada de nada So what happens with the US$100 investment after 3 months? Jack shit happens basically. My US$100 fluctuates by the single dollars, and I find myself checking it more often than not on a daily basis, basically looking at a pot that is not about to boil no matter how hard you stare. Some commission fee also chips away at the returns (something I had not thought about). The market works, and so does I The market had a bit of a dip on the fifth month, to around US$87. And here’s where I put another US$50 in my portfolio because i did not want a minor 13% dip to be a knee-jerking one. Buying at that time gave the same impact than any stock i’d bought prior-it proved an important point not covered by the videos promising compound interests: You do invest your money even at the discomfort of doing so. Twelve Months Later here’s how things look: Twelve months later, and I’ve invested about US$310 through several small purchases. Total value of account is around US$365. Not exactly pocket change to quit my job with, of course (no Perodua Myvis soon!). But by month eight or so, the overall return was less significant compared to the discipline I had cultivated. It was not my bank balance that has changed – and it has barely changed; but the fear of touching a brokerage account.
What i ended up getting instead were fractions of fractions of a share in two ETFs, or one share of a very cheap company if I wanted it at all. Many apps in Malaysia allow me to purchase fractional shares of popular get more info companies for the same effect, and i put a grand $100 into a fractional share broker. $60 goes to S&P500, and the rest into shares of two companies I’ve had personal experience with and thus were familiar and not-so-complex investments. No complicated charts, no strategic trading. Just plain and simple curiosity about the viability of small time investing. First 3 months – nada de nada So what happens with the US$100 investment after 3 months? Jack shit happens basically. My US$100 fluctuates by the single dollars, and I find myself checking it more often than not on a daily basis, basically looking at a pot that is not about to boil no matter how hard you stare. Some commission fee also chips away at the returns (something I had not thought about). The market works, and so does I The market had a bit of a dip on the fifth month, to around US$87. And here’s where I put another US$50 in my portfolio because i did not want a minor 13% dip to be a knee-jerking one. Buying at that time gave the same impact than any stock i’d bought prior-it proved an important point not covered by the videos promising compound interests: You do invest your money even at the discomfort of doing so. Twelve Months Later here’s how things look: Twelve months later, and I’ve invested about US$310 through several small purchases. Total value of account is around US$365. Not exactly pocket change to quit my job with, of course (no Perodua Myvis soon!). But by month eight or so, the overall return was less significant compared to the discipline I had cultivated. It was not my bank balance that has changed – and it has barely changed; but the fear of touching a brokerage account.