Please note: I am not a financial professional nor do I give investing advice. This article is my opinion and only my opinion.
Investing is a great way to build money. We live in a time where it is very easy to invest money in a variety of ways, in a variety of things. Sounds fun yet it can be stressful. The more awareness one has, the easier one’s investing life can be. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was productive and fun?
We live in a time where it has never been easier to invest. Gone are the days of limited access to investment vehicles, where fees make it difficult to recoup investments and hidden information. Now literally anyone who wants to can invest.
Plentiful opportunities can often lead to overwhelm. It is important to create an expansive investing environment. Simply put: be self-kind, self-loving and don’t drive yourself crazy.
Here are some of the things that I would recommend:
Rule number 1. Never ever invest any money that you cannot afford to lose. Now some people say that's not a great philosophy to have but it is. Just like you shouldn't gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose. Thankfully, we are in a time where there are plentiful opportunities to invest small amounts of money easily.
Rule number 2: Be cautious about borrowing money to invest. Yes, many stocks and bonds increase in value but can be volatile. Borrowing money creates an extra expense that may interfere with profits. So do yourself a favor and do this with caution. It is a good idea not to borrow until you absolutely positively know what you're doing. There’s really no such thing as a sure thing (even though some stocks are probably pretty foolproof long-term). Don't until you are confident with what you do.
Rule number 3. Always know there is no such thing as a ‘sure thing’. Regardless of how much experience one has, market trends and everything else, the markets are and will always be volatile. This is very important because there are many people out there who claim to have great track records, inside knowledge, specialized programs and other tools to help you achieve your financial dreams. This is a great time to open your awareness and see the level of truth here. Just because they’ve had past results does not mean they will have great future results.
Rule number 4. Decide your risk level. Some people have to do low risk. Low risk usually means that the funds grow at a slower pace yet there is less worry about losing money. Medium risk is a little bit of riskier investments where your total amounts may grow a little bit faster yet the risk and volatility are greater. High risk involves riskier investments. This is another one where you need to really be careful. I recommend you have some in all 3 categories. Yet always be mindful of your risk level. Know your strategies. If you are funding your retirement or trying to buy a house, the first two options might be your best bet.
Rule number 5. Make a deal with yourself not to drive yourself crazy. Understand that there's a lot of things about the stock market that do not make sense i.e. a lot of manipulation goes on, some of the big funds will short stock (we've recently seen some examples of this)…etc. Some companies will skyrocket due to the fact that someone just loves them yet they don’t make money. Yet. If you have to understand everything about a stock and its price, you could drive yourself crazy.
Rule number 6. Do not, repeat do not, drive yourself crazy looking at your account. The truth is you will have red days (down) and green days(up) That's just how the market goes. Always remember that you do not cement any loss in unless you sell it at the loss. And that's just a fact of life. One of the stories I heard from my parents was when the 2008 recession they lost a third of their value of their portfolio. Yet it has climbed back up tremendously. So allow yourself to not force any loss.
Rule number 7. Listen to people in the industry who either share your investing philosophy or have insider knowledge you want and need. There are tons of people on Youtube who are active traders who share their ideas and knowledge regularly. But make sure they are good matches. Example: I wouldn’t ask for advice on my penny stock portfolio from someone who believes in investing large sums of money and creating a monthly income with dividends. If I’m a small investor, I wouldn’t seek guidance from someone who’s a multi-millionaire who has money to burn.
Rule number 8. Don’t make yourself wrong. Most people have invested in things that don’t hold value or grow. Hopefully, you will maintain the value of the majority of your portfolio so you can invest in other things. No one has a crystal ball.
Rule number 9. Never entrust all your money to one person/institution. I just think this is common sense due to the Internet and potential problems. The Madoff scandal really emphasized this.
Rule number 10. For self-managed accounts, come up with a plan. Example: for my penny stock account, I follow industries. Biotech. Mining. Crypto. I find this can be easier to keep focused (because once you start investing, it can be very easy to get carried away.) These are also huge growth industries.
Rule number 11. Allow there to be some fun in your investing. If it just stresses you out, you may not give it as much attention as it deserves and the money may not grow as fast. I have a lot of fun with my penny stock account. I love investing in new technologies and watching the stocks grow.
So…. Where should you go to invest? There are many different places. When doing research, check to see ease of use and fees. You do not want all your profits/money swallowed up by fees.
Someone else managing your portfolio i.e. a semi-fixed portfolio based on your risk level – These usually include stocks and bonds.
Providers: Chase, Fidelity… other big names
Self-manage your own account – Directly invest in stocks, bonds, ETFS, REITS, SPACS…etc. There are tons of brokerages like Schwab, Fidelity, Chase, E-trade, Ameritrade, Robinhood…etc.
Apps that manage your money based on your desired risk – Betterment, Acorns are just a few. I love Betterment.
DRIPS – Dividend re-investment programs. These allow you to buy stock directly from the company and re-invest dividends. These aren’t as important now that the commission structures have pretty much been eliminated but there was a time they were very popular. My favorite is Computershare.com
So as you will find when you enter the world of investing there's really no shortage of choice. May you allow yourself to prosper easily and abundantly!
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