Stock
investing Mistakes That Make a
Difference
Investing is the most important thing that you can do to
secure your financial future. Trading stocks is a centuries’
old practice and with a good brokerage firm, you can benefit
from investing in stocks. There are, however, some common
investing mistakes that people make that can result in huge
losses and missed opportunities. In order to benefit from the
stock market, here are the most common mistakes and tips to
avoid them.
The first most common mistake in investing in the stock
market is waiting too long to start investing. The perception
of investing is that it is reserved for older, financially
established people who can invest large sums of money. This is
a misconception that is limiting people from tapping into the
power of investing. Waiting just ten years can make a huge
difference in the total gains that one can make over their
lifetime. For example, investing just $2000 a year (that’s just
$170 a month) starting at the age of 26 can yield $2,114,379 by
the time you are 75. This is with an Annual Return Rate (ARR)
of 10% per year steady through the life of the investment. The
same investment, with the same ARR, made ten years later at the
age of 36 will result in a return of only $802,895 at the age
of 75. That is a 1.3 million dollar difference. If you are not
able to invest as much as $160 a month, set aside $25 per
month. Even this small amount can have a large impact over
time.
It is shocking that many people will put more time and
research into choosing an MP3 player or home theater system
than they will researching the stocks they will invest in. It
is imperative that you take the time to understand the
financial history of the companies you wish to have shares
with. Make sure that you understand what you are buying and how
it will benefit you in the long run. It is also important to
keep in mind that you must remain objective when choosing
stocks. Stocks that you have researched well and carefully
selected are more likely to increase than ones you choose based
on a “feeling.” Put your emotions aside and consider your
options carefully. Taking time to research and investigate is
also important when choosing your financial advisor. Consider
meeting with a few candidates and evaluating their approach to
investing. If you are meeting with someone on a recommendation,
make sure that the person who recommended the advisor is
someone who is qualified to do so.
Another common mistake is confusing gambling or speculating
with investing. Investing in stocks is part of a long-range
financial picture and not a get-rich-quick scheme. While there
certainly are high yield quick return programs out there, it is
wise to limit your participation in those programs. Day trading
is one of these types of programs. When someone is involved in
day trading they trade very rapidly in and out of stocks in
order to profit daily from marginal changes in the market.
This practice may seem easy to profit from but it actually
results in more losses for investors than gains. Similarly,
some try investing over a short period of time in very risky
stocks. A short-term investment of six months to a year in a
“hot stock” does not belong in a well-thought out financial
plan. True investing should be done in quality companies over a
period of several years. Finally, listening to someone who has
a “hot tip” is a quick way to lose a lot of your investment.
Research any tips you get carefully and only invest if the
numbers pan out, no matter how much others insist that this is
the stock to have.
Finally, you need to remember to diversify your investment
portfolio. Loading it up on one company’s stock is
unfortunately a common practice for many investors.
Additionally, having too much stock in one specific industry
can also be a recipe for disaster when the market changes.
Spread your money over several different companies and
different industries for the best long term investment.
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