Research by the Banking & Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) indicates that transaction volume in DIY investing exceeded €13.5 billion in 2025. An increasing number of people are using providers like Degiro and banks such as Revolut to play the stock market and build their own investment portfolios while cutting down on broker and other fees. It looks attractive but it’s not without risk.
The main attraction for many DIY investors is reduced cost. They are not paying fees and charges to brokers on what may be quite small investments. However, those fees and charges are for expert advice from analysts and others whose full-time job it is to watch the markets on your behalf. Even the most educated and informed private investor would find it difficult to match that.
“The online investment platforms have made investing in markets a little bit more democratic, for want of a better word,” says Eoghan O’Hara, country manager Ireland with Raisin Bank. “It means anyone can get their hands on an investment product once, of course, they go through the provider’s onboarding process.”
That comes with pros and cons, he adds. “The pro being you don’t need to have excessive levels of capital to get access to investments. You can get access online to a wider suite of products than may have been available before these types of platforms came along when you had to get a stockbroker. You can diversify your savings and your wealth across savings and investments by utilising these platforms.”
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He advises people to plan carefully before committing their cash. “Start with a plan. What am I doing? What do I want to get from this? For me, the two most important questions are what is my risk appetite and how long do I want to do it for? When I say risk appetite, if people are doing this themselves, are they going to be kept awake at night by it. Do they have the time to track what they’re investing in? People need to make the separation between trading and investing. If they are getting into the high-risk world of trading where they have to keep on top of so much information, that’s a no, no. But if even if they are investing on their own research, are they comfortable with the risk they’re taking on?”
And then there’s diversity. “Are they in something like an exchange traded fund (ETF) where they’re invested in a range of stocks? Or are they going in on a hunch on one company? Diversity is key. The biggest thing for me is if you are thinking long term or are you thinking short term? If you’re thinking short term, well, investing’s not for you because market volatility is a real thing. It’s a long-term game.”
