playing in the stock market

[Sam Casey]

I have been invested in the market for my entire working life and now into retirement. Certainly don’t recommend it for all, but I was was blessed with good education and early career in law & banking, etc, but don’t believe that is necessary for being a successful investor. Many employers offer retirement plan investment choices that all entitled should take advantage of. Something as simple as 60% stock; 40 fixed income will pay off nicely over time.

[Edward]

That"s why you get a professional ,on your own you will lose. Panic when it goes down/which ones to buy/when to sell/tax implications /how to develop a portfolio /diversification of investment . Unless you are in that business it most definitely a crap shoot /loser !

[gwpercle]

I would go with my Dad and Uncle to a place on Airline Hwy. in Baton Rouge , they would buy and sell Stock .... Dominique's Stockyard ... 1462 Airline Hwy if you want to do some stock trading .
The Stockyard Cafe is a good place to eat ...they serve a wonderful and large breakfast ... the place has been there since 1937 , so they must be doing something right !
Gary

[reddog81]

That"s why you get a professional ,on your own you will lose. Panic when it goes down/which ones to buy/when to sell/tax implications /how to develop a portfolio /diversification of investment . Unless you are in that business it most definitely a crap shoot /loser !

That’s what the professionals want you to think so they can make a few % off you every year. The market is rigged so the house always wins but the little guy can do well if he does some research and invests wisely.

The stock linked by the OP is nothing but a crap shoot. Some Agri-tech company looking to grow revenue 100% per year. Maybe it’ll work out and it’ll be the next Monsanto or more likely bankrupt in 3 years.

[bangerjim]

were you asleep in 2007-2008

I lost nothing during that period! Smart investments in annuities and firm stocks ........I actually MADE money during the so-called "collapse" you reference.

Casual dabblers in the market generally loose their shorts. They should NOT be playing in "the deep waters" like I do. Making money is not something that can be done frivolously. It is not for the faint of heart of ill-educated. It takes study and wisdom to succeed in those hard times. Right now, the waters are smooth and the sailing is fine...............to make tons of money. If you KNOW what you are doing.

[Handloader109]

Learn. Don't just rely on a so called expert. Most of the experts make good money on You. every percent they charge to manage is a percent you don't earn.
If you work and have a 401k option Use it. If you have a Roth option use it more. Roth is after tax money invested and gains won't be taxed again, unlike 401k that you must pay taxes on.
Bonds right now are eaning practically nothing. Invest in stock funds rather than individual stocks. I do own about 5 individual stocks, but nowhere near most of my money.

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[garandsrus]

Wow, there are a lot of folks here that don’t understand stocks at all. When you buy a stock, you are buying a very small ownership position in the company. This gives you the right to benefit from ownership, such as receiving a portion of their earnings, called a dividend. If the company keeps growing, the stock price should keep growing also since each piece of the company is now worth more, based on more earnings from the bigger company.

For a new investor, just open a brokerage account at E*Trade, Fidelity, Charles Schwartz, etc. Purchase an index fund that trades like a stock, QQQ to mirror the Nasdaq, or SPY to mirror the S&P 500. Or buy some of both! Keep investing in them each month and you have hit the “Easy” button. You will get some dividends. Any gains in the price are not taxable until you sell the stock. If you pass the stock on to your heirs, they get the gains tax free. Their “new” purchase price is whatever the price was when they received the stock, making your gains tax free to them.

As for corrections, they do happen from time to time but the market is at an all time high so any correction that ever happened in all of history has been erased. You only lose money when you sell, just like you only make money when you sell. The stock market has returned an average of 7% over time, far outpacing any bonds or savings account,

[snowwolfe]

It’s to bad people are scared to invest. The market always goes back up, always always always. It might take a couple of years but it ALWAYS goes up. Just got our annual 401k report and ours went up 18% over the last 12 months.
Only thing I do is move it around occasionally when it hits a new peak or when it makes a big drop from the high peaks. Mostly I win, but sometimes not. Still 18% profit isn’t shabby for last 12 months. Luckily we will not be forced to withdraw any of it for another 8 years so it will continue to build.

[memtb]

P

I would go with my Dad and Uncle to a place on Airline Hwy. in Baton Rouge , they would buy and sell Stock .... Dominique's Stockyard ... 1462 Airline Hwy if you want to do some stock trading .
The Stockyard Cafe is a good place to eat ...they serve a wonderful and large breakfast ... the place has been there since 1937 , so they must be doing something right !
Gary

Been there a few times, many years ago! I’ve been more successful with the other kind of stock! memtb

[Four-Sixty]

The market always goes back up, always always always. It might take a couple of years but it ALWAYS goes up.

I can agree with this largely because our Country forgot how to make stuff, and has gotten very good at creating speculative bubbles. We need to get all who have done so well here to go on the record with some market calls. That'd be interesting to review in a year.

[lightman]

If I were still playing in the market I would have bought some Boing stock when they started having problems with the 737. In February of 2020 I would have bought some airline and cruse ship stock. Maybe some from pharmaceutical companies. Last March or April I would have bought some Blue Chip indexes.

Yeah, I know. Everything I listed would be looking back but this was what caught my eye back then. Right now I'm not seeing anything that I would bet on.

[Piedmont]

Learn. Don't just rely on a so called expert. Most of the experts make good money on You. every percent they charge to manage is a percent you don't earn.

I agree with this %100. All these calls to use a professional have me thinking, "You're about to be skinned if you do that." If you do use a professional hire a fee only planner who doesn't sell anything but his advice. Then you have to know enough to pick the right one. When you know enough to do that, you'll no longer need advice so it won't be necessary.

[popper]

you are buying a very small ownership position in the company
Yup, the 'idea' is good. Reality is different. This is reality in a privately held company. Public stock? Nope, just get in line for 'profits' of the company in terms of selling price or dividends. Private Co is a little tricky, 'real' owners can strip the CO of assets and you get stuck with empty bag. Same with public, but more regulation there.

[fecmech]

Back in the 60's I had some extra cash ($600), did some research and wanted to invest in a new company called Ryder Rentals. Went to Merrill Lynch to invest and they talked me out of it, Too risky they said, buy Detroit Edison so I did. Turned my $600 into $300 in two years. Meanwhile Ryder went through the roof! Best thing that ever happened to me. I decided that if I was going to lose money it would be me making the call, not someone else. With all the info available today, educate yourself and make your own decisions. If you're afraid to do that, hire a Fiduciary not a financial planner to advise you. My two cents.

[farmbif]

I understand enough to spot bargains just never did invest, like I say I have never gambled,
when Freddie and Fannie Mac and AIG dropped to nearly nothing in I think it was 2009 I called a good friend told him to buy AIG it was about 60 cents a share
maybe ill just wait till another market correction and maybe pick up some blue chip stock when they are low.

[jaydub in wi]

Whatever you do, don't make emotional, panic driven decisions. Last year, my 401k at work was -33% year to date at one point. The account finished last year at +20.5%. I never changed my funds. A co worker panicked and sold all of his stock funds at this time and didn't get back in until a year later. This decision cost him about $300,000. The bad thing is he has done it before back in 2008-09. Like the ronco guy said in the commercials "Set it and forget it"

[Handloader109]

Whatever you do, don't make emotional, panic driven decisions. Last year, my 401k at work was -33% year to date at one point. The account finished last year at +20.5%. I never changed my funds. A co worker panicked and sold all of his stock funds at this time and didn't get back in until a year later. This decision cost him about $300,000. The bad thing is he has done it before back in 2008-09. Like the ronco guy said in the commercials "Set it and forget it"

Agreed. I sold off and held in cash inside my IRA right before the 2019 election. Then bought back same funds and stock. I missed out on at least a 5% increase... Has been bumpy this year, but I'm just letting it ride. The only real place that the average joe can make good money over the years by saving just a bit each payday. My only regret is this was 401k and ira accounts. I owe taxes on it all. If it was a ROTH account nothing is taxable. If you have kids or grandchildren, they should all be putting money in a roth account.

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[Finster101]

I have been putting in to a ROTH account for several years. My concern is that one day or money grubbing feds will find a way to do away with them and with some of the dealings that have been proposed, no drought find a way to tax you on it again when you take it out. I know it sounds far fetched but so does having to report every $600.00 transaction.

[waksupi]

Guns have been my go-to investment, and they pay off better than most other investments. Those $39 Moisant Nagants ain't $39 anymore.

When I was paying into a 401K, I looked into just what the financial guy had me invested in, and withdrew the money. He had me involved in companies I wanted zero to do with.

[FISH4BUGS]

My money is easy to manage - I'm broke.
But I learned many years ago that the stock market is, indeed, gambling. The last crash many of my friends lost half (or more) of their money. Some that were heavily into tech stocks lost even more.
Now is not the time if you want in. Keep your cash, and buy in when the next crash hits. Try to call the bottom (even if you aren't correct) and jump in with both feet. Buy and hold.
Me? I put my money in good old cash and in gold and silver....and good high high condition quality collectible guns.
The market will crash. No doubt about that.
This afternoon? Tomorrow? next week? When?????
We are but one random event from triggering the crash....and boy will it be messy when it happens.
If you want in, THAT is the time to buy.