My life in money: Maike Currie

We asked our favourite financial experts for their thoughts on everything from how they invest to their biggest money mistakes.

We spoke to Maike Currie, editor-in-chief of the Investment Times and head of content and marketing for the UK's biggest savings and investment platform. Her book, The Search for Income, sets out to demystify investing for "even the most die-hard investophobes".

Like a pro, manage your money.

Making your money work for you is something my mother taught me. My mother and grandmother invested in the stock market in their private lives. It made me realize that investing is for everyone.

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Are you a saver or a spender?

There is a balance of both.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

I moved from South Africa to the UK as a student when I was starting out in journalism.

What is the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought (besides property)?

citizenship I had to pay for visas, passports and other things after I worked for it.

What is your favourite money app and why?

The ability to set savings goals is one of the things I like about the challenger banking app.

What do you splurge on and what do you save on?

I spend on things not in chronological order. I like a bargain and save on food and clothes.

What’s the best money decision you’ve ever made?

I started investing in stocks and shares in my twenties. At the time, I was interviewing fund managers. Buying the funds of the managers who spoke the most sense was the best way to get into the topic. As an investment tactic, it worked.

What was your biggest money mistake?

I didn't understand how much I could put into my first workplace pension.

Do you invest your money?

I agree. Extensions and renovations in my home and pension bring me joy.

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Feminism considers money a feminist issue.

What’s your number one piece of financial advice?

When you have a fallback fund in place, you start to think about investing. The real value of your money will be affected by inflation if you leave all your money in cash.