A new country, new career, new goals: Johann’s investment journey 

Prior to 2016 my finances had been all about that property purchase but, now I had completed it, I was open to something new and wanted to start investing some of the small savings I had left – but in a completely different way. 

I am from France and came to the UK alone with a big suitcase, one laptop, a few thousand pounds of life savings, an empty CV and no job. This was back in March 2008 and I had never been to London before but I had decided to try my luck and to work hard. 

After a few years, some difficult moments and some tears, things finally started to improve and I started to realise my career potential. I’ve now been working as an IT salesperson for the past 12 years and am focused on selling software to some of the biggest financial institutions in the world. I am not a programmer, or a trader, or someone who specialises in investing but I like the opportunities provided by young and innovative fintechs in this space. 

So, seeing the words “intelligent investing made easy” every day on the tube got me intrigued. One day, I decided to take a picture to remember the name and to have a look at the website later on. 

I got home, gave it a Google, landed on the homepage page and saw: “Nutmeg – The smart new way to invest your ISA allowance. We create and manage your very own portfolio for a single low fee.” I was getting more and more interested, and I started to feel a bit excited. 

I did some research on the internet and the feedback and comments from existing customers were positive. The website looked legitimate and felt secure. From my own research I started to hear more and more about the company, until the day when I saw one of their new TV adverts and decided I was sold. 

Every journey starts with a small step 

My late grandfather was a hard worker who started from nothing but believed in the importance of keeping some money aside for the future. When I was a child, I remember him telling me that I should never “put all my eggs in the same basket” and that image has always stayed with me! 

So, with any new investment I make, I always start with a very small amount to “take the temperature” and see how things can evolve. When I started with Nutmeg, I simply opened an ISA account with the minimum investment amount. As the days and weeks went by, I kept having a look at my investment, but things were not moving that much. 

Having said that, I still felt engaged. The graphics and the website were all very smooth and very simple to understand. Every month I was receiving communications and videos on the state of the markets and how this could affect my investments. 

I liked the fact that I was able to withdraw the money if I wanted to. Like any investment, you should always leave the money as long as you can without touching it, but it is good to know that it is there if you need it for any emergency. You’re free to withdraw from your Nutmeg ISA at any point – for me this was an important point as my other investments were tied up in the form of different pension pots from previous employers.  

As the months went by, I decided to put more and more money into my Nutmeg ISA. I set-up an automatic monthly payment and I also pay in ad hoc from time to time when I can. Sometimes, for varying reasons, I have to stop the automated monthly payments. I know this isn’t ideal but, importantly, I haven’t yet withdrawn a single penny from my Nutmeg ISA. 

I am aware that Nutmeg offers other investment vehicles for different life goals, such as Lifetime ISAs, pensions, general investment accounts or Junior ISAs. I’m currently only using the Nutmeg ISA, but it still offers a lot of flexibility. For example: recently I chose to adjust the risk of my portfolio to the highest setting as this was something I felt comfortable with. What I like with Nutmeg is the flexibility, not only to add or to stop payments when you want to, but also to increase or reduce the risk level of your investments as and when you wish, depending on your circumstances.  

Getting service 

Over the years, my regular monthly payments added up and I started to become more and more satisfied with the service. The app provided is very good; it feels secure and is very easily accessible too. To access you don’t have to use a password if you don’t want to, you can securely login with your fingerprint and now there’s face ID too on some phones. 

I have to say that in the past five years since I have started to use Nutmeg, I haven’t had to contact their client support once because everything has always worked and has always been very clear. Both the website and the app are very intuitive and I can follow-up whenever I want to know where I am with my investments. 

When, in March 2020, the world entered the dark days of a global pandemic and the new reality of Covid–19, I noticed my portfolio went down substantially but I didn’t panic and I didn’t withdraw any of it. Instead, following the trust and reading the information from Nutmeg, I waited. 

Then, after a few weeks, I added even more money to my investment portfolio as I knew that the potential was there for things to become better and that there was a major opportunity to take advantage of market growth. A few months later exactly what I hoped for happened: The returns of my portfolio have been so far outstanding, growing by a two-digit rate! 

Considering the small fees I have been paying to Nutmeg, the results have so far been exceptional. I doubt whether I would have benefited from such good results with a traditional bank. The other good thing about Nutmeg’s digital service is you don’t need to physically visit any branches which is convenient and safe given the pandemic. 

Over the years, Nutmeg has been providing me with exactly what I was looking for. I now have new pots for investments of different amounts and at different associated risk levels and this flexibility of options means I am looking to invest more and more in my portfolio. 

I have introduced Nutmeg to quite a few friends and colleagues over the years. They are truly missing out! If they do invest, I can’t wait to see them enjoy all the benefits and returns I have enjoyed so far, with the peace of mind on top of it. 

I am definitely not a savvy investor, nor someone with an incredibly high income compared to much of London. However, I like to do things my way and to know that my money is constantly growing in the hands of professionals and financial experts is a big part of the freedom and independence that I value 

Visibility, trust and results have all contributed to my satisfaction with Nutmeg and I can only recommend it for anyone looking to invest for their future. Thank you again, Nutmeg and I look forward to using your services in the years and decades to come. 

Risk warning

As with all investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your portfolio with Nutmeg can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. A stocks and shares ISA may not be right for everyone and tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure if an ISA is the right choice for you, please seek financial advice. 

As with all investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your portfolio with Nutmeg can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. A stocks and shares Lifetime ISA may not be right for everyone. You must be 18–39 years old to open one. If you need to withdraw the money before you’re 60, and it’s not for the purchase of a first home up to£450,000, or a terminal illness, you’ll pay a 25% government penalty. So you may get back less than you put in. Compared to a pension, the Lifetime ISA is treated differently for tax purposes. You may be better off contributing to a pension. If you choose to opt out of your workplace pension to pay into a Lifetime ISA, you may lose the benefits of the employer-Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future. Capital at risk. Tax rules subject to individual status and may change.37
matched contributions. If you are unsure if a Lifetime ISA is the right choice for you, please seek financial advice.

The value of your Junior ISA can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. To open a Nutmeg JISA, your child must be under the age of 16 and funds cannot be withdrawn until your child turns 18. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. If you are unsure if a Junior ISA is the right choice for you and your child, please seek financial advice.  

A pension may not be right for everyone and tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure if a pension is right for you, please seek financial advice.

A general investment account may not be right for everyone and tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure if it is the right choice for you, please seek financial advice.