One of the easiest ways to lose money on the stock market and other investments is to take advice from others.
So listen carefully!!
The road to wealth is littered with the corpses of investors who have taken advice from friends, acquaintances, lift attendants, taxi drivers and probably worst of all stockbrokers and financial advisers.
Other people, especially financial advisers, mostly have their own agendas and interests at heart. That is just natural human behaviour.
The best way to keep your hard earned capital is to do your own research, that way if things do go pear shaped you have only yourself to blame.
Quite often though brokers and those in the industry have more information at their fingertips than the average investor. Those on the "inside" are privy to information from company management and get access to CEO's and directors thinking and business direction, all the things that are important when making an investment decision.
You think this info is going to be parleyed to you and me? Not on your nelly kimosab'e.
Any information the general investing public get from financial "insiders" is filtered and spun so much before it gets to us the stuff left over is almost as useless as Britney Spears as a spokesman for fruit of the loom knickers.
The garden variety stock market investor certainly has it better since the introduction of the internet and the various bits and pieces of information that can be found at the touch of a button on the Google search box but even then he must be aware that much of this must be taken with a grain of salt as well.
Get more than one independent source for your research on a particular company or investment.
You must also read company reports closely and if it is too hard to understand the language used or there is a tome the size of the bible that explains the financial data then move on.
If management have to explain their company reports then they just could be hiding something.
Some companies that might be on your investment radar will accept calls from investors wanting to ask questions. Give it a go, they can only say no.
If after you have done your research and you find an investment that fits your criteria, assuming you have one, then you are almost ready to plunk down some shekels.
Before that if you have any doubt at all, then don't push the buy button. Go back and start the process over again until the doubts are gone.
Remember, it was hard work earning the money to invest in the first place so don't make it easy to lose it.
Related Share Investor Reading
Stockmarket Education: How do you buy shares?
Stockmarket Education: What is a Share?
Be an active investor
Stick to what you know
Investors can learn from my stupidity
Stockmarket Education
Stockmarket Dictionary
Stockbrokers: What you should know before choosing one
10 Basic questions to ask before investing
How the Stockmarket works
Understanding Risk
Watch Your Risk Tolerance
Stockmarket Education: What is a Share?
What Moves the Stockmarket?
7 Signs of Shareholder Friendly Management
Financial Media For Investors
Dividends in detail
Related Links
NZX - How to Invest
Recommended Amazon Reading
How the Stock Market Works: A Beginner's Guide to Investment by Michael Ivan H. Becket
Buy new: $13.67 / Used from: $33.98
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The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition) by Benjamin Graham
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $6.99
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c Share Investor 2007
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