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I would like to share with you what I told my twins.
To My Twins,
As you become young
adults and have a few dollars in your pockets, investing in the market may
be of interest to you. When investing in the market, keep in mind a few
things:
Remember, there’s more
to life than making money. The college you attend follows you forever. Your
major and profession guide you down a certain path. Your spouse and where
you live are important influences as to your friends and your happiness.
While I don’t think counting cards and keeping up with the Jones is the way
to live, if you are into counting, wait until you’re retired before adding
up the final score.
The way the rules are
set up, the game is stacked in favor of the house. Everyone wants to get
their hands on your money. Try to keep everyone’s fingers out of your
pockets. Why play the game if the odds are against you? “Because the stock
market is one of the few places where with $10,000 and two back-to-back “ten
baggers” you can become a millionaire!”
I suggest that you stay
with the basics. Forget the CMA account; keep your investment, trading,
insurance, mortgage and checking accounts separate. Don’t put all your eggs
in one basket. Go with the regular account; don’t attach credit cards or
checks to your investments. Make it difficult to spend your investments.
With a regular account, you need to call your broker for funds. Sometimes,
that extra step is a wake up call, to prevent you from closing out a
potentially good investment. Also, never allow any direct withdrawals from
your investment account. It is very tempting when opening an account to go
with all of the bells, whistles, and extras. Security brokerages and banks
have mastered the use of technology and some of their products are truly
beneficial. Nonetheless, keep your investment, trading, insurance, mortgage
and checking accounts separate. Use separate companies, and always keep an
emergency fund (cash) at your local bank. Using the online features and all
the extras are fine for your trading account, but for your investment
account, “keep it simple”. Make it inconvenient to spend your investments.
Read the fine print on
the application when you open your brokerage account, to learn the rules of
the game. If you don’t, you may sign away many of your rights from day one.
When dealing with your
stockbroker, remember that he’s first a commissioned salesperson. The
brokers are backed by the advertising, marketing, and research departments
of their firm. The show is impressive, lots of credentials, stock research,
free dinners and excellent commercials. Nowadays, the game is to manage your
account for a fee. The truth is they know how to bring in accounts and
process orders. Use their research, but remember that it’s your money and
your responsibility to invest it wisely, not theirs.
The way the rules are
set up, the research analyst is in a peculiar relationship with his firm.
Companies pay large underwriting fees to brokerages firms; those same firms
supply research reports regarding the companies that are paying them. While
the research is normally excellent, read it with a skeptical mind. In the
past, there have been abuses and a breakdown in the firewalls established in
the industry. Always keep your eyes open for a good business that also can
become a good investment. The so- called professionals usually don’t
discover a good investment until the real money has already been made.
Regarding earning estimates, it’s impossible to project out to the penny; if
it happens, something is wrong.
Remember, the companies
that you invest in are controlled by people you don’t know. Many critics
believe that there’s a layer of power and money that is kept out of the
public view, and that the Board of Directors reports to them, not the
shareholders. Many critics also believe that there is no such thing as
someone having a fiduciary duty to protect your money, and that it’s an
unnatural concept that does not exist. Most people are basically honest;
however, for the Board Member, CEO, CFO, etc., it’s only a job. When you see
the big name colleges in the bios of the management team, keep in mind that
it only confirms that they excelled in academics. Making money and building
a business are more involved than formal schooling alone.
Companies don’t grow in
straight lines. When a company has steady exact growth rates, be careful.
When investing in the
stock market, think of a four year time frame: from the current presidential
election year to the next. Usually, the political powers try their best to
have the economy running the smoothest at election time.
Regarding the business
writers and their recommendations, remember that many majored in English and
Journalism in college. In some cases, they have not worked in a
non-publishing or teaching capacity.
Diversification is
essential for successful investing. I’m from the school of picking a few
stocks and making your own decisions. I don’t believe in over
diversification. Having between 8 to 12 or so stocks, in mostly different
industries, should suffice. Picking mutual funds to have a balanced
portfolio, means that your stocks will be spread so thin, and in so many
different investments, that it will be almost impossible to beat the
averages. If there is a winner in the group, it will be so diluted that your
gain will be very small. Don’t be afraid of investing!
Tax deferred IRAs and
other pension accounts have their place in the investment world. I always
recommend maximizing a company’s pension and 401K contributions. Never leave
money on the table. However, if you need your funds before retirement, the
taxes and fines are prohibitive.
Try to have a
combination of after-tax and pretax investments. Short-term savings for a
down payment for a house and yearly events like vacations should always be
done with after-tax dollars. This way, you know it’s all yours.
Stay with the basic
investments (stocks and bonds), until you are an expert. Options, puts,
calls, shorting and margin are all very risky. Many investors lose money on
them. Some hedge funds can be wild; if investing in them, think of it as
Atlantic City money. Day trading is a full time profession; if you
participate in it, treat it as such.
There is nothing wrong
with having your money invested in a saving account at your local bank.
Preservation of capital is a very good strategy.
While going for the long
shot every now and then is fine, be prepared in case you lose money.
Your house is also a big
investment; protect it. Pay the mortgage off as quickly as possible. Don’t
roll over credit card and medical expenses into your mortgage. When your
investments are up, sell a little to pay down your mortgage.
I forgot the most
important points: you need to establish a habit of regular savings, and
don’t forget to reinvest the dividends; they really add up.
Best of luck in your
endeavors.
Love,
–
Dad |
