Never Get Started Investing – 5 Tips To Ignore Your Financial Future

Never Get Started Investing – 5 Tips To Ignore Your Financial Future
February 27th, 2010 | Author: admin


Try to be Warren Buffet(Pick Individual Stocks)

Warren Buffet can do it so darnit you can too. NOT! To do it profitably, stock picking requires that you understand complex accounting. You have to be able to pore through long corporate financial statements, analyze what you see and then decide whether the company is worth its current stock price. Sounds easy right?

There is no reason to do this. There are so many exchange-trade-funds(ETFs) and index mutual funds to choose from that allow you to avoid this complextiy. A single ETF alone can provide you with exposure to an entire sector, country, region of the world, or even a commodity or foreign currency. Why waste time trying to decipher boring financial statements. Yuck!

Listen to the Media

Go ahead,.. just try to factor in every single thing you hear or read about the economy, interest rates, or some company’s fancy new product into your portfolio. You are guaranteed to earn yourself a trip to the local looney bin. Investing doesn’t have to be complicated. Stay focused on the big picture. Choose a mix of asset classes that is right for your age and desired level of risk. Next, implement it using low cost index ETFs or index mutual funds.

Follow Stock Tips

That hot stock tip from your buddy at work. That unknown pennystock your cousin told you is going to triple in a few weeks. All aboard! You’re going to be rich soon, right? WRONG! There are many places on the web to get objective research on ETFs and mutual fund options. Try Morningstar or Yahoo! Finance, just to name a few. Avoid message boards, forums, and tips from friends and family like the plague. it’s a recipe for hurt feelings and portfolio pain.

Ignore Your 401(k) Match

Who needs free money for retirement anyway? It’s so far away. You’re young, and you’d rather spend the money on a new sports car, a leather jacket, and some hot threads for the cllub. That is oh so stupid! If you employer offers matching contributions in your 401(k) plan, get it! Make whatever the minimum contribution is to get those matching funds. It’s literally free money. No one in their right mind should say no to that.

Don’t Have a Strategy

Why have a strategy? Investing is easy, just buy-and-hold forever and you’ll be okay, right? Nope. What will you do one day when you open your account statement to find that half(or more) of your nest egg is gone. Everyone has an buying strategy. Very few people have an exit strategy. You need to have an exit strategy so that you don’t get crushed during bear markets. Having a robust trend-following strategy and the discipline to stick with it will help you keep your emotions in check. You’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful investor.

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