Sorted Money Week Q&A with The Curve's Victoria Harris

The FSC is supporting Sorted Money Week using our conversation cards to have honest, open conversations about money! We interviewed some of the FSC team and our wider community to find out about their personal financial journeys.

Victoria Harris is a Portfolio Manager at Devon Funds and founder of The Curve, an investment education platform for women. She’s got over a decade of experience in portfolio management and has held analyst roles at some of New Zealand’s biggest finance companies. 

Besides being the only women in several boardrooms, and forging a successful career in finance,  Vic is empowering women by providing a platform where women can learn about money in a ‘non-scary environment’ with the Curve. How good is she?

Read our conversation with Vic below.

If someone gave you $100,000, what would you do with it?  

I would invest half, and use the other half to pay off some of my mortgage. I would want to take advantage of the recent market correction and invest, however, I would also like to pay off some debt before interest rates increase any further!

How old do you want to be when you retire?  

As young as possible! Ideally I’d love to retire today. Realistically, I want to be able to retire with enough money to have the financial freedom to choose how I spend my day. 

Could you be with someone who earns less than you?  

Yes, definitely. What you earn doesn’t really matter to me. It’s how you allocate your money between ‘current you’ and ‘future you’ that makes a difference for me.

What’s one thing you would tell your younger self about money?

Take more risk. You have so few financial obligations or dependents when you are younger so make the most of it by investing more and taking more risk. And stop ‘investing’ so much in clothes and cocktails – they won’t help increase your net worth!

Is it better to live for now or save for the future?  

I think both, but with a high proportion towards ‘save for the future’. Just like a diet, you don’t want to be too restrictive on yourself, otherwise it won’t last and you will fall off the bandwagon. So invest consistently and regularly over a long period of time whilst also not being afraid to indulge a little.

Download your own set of money conversation cards here and start the conversation with your friends, family and colleagues!