Where to begin? Smartshares? Which fund?

Hi there,

A bit of background about me first. I'm 20 years of age, and discovered YNAB September last year. Since then I've doubled my NET worth and have become much more aware around my money habits. I earn $60k pre-tax per year, and contribute to KiwiSaver @ 3%, with employer contributions also.

I recently became aware of the 'Financial Independence Retire Early' mindset and it really struck a chord with me. I'm not necessarily looking to retire early, but I'd love to be financially independent by the age of 35. Of course, this goalpost could shift closer/further away depending how the next few years roll out.

I have an emergency fund of 6 months of expenses in an ASB Savings Plus account, and am now ready to start contributing to my 'Financial Independence' fund. I've come to the realisation that a bank account probably isn't the best place to be putting that cash - so need to clue myself up on investments.

So far, my understanding is pretty minimal, so I'm looking for a 'safe' option to start. I'm thinking Smartshares would be suitable for me as I'd like to be able to contribute monthly ($1000 initial deposit, with $1000 monthly deposits) without being penalised by brokerage fees too much.

What I'd really like is someone to validate that Smartshares isn't too bad an option for someone just starting out, and some advice on which shares to look in to. I'm currently drawn toward the new Vanguard funds they've listed - but I'm not sure how to pick one fund from another. Any tips? Much appreciated!

I think Smartshares is a pretty good place to start since it lets you dollar cost average (similar to how your Kiwisaver works) which will save in trading costs if you're investing $1k monthly. Plus you'll get a diverse equity investment.

The only Vanguard/Smartshares ETF that I'd choose is the S&P500 due to the lower fees but this is just me and you really need to do your research (read the prospective etc) and make your own choice on where you'd like to invest.