English
Reporter: Tell us about yourself in a few words (short presentation as an investor).
Veronika Tykhonova: My background is in humanitarian and development work, where I've spent years managing resources in crisis and trying to bring stability into uncertain situations. As an investor, I carry that same mindset. I'm also Ukrainian, and living through war and displacement has only reinforced how I view money: not as a luxury, but as a resource and a point of stability when the world around you is unstable. For me, investing became my way to protect myself, and later also to show others that financial security is possible, even in difficult times.
Reporter: What were your first steps to becoming an investor?
Veronika Tykhonova: After I built my emergency fund [enough savings to cover six or more months of expenses] I started investing. I always knew that the best way to grow wealth was to let money work and multiply, instead of keeping it idle. Once I had my safety covered, I turned to the stock market. I began with small steps: buying well-known ETFs, bonds and stocks just to understand how markets move and, even more importantly, how I react to them. At the same time, I read and learned a lot. Knowledge won't remove risk, but it helps you recognize it and deal with it better. For me, investing wasn't about chasing quick wins - it was about learning discipline and slowly building stability.
Reporter: What has been your evolution as an eToro investor?
Veronika Tykhonova: When I first joined eToro, I started investing as part of my personal financial strategy - managing and growing my savings, protecting them from inflation, and building something for the future, pretty much like everyone else. I invested my monthly savings from my office job salary and never planned to risk my capital too much. My goal was always to grow steadily, without huge drawdowns. Over time, this cautious approach attracted people who wanted the same. I became a Popular Investor, and suddenly it wasn't just about me anymore - other people were copying my trades and trusting me with their money. That made me even more disciplined. My strategy stayed the same: no leverage, no risky bets, no crypto, no chasing fast gains. Instead, I focused on balance - equities for growth, bonds for stability, gold and cash as a hedge - and on keeping my risk score low. I'm proud that since I started on eToro, I've never had a losing year, which proves that patience and discipline work better than hype.
Reporter: What are your investment goals for the future?
Veronika Tykhonova: My main goal is financial independence. For me, investing means creating passive income so I don't depend on a salary from a day job. I want to know that my elder years are taken care of and that money will never limit my choices. That security allows me to focus on work and projects I truly love, without pressure. In that sense, investing is my way of building peace of mind, freedom, and a future where I can live on my own terms.
Reporter: To what extent has the experience you had in your field before you started investing contributed to the evolution of your investments?
Veronika Tykhonova: My work in humanitarian and development projects shaped me a lot as an investor. In that field you deal with uncertainty every day: war, crisis, limited resources and difficult decisions under pressure. It teaches you to stay calm, plan ahead and not panic when things don't go as expected. Those same qualities are essential in investing. I also learned to look at the bigger picture, how politics, economics and human behavior connect, and that helps me understand markets beyond just numbers. In many ways, the ability to keep clear thinking under pressure in my job translated directly into the way I manage my portfolio today.
Reporter: What is your investment strategy?
Veronika Tykhonova: My strategy is simple: protect capital first, grow it second. I invest in a balanced way, combining equities for growth, bonds for stability, and gold and currencies as a hedge. I don't use leverage and I don't chase trends. Instead, I focus on steady, long-term growth with minimal drawdowns, keeping my risk score in the low range. I prefer to add regularly from savings rather than take risky big bets, because for me consistency is the key. This way I can get returns slightly above the market, but with smaller drawdowns, which for me matters more than chasing highs. In other words, I build portfolios that can handle shocks - resilience matters more to me than speed.
Reporter: What advice do you have for first-time investors?
Veronika Tykhonova: My biggest advice is to start small and learn by doing. You don't need a big amount to begin, but you do need consistency and patience. Build your emergency fund first, then invest regularly from what you can save. Use ETFs at the beginning - they are a simple way to diversify without too much stress. Don't invest in what you don't understand, and always remember that risks are part of the game, but the key is to keep a cool head when markets move. Today there is so much knowledge available: free courses from top universities on platforms like Coursera, learning materials from eToro Academy, or articles in the Financial Times and The Economist. Reading and learning will give you confidence - and confidence is just as important as capital when you start investing.
Reporter: Is there anything investors should pay particular attention to?
Veronika Tykhonova: Yes - pay attention to your own emotions. Markets will always go up and down, but the biggest risk is often how you react. Panic selling in a downturn or getting overconfident in a boom can ruin even a good strategy. The most important thing is to stay calm, stick to your plan, and not let short-term noise dictate long-term decisions. If I had to recommend one resource that explains this really well, it's the book The Psychology of Money. It shows that investing success is not only about knowledge, but also about behavior and how you handle uncertainty.
Reporter: How do you approach the risks associated with investing?
Veronika Tykhonova: For me, risk is something you can't avoid, but you can prepare for it. Living through uncertainty taught me to always think in scenarios - to ask myself "what if.' I do the same with investing. I often ask: if markets drop 20 percent tomorrow, will my portfolio still be safe and will I feel comfortable holding it? If the answer is yes, then I know I'm positioned correctly. I manage risks by diversifying not only across asset classes like equities, bonds, commodities and currencies, but also across regions - not only the US, but also Europe, Asia and emerging economies. I diversify by sectors too: not just trending bets like AI, but also the more boring, steady industries that give stability in the long run. I keep my risk score low, and I avoid leverage and speculative bets, because protecting capital always comes first. I can't control the markets, but I can control my exposure and how I respond - and that makes all the difference.
Reporter: What do you think about crypto investments compared to other assets in the market?
Veronika Tykhonova: I see crypto as a very volatile and speculative asset class. For some people it might make sense to have a small allocation, but I don't consider it a core part of a stable portfolio. My own strategy is focused on diversification through equities, bonds, commodities and currencies, which have proven to deliver steady results over time. Crypto is different: it can rise quickly but also fall just as fast, and many investors underestimate that risk. For me, it's not a replacement for traditional assets, but at best an optional add-on for those who are comfortable with high volatility.
Reporter: In which segment do you think a businessman should invest, in the current macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions (tariffs, high inflation, energy crisis, border war)?
Veronika Tykhonova: In times like these, resilience matters more than chasing fast growth. I would focus on sectors that people and economies can't live without: healthcare, energy transition and renewables, infrastructure, and technologies that make us more efficient. These are not just trends, they are long-term necessities.
Veronika Tykhonova: When it comes to the big picture, I think we have to stay honest - macroeconomic instability is real, but at the same time markets are still growing. Yes, a recession may come, but no one knows exactly when. So far, macro has brought volatility, yet growth continued. That's why I'm careful with predictions. Instead of trying to guess the future, I prefer to build a portfolio that is ready for different scenarios.
Veronika Tykhonova: hat means having a hedge. By hedge I simply mean protection - something that balances your portfolio when stocks fall. It can be government bonds, gold, or certain currencies. When one part of your portfolio is under pressure, the hedge keeps you steady. That's how I think about investing: not betting on one outcome, but staying prepared for whatever comes.
Reporter: Is there a perfect time to invest?
Veronika Tykhonova: There is no perfect time to invest. If you wait for it, you'll probably never start. Nobody knows exactly when markets will peak or when the next correction will come. What works much better is consistency - investing regularly, in good times and in bad. That way you smooth out the ups and downs and benefit from what's often called the averaging effect: sometimes you buy higher, sometimes lower, but over time it balances and keeps you on track. In the long run, that matters far more than trying to guess the perfect moment.
Reporter: What should investors consider when choosing an online investment platform?
Veronika Tykhonova: The first thing is safety - the platform has to be regulated and trustworthy, because you want to know your money is protected. Your money should be kept separate and protected, ideally insured or held in segregated accounts, and the company should be registered and regulated within the EU, as it is in countries like Romania and Poland. The second is costs: fees and hidden charges can eat into returns more than many people realize. The third is usability: if the platform is complicated, you won't use it consistently. I also think it's important to have access to education and a community. Platforms such as eToro offer this - you don't feel like you're investing alone, you can learn from others and share experiences.
Reporter: Is there an investor's decalogue? What are the top three rules?
Veronika Tykhonova: If I had to pick three rules, they would be these. First, protect your capital and never risk what you can't afford to lose. Second, diversify across assets, regions and sectors, so you are never dependent on just one bet. Third, have your own rules and follow them, these are the rules I personally stick to: Don't keep losers for too long, cut losses early and let your winning stocks run. Don't allow big drawdowns, because once you lose 50 percent of your money, you need a 100 percent gain just to get back. Write down your rules, stick to them and don't chase hype. Things like position sizing and stop losses may sound technical, but they are simply practical tools to keep you safe. These principles have kept me steady even when markets were volatile.
Reporter: Thank You!
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