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Investments

Discussion in 'Economics and Financials' started by cuchulainn, Apr 18, 2019.

  1. cuchulainn

    cuchulainn Táin Bó Cúailnge Club Member

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    Who are you guys investing with?
    Where are your 401K's, IRAs, Brokerage, or other accounts?
    What stocks or funds do you own?

    I'm currently with Vanguard for all of my accounts and invest in VTSAX and several Target date funds.

    Apart from that, I have a couple K in weed stocks and etfs to humor my son and girlfriend.
     
  2. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    People mock me for it, but I have never invested a penny. I just put all of my money into savings. Feels much safer.
     
  3. EastcoastEZ

    EastcoastEZ Member

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    Vanguard for most of my investments. If I don't have inside info on what works, I just go for the lowest fees.
    Over the years we have traded stocks, etfs, mutual funds. Put together complex portfolios holding up to 30 or more stocks at a time with specialized ETFs, trying to counter or hedge one investment with diffent ones, etc.

    What I have learned over the years is, it is very hard to consistently beat the market. There were times where over 6 months the 'market' as a whole would be up 20%. I had stocks that were up over 100% and etfs up close to 50-60% in that time where I 'beat' the market, but there were always one or two holdings that underperformed. Guess that, my 'custom' portfolio probably averaged about the same 20% as the market.
    A couple years later I'd try it again, do my research, read books and dozens of articles. I'd find a strategy I think I like, so I go on a crusade to 'disprove' that strategy so I can discover anything wrong with it, and try to hedge it. End up with 20-30 stocks again and numerous funds. Guess what? I'd have some 'big' winners, but again those pesky couple of losers where something happened that no-one could expect. End result? market as a whole up 15%. Even with my big winnners, the losers bring down things to aveage about 15% (within a percentage point or two)

    So after years and years of investing that way. Reading dozens of Books. Watching videos and shows with 'experts'. 6 years of formal investment education. Taking every good idea I have and verifying it by spending hours and hours and hours trying to 'disprove' it, what have I learned? By simple, low cost funds/etfs as coreinvestments, sit back and let them appreciate over time. If I am 'bored' maybe play around with a few small purchases of stocks or specialty ETF's, but don't expect to become rich of off them other than learning about them.
     
    Tone_E likes this.
  4. EastcoastEZ

    EastcoastEZ Member

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    I have no idea what investments will and won't do well, but I do think the best strategy is just to keep things basic. Make very little changes, keep a basic investment portfolio, etc.
    I marvel at reading news articles, watching 'experts' talk about economics on TV, and seeing statements on the direction of the economy and markets by the biggest wall street firms with the highest paid and most experienced employees. Over the years what I have learned, even for them it is a guessing game. I have seen all too many times where 2 firms trot out their 'best' and most 'experienced' analysts to say what will happen, and you hear 2 totally different stories.
    Stay Macro. The more 'micro' you get the more it is a guessing game and gambling. When people make great decisions on the ultimate micro level, they mostly attribute it to how educated or smart they are. Its usually luck.
     
    Tone_E likes this.
  5. Tone_E

    Tone_E Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Some of the best advice I heard from one of the top minds in the business.

    "If you've studied economics for 14 minutes you've wasted 12 minutes"
    - Peter Lynch

     

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