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Old 05-02-2012, 11:20 AM   #22
gonelong
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,128
Re: Anyone want to talk stocks and retirement?

Quote:
Originally Posted by lidspinner View Post
like I said earlier, I am 100% stupid when it comes to this stuff but I am kicking myself in the nuts for not paying attention to my money when I was younger....i am 35 now so I have plenty of time to invest, but I want to have a bigger role in what I do...and I am truly starting as a green horn....I know NOTHING about this business. NOTHING.
Investing is a bit like reading women ... just when you think you have it figured out ... *wham*! Be careful. It's very easy to lose 10-25-35% in a hurry, but it's very difficult to make 10-25-35% in a hurry.

I would suggest for $100 month you have a couple of avenues to get started:

1. Find a company you would like to invest in and that has a DRIP. Invest and begin researching a company for your next DRIP. Once you have another one you can either move the $100 to that one, or split them. Depends on the minimum each company requires.

2. Invest the $100 month in an index fund. Once you have a sizeable amount *and* a stock you want to purchase, sell the index fund and buy the stock.

Since it will take a few months to get to a sizeable amount, take that time to learn to evaluate a company from a financial perspective. Read a few investment books.

I will probably catch some flack for this one, but learn how to read a few charts. It is a tool in the toolbox and helps me decide *when* to buy/sell things, not *if* to buy/sell things. I find it very valuable.

GL
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