WHEN Gregor Davidson began investing at just 15, he never imagined his pot would be worth £100,000 just 18 years later.
The 33-year-old reveals how he chooses funds to invest in and shares his tips to help YOU beat the stock market too – from as little as £25 a month.
Gregor, who lives in Twyford, near Reading, began investing after his dad set up a junior pension for him.
Parents and grandparents can invest up to £2,880 a year into these accounts for their young relatives.
“My dad set up the account and paid in the maximum £2,880 a year for about ten years, and then I started making contributions instead,” says Gregor.
“I make changes to my investments only about once a year, although I do check them regularly.”
These days Gregor invests in nine funds, and his pot is worth a total of £100,000.
A fund is a bit like a shopping basket of different investments, which are small stakes in companies that you can buy.
It is run by expert fund managers who pick the companies they think will perform best.
Gregor’s biggest holding is Vanguard Lifestrategy 100% Equity, a ready-made fund that invests in hundreds of the world’s biggest companies.
The fund is up 75% over five years.
He’ also put money in the Fidelity Asia Pacific Opportunities funds, which invests in countries including China and Taiwan.
“It feels like growth is starting to pick up in that region,” said Gregor.
“I have also held the Landseer Global Artificial Intelligence fund since it launched in 2017, and that is up 73% over five years.”
This year, he’s added Artemis US Smaller Companies to his portfolio.
How do I get started?
You can start to invest with just £25.
But it’s important to pay off any debt, credit cards or loans you have before you do so.
Rob Morgan, chief investment analyst at Charles Stanley, explains: “Build a rainy-day fund in cash to cover unexpected expenses before investing, and you should commit for at least five years to increase your chances of decent returns.”
Many companies offer ready-made investment portfolios, which are a great choice if you don’t have the time or confidence to pick your own investments.
Usually, you just need to answer some questions about how much risk you are willing to take, and you will be pointed towards an investment.
As well as your risk level, it is important to consider how long you plan to invest for and your overall goals, such as whether you are saving to buy a house or for retirement.
For those who want more say in where their money goes, you can choose your own funds or individual stocks to invest in.
The range of options can be overwhelming, so make sure to do your research.
Investment websites including Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell provide lists of funds that they rate highly, which can help you whittle down the options.
Once you know where you want to put your money, it is usually a case of simply searching on the app or website for your investment of choice and selecting how much you want to invest.
Setting up a regular investing plan is usually a good idea.
This is where you set up a direct debit to invest a set amount each month, and is a great way to start small and build your money over time.
The fund invests in lesser-known American firms such as the gym franchise Planet Fitness and the healthcare firm Quest Diagnostics.
Gregor says it can be volatile, with ups and downs in its performance, but has been a top holding for him so far.
The fund is up 45.3% over five years.
If you want to grow your money like Gregor then it can be difficult to know where to start.
Plus, with thousands of funds on offer it can be hard to know how to pick the best one.
Here investment journalist Holly Mead reveals how you can turn £25 a month into £11,691.
Plus she reveals the funds that have performed well in 2025 – and where to put your money next year.
How £25 a month can grow to £11,000 or more
A £25 monthly investment could grow to £4,163 over ten years, assuming your investments grew by a reasonable 6% a year.
Keep investing for 15 years and your pot could be worth £7,368, and after 20 years you could have £11,691.
But remember, your actual returns will depend on the investments you choose and how they perform.
With investing, there is always the chance that the value of your pot could go down, but data shows that over the long-term, dips in the market should recover and your money should grow.
How to never lose money on the stock market
Spreading your money across different investments – known as diversification – can help limit the ups and downs along the way.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, suggests starting with a global tracker fund, a low-cost fund that invests in thousands of companies across the globe.
This spreads your money across lots of different companies, sectors and regions, so you are not putting all of your eggs in one basket.
What are the risks?
BEFORE you start investing, you need to understand the risks.
The return you make will depend on how much you invest and where.
As we have seen recently, the stock market can dramatically fall.
The American stock market recently saw its biggest drop since the start of the Covid pandemic after US President Donald Trump announced plans to introduce punitive tariffs on goods imported to the US from other countries.
The UK’s own stock market, the FTSE 100, fell by more than 10 per cent after the news.
You must be prepared to lose it all – so only invest money you can afford to sacrifice.
You need to be willing to invest cash for at least five years to mitigate any dips and allow your money to recover. If you can’t afford to lock up your money for this long, investing may not be right for you.
It’s usually better to drip feed money into your investments instead of putting down a big chunk of money in one go.
Before you start investing, experts say you should have a minimum of six months’ of wages in a savings account before you start and only invest money you can afford to lose.
Options include the Fidelity Index World fund, which has annual charges of just 0.12%.
It is up 85.8% over five years, and would have grown £1,000 to £1,858 in that time.
You can then add funds that invest in specific areas that you think will do well.
These so-called “active funds” have higher fees because they are run by an expert fund manager, who chooses where to invest, rather than just copying a chosen stock market.
Brian Dennehy, managing director of FundExpert, likes the M&G Asian fund, for example, as an option for investing across China, Taiwan, India and more.
It invests in companies including the chip-maker Taiwan Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics, and online marketplace Alibaba.
The fund is up 78.5% over five years, which would have turned £1,000 into £1,785.
Its annual charge is 0.85%.
Closer to home, he likes the JOHCM UK Equity Income fund, which invests in British businesses including the oil giant BP, Barclays bank and insurance firm Aviva.
It is up 105.4% over five years, which would have turned £1,000 into £2,054.
Its annual charge is 0.79%.
Where to invest in 2026 – the stocks that could help you grow £££
This year has been a strong one for global stock markets.
The American stock market, the S&P 500, is up about 15% year to date, while the UK market, the FTSE 100, has climbed 17%.
Technology companies have been the biggest winners of this year, as investors have become excited about how artificial intelligence can change the world.
The Nasdaq, a US-based index of technology companies, is up 18% this year.
But experts say there are still lots of opportunities elsewhere.
Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter, thinks China and Taiwan look interesting.
Both are home to cutting-edge technology and robotics companies, which should benefit from the booming AI industry.
These are so-called “emerging markets”, which means they are still developing compared to more established economies like the US and UK, and so can grow at a faster rate, which can bring greater investment returns.
James says the outlook for China looks more promising now that its relationship with the US has improved.
Rekekah McMillan, from the investment firm Neuberger, likes Japan, where changes to business rules have provided a boost to the stock market.
The Japanese stock market, the Nikkei 225, is up 28% so far this year.
McMillan is not as keen on stocks in Europe, as she thinks their economies are unstable and government finances are tight.
McMillan also believes that gold could continue rising next year, despite very strong performance in 2025.
The price of the yellow metal is up about 51% over the past year.
It is often a popular investment at times of uncertainty, so it has been gaining attention due to the war in Ukraine, unrest in the Middle East and uncertain policy from US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, James is wary of the outlook for the US and the UK, as economic growth is slow and inflation is keeping the cost of living high for consumers and businesses.
Dennehy says: “For 2026 I would look out for areas with attractive valuations, falling interest rates and government policy support.”
He likes Japan, China and Latin America, but warns against investing in US technology companies after their strong performance.
Darius McDermott, managing director at FundCalibre, adds: “Trying to predict markets for 2026 feels almost impossible.
“But investing is all about ‘time in the market, not timing the market’, so you’re far better off getting invested, and staying the course through the ups and downs.”
Start to invest with a stocks and shares Isa
The best way to start investing is to set up a stocks and shares Isa.
There are plenty of websites and apps you can do this with – such as Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, Wealthify and Nutmeg.
You will need to pay a fee for the app or website you use – this is either a flat rate per month or year, or a percentage of the amount you invest.
For example, if you invested £500 and the fee was 0.5%, this would be £2.50 a year – although be sure to check whether there is a minimum charge.
Then you will also pay for the actual investments you choose. This will either be a set charge each time you buy or sell an investment, or a percentage of the amount you invest.
You can often get started and invest with as little as £1, or by setting up a monthly direct debit from £25.