Are you in the market to invest?

KEEN TO MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK HARDER? HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED. BY ELLA WALKER

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IT CAN be easy to assume that investing is just for wealthy maths geniuses with expert knowledge of global markets. But that really isn't the case.

"You don't need to have lots of money to make a start," says Claire Exley, head of financial advice and guidance, and J.P. Morgan-owned digital wealth manager, Nutmeg. You can start with £100 (sometimes less), don't need a granular understanding of stocks and shares, and don't need to spend lots of time on it either. Investing can even be enjoyable. "When you've got into the discipline of regular investing, seeing the rewards grow over time is fun, especially when you link that to a goal," says Claire.

So as a total investment novice, where should you start?

the future, it is important people think about investing," says Claire. "When you think, 'This is my 'dream house' pot, or my 'send my kids to university' pot, you're much more likely to stick to a plan and keep paying that direct debit every month."

Claire says it's a good idea to first have a savings buffer in place. "How much cash do you need that's easily accessible for something unexpected happening? What are your fixed bills? Have you got dependents?" she asks. "We would usually say, have between three and six months of essential spending saved in an account you can easily access. If you've got that, then you can think about whether investing is right for you."