I recently began volunteering with an organization called Girls Inc., one of whose valuable programs that teaches teen girls the basics of investing and money management. By the end of the program, the girls will be competently managing a full-blown investment portfolio. Sadly, that’s something that most adults are unable to do. Most novice investors who come to me for advice have usually been burned badly by trying to trade penny stocks in an online brokerage account – something my teen protégés would never do. Here’s why…
Don’t start with a marathon
Even before you start researching stocks as potential investments, you have to start with the basics. First, remember that there is no free lunch. If you are serious about investing, then you will need to start from ground zero and build from there. Read More…
This is why i think our Canadian education system needs updating. We do not teac our children the value of investing but we give more time to pointless tasks like reading Shakespeare? No wonder our country has a nation of poorly educated citizens who end up in debt the moment they are able to get ahold of a credit card.
But then maybe that is the point. If you have a nation of smart investors they will be less likely to on-a-whim spend it on trivial items like a new big screen tv.
My fear is the 2008 Financial Crisis will happen again. I was reading more about that crazy time and from what i understand it can (and will) happen again. So i am very cautious now how i invest.
Any ideas to reduce uncertainty?
I’ve been ahving troubles paying off my debt for years. It isnt so much credit cards as it is just divorce and having to work out new problems like new place, new car, alymony and child support for multiple kids. It’s been a hetic several years but that is life. My best investment advice for those who read here is don’t get married and have kids. It will make your options so much easier and happier. Just saying from experience.
The best advice was given early in this article: don’t spend mroe than you earn. Way too many people don’t think about that enough. They just want to buy, buy, buy and cry, cry, cry when they are broke.
Does anyone have experience in real estate investing. How about buying and renting out multiple homes and using the earned rental income for life? Wouldnt that be a better approach?
Most people tend to invest blindly and only following the herd. This is human nature. The sad reality of it is when people do so they always get burned badly and learn to be afraid to invest.
It’s about doing your homework. There is no free lunch. The only other option is Index Funds. But again, too many people are too anxious to pull out (sell their portfolio) on the moment they notice a sign of trouble (a bad day in the market).
I wish the story went further by telling the ways one would save on taxes when desolving RRSP. I am starting to contribute but i am scared that when i retire (many decades from now) i will be forced to pay way too much.
I feel old when i am reading that the author was able to coach teenage investors to proper management and i am over 40 and have not a cent in my name 🙁
Some really cool advice about how to cut taxes through tax-free, tax deferred methods. I never knew such a thing existed until now. Whoops!
Thanks for sharing this!
Dude, one is a fool if they put their hard-earned dollars into GIC’s or Bonds. At best you can look for only 3% and worse is that the investment is stuck in it for a term agreement. If you try to end it you are penalized by losing all acrued interest income. Not worth it, personally.
I find it funny that it doesnt put much enphasis on GICs. There is a reasonable case that GIC don’t yield much these days but if you look at the historic graph you will see the growth is kind reasonable and much safer.