Most Curvo investors set up a monthly deposit and let it run. Rob never has.
I'm someone who really doesn't like direct debits. I want to keep 100% control over the money that comes into my account.
Instead, he saves the way he always has, on his own terms, and moves a chunk into Curvo whenever he decides the moment is right.
Saving first, investing when it makes sense
Rob's approach starts with covering whatever needs covering first.
If unforeseen costs come up, those take priority. That's really just how I think about my money.
He keeps a savings account too, one with a low interest rate, but treats it strictly as a last resort. What's left over after a stretch of saving is what he considers investing.
Typically towards the end of the year is when I look at how much I've put aside, and decide how much of it I can invest. That's when a larger deposit happens.
It's a rhythm, not a schedule: a modest first deposit not long after he signed up, then a quiet stretch, then larger sums as the years went on, most recently his largest deposit yet.
Why he never automated it
For Rob, the lack of automation isn't a gap; it's the point.
I want to keep 100% control over the money that comes into my account.
He and his wife run their household on a shared, deliberate budget: a fixed amount each contributes every month covers the mortgage and everyday costs. What's left of each of their salaries is theirs to direct individually, and for Rob, some of that goes to Curvo, in amounts he chooses himself.
Sitting through the quiet years
Rob's first deposit landed right before a run of geopolitical shocks that rattled markets for a long stretch. He never considered pulling out.
It was a deliberate long-term investment. I knew I shouldn't be looking at the return after one year, or two. I was looking at a ten-year return.
He'd also decided upfront on an amount he could afford to lose, which made the early, uncertain months easier to sit through.
I'd set myself a budget I wanted to invest over a five-year period, and it was money I could genuinely miss. That made it feel like an ideal way to get started.
Rob's advice for new investors
Looking back over four and a half years, Rob wouldn't change a thing.
I'd say: just do it, don't worry. I wouldn't change anything about what I did.
His broader point: put in enough that the result actually means something.
If you invest a small amount, the value of that investment isn't very high. But if you put in more and see what comes back, and compare it to what's sitting in a savings account, the case makes itself pretty quickly.
You might be wondering
Do you need to set up a monthly deposit to invest with Curvo?
No. Rob has never used a direct debit. He saves on his own terms and moves money into Curvo in occasional lump sums, whenever he decides he has enough set aside to invest.
What if you invest right before a market downturn?
Rob's first deposit landed just before a period of market turbulence. He didn't consider withdrawing, because he'd deliberately committed to a long time horizon rather than judging performance after a year or two, and had only invested an amount he could afford to be without.
How do you decide how much to invest and when?
Rob covers unforeseen costs first, keeps a savings buffer as a last resort, and typically reviews what's left over towards the end of the year to decide how much to move into Curvo.
More from Rob
This is one of three stories from Rob's interview. Read the others: