Jump to content

Investing...


Mykill

Recommended Posts

I have some money saved up and it is currently sitting in a savings account that I am not going to spend. I have been looking into stock market and index funds to start making money on interest and what not. I was wondering if anyone has any experience on this stuff and can give me some info on what to look out for, how to start, and good sites for info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sharebuilder.com is a good way to invest. It takes a fixed amount out of your account each month and buys whatever stock, etf or mutual fund you want.

Unless you have a portfolio in the 6 figure range just pick a couple ETF's and let it build up.

Oh yeah if your 401k is not maxed do that first

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess it would depend on how fat your stack really is. At Fidelity for example, a lot of the mutual funds require a $2500 minimum to buy in.

But here -- read these, should keep you occupied for awhile. Educate yourself on how this stuff works, it's important, trust me.

10 investing basics from Buffett

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/learn-how-to-invest/10-investing-basics-from-Buffett.aspx

The Ultimate Buy-and-Hold Strategy - 2009 Update

http://www.fundadvice.com/articles/buy-hold/the-ultimate-buy-and-hold-strategy.html <--- this is by far my favorite piece

Mutual Fund Analyzer from FINRA

http://apps.finra.org/fundanalyzer/1/fa.aspx

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), is the largest

independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the

United States. All told, FINRA oversees nearly 4,800 brokerage firms,

about 170,400 branch offices and approximately 643,000 registered

securities representatives.

StockScreen123.com

http://www.stockscreen123.com/

Arguably one of the best, most comprehensive FREE stock screening tools available.

FINVIZ.com - Financial Visualizations

http://finviz.com/screener.ashx

Not as comprehensive as the one above, but easier to use

Advice on how to use the above tools:

How to invest $10,000 right now

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/learn-how-to-invest/how-to-invest-10000-dollars-right-now.aspx

Smart Strategies to Pick Mutual Funds

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/smart-strategies-to-pick-mutual-funds.html

Dumbest things you do with your money (not just investing, but in general)

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/109491/dumbest-things-you-do-with-your-money?mod=bb-budgeting

10 Money Moves That Will Always Pay Off

http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/110423/10-money-moves-that-will-always-pay-off?mod=retire-planning

*Caveats

-Note the dates the articles were written, some advice may no longer be applicable, but a lot of the advice is timeless.

-I'm not a financial planner or adviser, but I do well on my personal investments

My personal summary: Invest in mutual funds with modest performance and low expense ratios, diversify in all directions (Small vs. Mid vs. Large, Growth vs. Blend vs. Value, Domestic vs. International, Bonds, Sectors, and Indexes) without watering down your portfolio. Rebalance when necessary. EDUCATE YOURSELF <--- probably the most important advice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't sharebuilder require quite a bit of money to even start out?

Roth IRA.....

If you know nothing about stocks, read a lot of stuff before messing with it. I've been researching the stock market for over a year and still haven't invested because it is crazy out there. Some people do a lot if day trading if you want to gamble your money to try and get rich quick, but like I said, it's a gamble and you have to really watch the market everyday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It all depends on your tolerance for risk.

Now is not a great time for investors. Real Estate is flat. 'Safe' investments (Savings, CDs, Gov't Bonds) have very low returns right now. Stocks & funds have more upside and also more risk. The 2020, 2030, 2040, etc retirement funds have gotten popular.

Maxing your 401k is a good move. I believe $16,500 is the max for 2011.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At Fidelity for example, a lot of the mutual funds require a $2500 minimum to buy in.

I guess this is the one then...

I use E-Trade right now, and I think their trade cost have gone down to the lowest so far. If you trade a certain about a month it is free, but if not, it's like $9.99 a trade (transaction).

Another thing you can do to learn more about it is sign up for a virtual stock market. I have an account with Investopedia.com and it gives you an idea on buying and selling and things of that nature. It is free, but try to make logical decisions so you don't throw your money somewhere when you start putting it into real stocks. This stock simulator is all real time which is sweet too...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'm investing in a 2008 GSXR 1000, or possibly a 2010 R6. Can't decide which.

I hear that insurance, through absolutely no fault of your own, is wicked expensive, especially when buying through family friends (who would never take advantage of your naivete).

Caveat emptor, Cheech.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't sharebuilder require quite a bit of money to even start out?

Roth IRA.....

If you know nothing about stocks, read a lot of stuff before messing with it. I've been researching the stock market for over a year and still haven't invested because it is crazy out there. Some people do a lot if day trading if you want to gamble your money to try and get rich quick, but like I said, it's a gamble and you have to really watch the market everyday.

Roth IRAs are great if you know you want to save for retirement. However, if youve got a relatively small amount of money youre not sure you know what to do with, jumping in a Roth IRA probably isnt a good idea. Sounds like the OP just wants to make a few extra bucks and maybe have access to in the future (an option he would be penalized for with a roth IRA).

Now is not a great time for investors.

I think its a great time. Many stocks are cheap and you just have to research the right ones.

Thinkorswim.com is great for options trading. I always tell people great companies for short term investing are those companies you (and your friends/ppl around you) would buy products from. Diversify your holdings also, but dont overextend yourself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

open a sharebuilder.com account and pick an ETF or two

chances are you are not going to be the next buffet so skip the get rich stuff and start a regular monthly investment plan. My old lady and I are 29 and 30 respectively and we put over 60k into our retirement its never too early and never too much. Just treat your retirement or investments like the other bills you pay every month

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear that insurance, through absolutely no fault of your own, is wicked expensive, especially when buying through family friends (who would never take advantage of your naivete).

Caveat emptor, Cheech.

shut your face, I got this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some money saved up and it is currently sitting in a savings account that I am not going to spend. I have been looking into stock market and index funds to start making money on interest and what not. I was wondering if anyone has any experience on this stuff and can give me some info on what to look out for, how to start, and good sites for info.

There is a universe of imfomation out there on investing and easy to get confused. The number one rookie site is Motley Fool.com

But if you have money on the side starting a Roth is a number one action you should do. Then decide if you want to personally work your money or have a pro do the job. I have an IRA managed by a Pro group, and I foole with a Roth with stocks in a discount account. I personally like high dividend stocks that have a bit of room for some growth. My favorites for the moment - GRT,PVX,BTE,PSEC,AINV.

I dont know how much bucks you got, but stick equal amount in each take the month dividend, buy some more of one and repeat. Its a medium risk strategy, so see if you feel ok with it, then maybe look for some sexier tech growth stocks.

Good for you to think about some finance, ---Good luck - its a jungle out there

Edited by mello dude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roth IRAs are great if you know you want to save for retirement. However, if youve got a relatively small amount of money youre not sure you know what to do with, jumping in a Roth IRA probably isnt a good idea. Sounds like the OP just wants to make a few extra bucks and maybe have access to in the future (an option he would be penalized for with a roth IRA).

Reason for saying Roth IRA is because it should be the first thing to invest in. Don't go out there thinking you can beat the market with no knowledge. I have been putting away in a Roth for 5 years now, but we are not putting a lot in it as of right now. I am sure we put more in it then most people our age, and it is not a lot. I have it come out like a monthly bill, just like shitty said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reason for saying Roth IRA is because it should be the first thing to invest in. Don't go out there thinking you can beat the market with no knowledge. I have been putting away in a Roth for 5 years now, but we are not putting a lot in it as of right now. I am sure we put more in it then most people our age, and it is not a lot. I have it come out like a monthly bill, just like shitty said.

I wouldnt say first. Its definitely a good idea, but if hes not sure he wants to invest his money and jumps into an IRA...he's fucked with penalties if he decides to pull his money 5 years down the road.

Good on you for putting something into an IRA. Something is better than nothing, and it all adds up in the end.

Im extremely risky with my investments. Most of my success has been in biotechs. Everyone has a different investment strategy...its trying to find the right one for your goals thats tough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

open a sharebuilder.com account and pick an ETF or two

There is an ETF I've been wanting to invest in, I'll have to look it up later but it includes all the large telecom companies,

think it had Verizon, Sprint, At&T and some others. I'll post the ticker symbol later when I figure out what it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is an ETF I've been wanting to invest in' date=' I'll have to look it up later but it includes all the large telecom companies,

think it had Verizon, Sprint, At&T and some others. I'll post the ticker symbol later when I figure out what it is.[/quote']

unfortunately the number of ETF (tracker funds) has gotten out of control and the choices are getting overwhelming. Basic ones like QQQQ , SPY and DIA are a good place to start and then branch to a Utility, telecom or dividend focused tracker

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nothing's really making any money right now. You have a little bit of money and you want to put it somewhere to get it going. You don't have enough for real estate. Roth IRA is always the first stop. The theme of the Roth is - put it here and leave it here, contribute as much as you can as soon as you can and let it sit. Don't worry too much if it drops a bit, or even a lot. Just leave it alone and by the time you're ready to pull, it's grown.

Gold is good, everyone should have some. If you treat it like a Roth and leave it alone, it will grow nicely. Just look at where gold is now and where it was, say 40 years ago. Nice gain. Gold goes up and down with the dollar. When the dollar's down, gold is up and vise versa. So, gold is a bet on the down and Roth is a bet on the up. Diversify.

These are two that you can get into that don't require you to have a huge amount to start with. Both are long term investments that will gain in the end.

Real estate is good if you buy a property to rent out. Houses do not appreciate. You need the property to pay you. If you live in it, you pay it - a lot. Good Luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is the one I was talking about, check out the names included in it...

http://www.sharebuilder.com/sharebuilder/Research/MarketUpdate/GetQuote.aspx?symbol=IYZ

BTW, if anyone is going to open a SB account, use this link and you'll get $25 in the account for free,

and I earn possible free trades for referring you.

Edited by SWing'R
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...