This is the first of a series on individual investing in the equities (stock ) market. When I was young, post college, my father gave me some stock in a Blue Chip company, I held it for many years and sold it at a profit to be a part of the down payment on my first house. Later he gave me 100 shares of a small but high quality company worth $17 a share ($17 x 100 = $1700.00) it split two for one, was bought by an aggressively growing company which has split a few times. I set up two accounts with an online broker, an IRA account and a cash account. I contributed yearly to the former from my income and I deposited the stock (I had not taken any profits) worth about $20,000 in a cash (non-IRA) account about 17 years ago.
I have made some trades in the cash account, some have been profitable, others losses and that account has about $65,000 as I write—it can normally fluctuate up to $1000 a day. In the 1980s I invested in mutual funds with a reputable funds company, made some money, lost some money in the 1999 correction, made some money, paid for much of my son’s education from the mutual funds, lost in 2008 and I have been in the bull market until now. I invested in a company which went bankrupt, another was mining gas in Russia, and doing just fine until putin used Russian law and courts to take the company and give it to a Russian mining company. I have also bought a stock and helplessly watched it go down to nothing. And still I have made money.
I officially retired last December but for the preceeding eight yearss I had not been actively prospecting for new business, just letting it die out, during which time I became more active in learning about investment. I am very lucking its been a bull market since then and I have had some profitable investments in the market. I hope to be as successful in a correction and/or a bear market.
I think many people can be successful investing in the stock market, and by successful, I mean making profitable investments within their risk range. I hope these “investment posts” will influence others to consider investing in the stock market. Not everyone can be successful at all things and some may find it not in their interest and/or skill, but I think there are others who have the ability and if they knew a little more about the subject they might develop the interest . . . and it can be fun.
More to come…
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