Financial Information

As a young investor in today’s market, it can be tough to figure out where to put my money so that these constant market fluctuations do not rob what little savings I have available. Luckily, there are investment opportunities that closely mirror the market itself, so that you do not have to put all your eggs in one or two baskets by investing in individual equities. These market-tracking funds are called index funds, and they mirror the entire market, so although you never gain more than the market does, you also never lose more than the market. They are an excellent way to for beginner investors to start putting their money into the stock market, because they do not require any management beyond your initial picking of the fund.

I like index funds because they keep your investments diversified without any effort on my part, and I do not have to worry about the day-to-day fluctuations of individual stocks. I am a conservative investor, so I would rather see slow and steady growth than massive gains and losses. If you are a set it and forget it type of person, there is no better investment vehicle for your hard-earned cash. I currently invest in a couple of funds to keep all of my portfolio properly diversified, with a small amount of exposure to international stocks as well. International markets often do better or worse at the expense of one another, so I like to have my money in each to balance out losses. Diversification is one the key things to remember whenever investing money!

For new investors who do not know where to start but have some money to put into the market, index funds offer a fantastic option while you research what stocks and bonds you would like to invest in individually.

Stocks index fumds, investing, Money, Stocks

As an investment banker I thought I knew everything about stocks and shares till last year. My ego was crushed by the crash of Dow Jones. I got paralyzed and didn’t know what to do. All my money was invested “wisely” in stocks that were “doing well” a couple of years ago. When the downslide started I was losing more than $1000 a day. My mind told me to sell everything and get out of this rut. But my heart thought otherwise. I thought ‘if only it could pick up a bit, then I’ll sell.’ This way I ended up with a big loss. My 401k is also down, where in I had invested for my twilight years. Even if the market picks up, I’ll still be at a loss. With a recession going on, it is indeed difficult for any company to do well. More and more companies are folding up and hundreds of people are losing jobs. If you have the staying power then keep your stocks and don’t sell them now. The new government is sure to get us out of this mess. After all there is light beyond the dark tunnel, isn’t it? I am sure about it. How about you?

Recession 401k, banking, investments, Recession, Stocks