I have this one friend who until recently, kept his hard-earned cash in a small piggy bank at home. In one of our conversations, I asked him if he had some savings stashed away in a savings account in case of an emergency, or with a savings group, to which he responded with none of the above.
Through deeper inquiry, we had a dialogue about what he usually spends his money on as a working 25-year-old in Kampala. I asked about his sources of income and how much money he can put aside to cater for his future needs and emergencies.
After an honest discussion, I came to understand that he firmly believed putting away small amounts in his piggy bank was saving just enough. And he's not the only one. For a lot of people, maintaining a physical storage of cash and change is all they imagine is enough in building a savings reserve.
My help was in explaining to him the potential growth opportunity he was missing by not transferring his savings into a proper financial instrument. I introduced him to the world of unit trusts which offer interest on top of his savings and give a better layer of safety than his trusted piggy bank.
Step by step I took him through the advantages of saving and investing with unit trusts like diversification, professional management by expert fund managers, easy access to the funds when needed and the potential growth through compound interest over the long term.
Even though he was still cautious, my friend came to accept the fact that saving alone in his piggy bank and forgetting it wasn't enough because it was idle money. Meaningful saving is investing your savings so that your money works for you.
Today my friend is ready to start on his investment journey with professional guidance and support. This brings me to believe that everyone deserves a chance to achieve financial prosperity and with the right guidance and tools unit trusts provide the key to unlocking this potential.
