[homie1975]

Put the money in a 401K, enjoy your family and forget about it. Sounds like the action life needs to slow way down, and that is the safest and smartest way to do it. I wish you the best.

RF
thank you for this post. I definitely put money into my 401K as close to the 17.5K annual threshold as possible, but i'm looking to grow my money instead of just leaving it int the bank. i don't see any very strong RE transactions and quite frankly it's not my passion. are you holding any stock positions and if so, if you were forced to provide any advice (not asking for the ticker symbols) on the best way to learn how to invest for long term growth, what would you offer?

thanks for the time, Sir

[RudyRuetigger]

all in man

fukk all this bs

don't let the man fukk you, be the man

[stevenash]

I'm big on REIT's (Real Estate Investment Trust)
They are companies that own and or operate income producing real estate properties.
A lot of them pay high yield dividends, IMO the best play on Wall Street.

I own NRZ, WHLR, just to name two, plus Fidelity's Real Estate Index (FSRVX)

[Bostongambler]

It's been said here already.

If ur not in the trading game, just go with an index fund.

Or buy & hold solid stocks. I used to get caught up in buying a nice stock and selling it when it made a profit. Then it would either rise or decline and I would buy it again , only to lose.


It also depends on how much u have in ur portfolio.

I can give u a list of dividend paying stocks. 12 of them that pay on different months so basically u have a check coming in every month.

Benjamin Graham's intelligent investor. Best book

[thunderous]

Look into options. If you are sharp then with very little investment you can make big money but the key is you have to be real good...

[kidcudi92]

Sucker game

Need at least 100,000 before you can begin to trade

Small guys lose because screw around low priced stocks with no volume

Lol

smh

only the last sentence is right

[chico2663]

That's why i won't start the investment now. I'll research and study, all the prep work. I'll wait at least 9-10 mos maybe longer before I dive in

there is a book called stock for dummies. Buy that and read it 3 times. Then come back.

[sportsreport]

What are 12 best dividend stocks?

[kidcudi92]

Look into options. If you are sharp then with very little investment you can make big money but the key is you have to be real good...

this was my first big hit, i was barely 20, or actually 19 probably almost 20

now i trade a little more conservative

still love playing options though with smaller amounts

[Bostongambler]

Sure options can make u money but I think he is trying to get out of the chase is all.

[homie1975]

I appreciate everyone's advice greatly. I am reading and considering every single post, even the outlandish ones, but I seriously appreciate the real and thoughtful advice. I have a family to support and I'm trying to do the right thing on many fronts.

Books I had already pegged to read:

One up on wall street - by lynch
The intelligent investor - by graham
Stock investing for dummies
Sane investing in an insane world - by cramer. Will take it more w a grain of salt as I know he's got a rep as a shill

Anyothers you recommend?

How about "the little common sense book of investing "

[kidcudi92]

I appreciate everyone's advice greatly. I am reading and considering every single post, even the outlandish ones, but I seriously appreciate the real and thoughtful advice. I have a family to support and I'm trying to do the right thing on many fronts.

Books I had already pegged to read:

One up on wall street - by lynch
The intelligent investor - by graham
Stock investing for dummies
Sane investing in an insane world - by cramer. Will take it more w a grain of salt as I know he's got a rep as a shill

Anyothers you recommend?

How about "the little common sense book of investing "

My top book dealing with wall street and it's history

https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences...2NEF5WXKC9S850


personally i have read it many times

[homie1975]

My top book dealing with wall street and it's history

https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences...2NEF5WXKC9S850


personally i have read it many times

Kid
Thank you. "A walk down wall street" is another one I'm reading reviews on as we speak.

[kidcudi92]

Kid
Thank you. "A walk down wall street" is another one I'm reading reviews on as we speak.

the book i posted was published in 1923, but the beauty of it is that wall street lessons hold the same as they did long ago

[homie1975]

the book i posted was published in 1923, but the beauty of it is that wall street lessons hold the same as they did long ago

I just read a full review of it and I'm sold. I'm going to read it. Thank you, Sir

[thellama]

Since this thread is still going and you still seem interested I'll put in my 2 cents.

First of all, finding a trading account is more than just finding the cheapest trade price. You want to have a company with a decent website and a nice app. The best bang for your buck, imo, is Ameritrade. 9.99 a trade, great app and nice page with tons of info. If you are not buying and selling daily, than your fee trade is really nominal whether it's 7 bucks or 10 bucks... so you might as well have a sweet website and sweet app.

Secondly, this is just like gambling. The books are everybody in the media, Cramer, WSJ, Huffington CNBC talking heads... these guys manipulate all this BS so the odds are in their favor. Yes, they do have some good stuff occasionally but not enough to ever fully rely on. The one thing jj is right about is the deck is stacked against the little guy because too many people live and die by what these idiots say. Don't tail someone elses bet, Cap your own stocks and do your own research. Ameritrade makes it pretty easy. Look at the company, look at the cash flow, look at their debt, read their sales reports... all of the info is there for you, don't let someone else interpret it for you. Case in point, someone just upgraded Facebook and it went up 13.00 a share. Which means every moron was waiting on some other group of morons to tell them FB was good and they should buy it. Well did you read their last sales report, it was fukin' awesome... than the stock dropped 15 bucks. Buy that shit. Be ahead of these idiots that undervalue stock for seemingly no reason and than arbitrary decide months later that it's good again. Oh it's maddening, but being on the right side of it is fun.

I've mentioned this before, but I have set up a Drip account, which stands for Dividend Re-Investment Plan. You diversify your money across sectors, say you've got 25k, you put 5% in each company, when those companies div hits, it is automatically reinvested into more stock from that company (for free, you are not charged a trade fee... this is something that is set up in your trading account) even fractions. And than you of course drip from those newly acquired shares (even fractions drip) next quarter and so on and so forth. Set it and forget it, basically. The stock goes down, you buy more shares, it goes up you enjoy a capital gain. The key is buying solid companies... AT&T, Cisco, Waste Management, Prudential, Qualcomm, GM etc. Go find a list of best div companies with a long running history of divs and increases. You will find lists out there, solid. Throw some high Div ones in there, like REITS or real estate companies... but don't just blindly find the highest div stocks and put your money in them, because many are volatile and can turn bad on a whim. You can have a few but no more than 5% of your bankroll, minimize your risks. Shoot for a modest 4% return. Save some money on the side to play with if you want... it might not be as exciting but it's pretty rewarding watching your portfolio grow with little to no stress.

[homie1975]

Llama
That's exactly the kind of info I wanted, tons of details.

THANK YOU SIR !!!

[Mac4Lyfe]

Homie - are you looking to invest in stocks with your 401K or play money on the side? Before you play with money on the side, ALWAYS make sure you are maxed out in your 401K contributions each month which it sounds like you are doing. See if your 401K can be managed by a Brokerage link, which allows you to invest in different sectors/markets. A Brokerage link gives you the flexibility to move investments real time instead of waiting for your employer to move your money, which could take days while a market correction wipes out 10 - 20% of your retirement. After your 401k, you should then invest into a Roth IRA, where you can build tax free. You have to use after tax money but it grows tax free. You should max that out as well. Then you should use play money with a Scottrade, Ameritrade, etc.

What is your primary interest? Are you looking to day trade? Are you looking for long term yields? What's your plan. The stock market can be very difficult to determine because so much of it is being manipulate by money managers. You never know what way they want to move a stock. Generally speaking, I go with good companies that I'm familiar with and when the market is hot I ride it and when it's not I fade it. Try to buy low and sell high. Look for solid companies that are at lows to buy and take profits of companies that hit historic highs. Don't be greedy, always trim profits and dollar cost average if you are in it for the long haul.

Look at what people are buying. I drive through my neighborhood and all I see is UPS/ Fedex drivers dropping off Amazon packages. I buy shit every other day from Amazon. I could care less if it has a high PE ratio. People are using it every damn where. It's up 2000% in the last 10 years. Look at apple. Everybody I know has/had an iPhone. It's gone up ~800% the last 10 years with a dividend. Nvidia supplies chips in everything, it's going to keep going up. How about auto care companies like Autozone or O'Reilly's that are up hundreds of percentages the last 5 years. People more and more are fixing their cars and keeping them longer. How about netflix? I would normally never pay for that service as I can find anything on the internet but my wife and kids use it all the time. My 5 year old can find stuff for her all day long. so can my wife. I don't have to babysit them on finding shit. Their interface is so easy, young babies can use it. I can't stop subscribing now. I'm hooked in for years because of them. Oil n Gas companies got hammered a year and a half ago. They've come back with a vengeance. When you see good companies get hammered buy them on the dips.

I think the market will go up a few more weeks but I think a correction is coming as well. I'm usually 50% in the markets but I'm down to about 10% right now and will be down to nothing in the next week. I'll wait a few months, see if we correct and buy back in. If we dip 10, 15, 20% that's a good time to buy in. If we rise 5, 10% that may be a sign to get in as well for a bull run.

Be careful with options. It is basically gambling. One person thinks a stock will go down while the other is betting it will go up. Unless you have a sure thing, I'd recommend using options only to protect a downside position you want to hold long. You are basically hedging your bet. plus in gambling we all know that there is no sure thing. Market manipulators can bleed you dry while you wait for a stock to move.

And, never, never, ever buy stocks or options on margin (credit).

[Mac4Lyfe]

Let me reiterate... Keep your eyes open and buy what you know. I drive by Chipotle, Gamestop, Walmart, Buffalo Wild Wings, Kohls, etc., every few days. I look at how many cars are in the parking lot. Who's buying, what are they buying, etc. Kohl's in particular didn't have a lot of foot traffic this season and most people had 1 or 2 items in their hands. That was enough for me to fade them. The stock has gone down around 30% since Thanksgiving. Kohl's traditionally dips again in February then rises March and April only to dip again in May then runs up from May to November. Brick and mortar is tricky but try to notice the trends and play it. Do a little research just like if you were capping games.

[HAPPY BOY]

401-k with diversified funds safest way to go for your future...Now if u wanna ride the rollercoaster and have some money to risk (Im assuming you do since you gamble) then here are a couple to look at BGCP, ESSI, AKAO remember LIMIT orders only and buy in lots not all at once. Good luck

[El Nino]

RF
thank you for this post. I definitely put money into my 401K as close to the 17.5K annual threshold as possible, but i'm looking to grow my money instead of just leaving it int the bank. i don't see any very strong RE transactions and quite frankly it's not my passion. are you holding any stock positions and if so, if you were forced to provide any advice (not asking for the ticker symbols) on the best way to learn how to invest for long term growth, what would you offer?

thanks for the time, Sir

It's $18K...has been since Jan. 1, 2015. Then, you should also be putting $5.5K in a Roth IRA.

It's $24K for your 401K if you are 50 and older, $6.5K for Roth IRA.

[boneheaded1]

Can do $100K but will start with $50K? Dude . . . if you haven't figured it out . . . so many answers for you. too lazy to type them, but that would be giving up the strategy. Long term growth is key, slamming the market is even harder than slamming the books. If you are looking stock market, index funds. The Buffett challenge is proving it's the way (just wait for the next dip). Real estate is good for steady income (and capital growth) but you have to be willing to deal with the headaches it comes with and if you aren't handy, probably not for you.

If you are a good sportsbettor why change, move to vegas and continue to beat the market.

[jjgold]

good stuff in the thread

[Mac4Lyfe]

It's $18K...has been since Jan. 1, 2015. Then, you should also be putting $5.5K in a Roth IRA.
It's $24K for your 401K if you are 50 and older, $6.5K for Roth IRA.

This is such great information that it should be stickied on most people's foreheads. Saving $23.5k, most of it tax free is the smartest thing anyone can ever do. Everyone can be wealthy 20, 25, 30, 40 years from now if they force themselves to save. The biggest excuse people will make is that they can't afford to save that much. They can't afford NOT to. Reduce your standard of living so that you can save that much so you will be wealthy later.

[homie1975]

Mac
Thank you for the excellent info. It's details like that I was after.

Just FYI the 401k is tax deferred not tax free. The Roth is tax free but very limited (at least in my case) on what funds are available to choose from and so little in deposits annually. I'm a big proponent of 401k over Roth if you have both options.

[Mac4Lyfe]

Mac
Thank you for the excellent info. It's details like that I was after.
Just FYI the 401k is tax deferred not tax free. The Roth is tax free but very limited (at least in my case) on what funds are available to choose from and so little in deposits annually. I'm a big proponent of 401k over Roth if you have both options.

Yeah Homie, my wording and writing are sometimes garbled and not always very clear like my thoughts. lol

Being able to save pretax on the 401k is huge. Being able to grow the Roth tax free is huge as well but that sucks that you are limited in available funds to invest. The 401k is a no brainer as you reduce your taxable income and your investments grow tax deferred. Hopefully by the time you retire, you are in a lower tax bracket and can stretch gains out. The Roth has more flexibility on the back end so it's still a viable option and should be used over something else. Max them both out if you are allowed and don't even think about it.

The only thing people should be careful of like you brought up is how flexible are you in both plans. I've seen some employers only give employees a handful of options on what they can invest. BP for example would give you like 5 options... BP stock, BP preferred stock, a couple index funds and lifepaths funds that try to time investments by your age. They've since changed but that was a horrible mix and when BP sprung a leak in the gulf, there shares plummeted. Other employers require you to notify them of changes to your elections and it can take days for them to make the change. You can lose your shirt with those type of delays.

[hostile takeover]

Don't like equities much at all.

Forex is where its at. The MOST liquid market in the world open 24/5.

[Mac4Lyfe]

I do things a bit different than most people. I have multiple accounts at a bunch of brokers. Instead of creating one diverse portfolio in one account, I have different accounts with different objectives. I have an account that is merely speculative. Cheap stocks that may hit big. I have another account that I strictly trade options. Both of these accounts are like gambling accounts for me. I've lost more in the options account than I've made. I also have an account that mirrors the option account but long term holds. That account always makes me money, very strange but kinda shows me that I tend to pick good stocks but the timing on the options I don't get right. I can't tell you how many options I've watched expire worthless only for the stock to blow up right afterwards... Ughhhh! I have long term aggressive and conservative accounts. I have accounts for just a few sectors. This works for me because it seems to help me get a pulse on what's happening. I can almost feel when the overall market is doing well, so I ride it and converse when it's dipping. I'm sure I could get the feel being in front of a computer.

I do the same in football gambling. I open 2 accounts, 1 for the NFL and the other for CFB. Once my money is gone in one, I'm done betting in that one for the season. The last few years I've done much better in CFB than the NFL, so I play more college.

[triplecrown333]

I do things a bit different than most people. I have multiple accounts at a bunch of brokers. Instead of creating one diverse portfolio in one account, I have different accounts with different objectives. I have an account that is merely speculative. Cheap stocks that may hit big. I have another account that I strictly trade options. Both of these accounts are like gambling accounts for me. I've lost more in the options account than I've made. I also have an account that mirrors the option account but long term holds. That account always makes me money, very strange but kinda shows me that I tend to pick good stocks but the timing on the options I don't get right. I can't tell you how many options I've watched expire worthless only for the stock to blow up right afterwards... Ughhhh! I have long term aggressive and conservative accounts. I have accounts for just a few sectors. This works for me because it seems to help me get a pulse on what's happening. I can almost feel when the overall market is doing well, so I ride it and converse when it's dipping. I'm sure I could get the feel being in front of a computer.

I do the same in football gambling. I open 2 accounts, 1 for the NFL and the other for CFB. Once my money is gone in one, I'm done betting in that one for the season. The last few years I've done much better in CFB than the NFL, so I play more college.

bet you have a versace silk shirt from 1993 in your closet also...

[Mac4Lyfe]

bet you have a versace silk shirt from 1993 in your closet also...

Absolutely, they will come back in style one day... right?

[triplecrown333]

[newguy]

Mac
Thank you for the excellent info. It's details like that I was after.

Just FYI the 401k is tax deferred not tax free. The Roth is tax free but very limited (at least in my case) on what funds are available to choose from and so little in deposits annually. I'm a big proponent of 401k over Roth if you have both options.

Unfortunately there are income limits on the Roth so you may be capped out there too. Roth great vehicle and should be maxed out where you can for sure.

[homie1975]

Treasure trove of info in here I am so grateful to all of you who shared thoughts and advice. I look forward to anything more that anyone would like to share.

[Mac4Lyfe]

If we're talking specific stocks. In addition to the ones I mentioned earlier. I would really look at the following companies. I'd wait about 2 months though because I think we're going to have a market correction in the next 60 days. Right after the correction look to.

NKE and UAA - Nike and Under Armour. Have you priced shoes lately? I bought my 9 year old son $110 Nike Lebron's, $70 Nike football cleats and $75 UA running shoes in the last month. Nike football gloves are $60. Shirts and apparel are just as expensive. Casual shoes for my 5 year old daughter are $50. You can't find $20, $30, $40 shoes anymore. Both stocks are very low right now. I'm going to load up right before summer.

Chip companies - AMD, NVDA. Data storage - WDC and MU. Trump could screw these up if he keeps fighting with China.

Pharma - PFE, SRPT, AMGN, GILD and MRK. They've been attacked for high prices but solid dividends and poised to go higher

Banks - JPM, ZION, BBT and BAC. Provided they take a dip, which I believe they will.

Telecom - S. I use to be a long term Sprint user and left them because of shoddy customer service and coverage/speed. They have upgraded networks and are on a campaign to increase their subscribers. People are going back to them and they're getting a lot of resellers.

Amusement parks - SIX, DIS, FUN and maybe SEAS. These parks are having a resurgence in attendance. Several of these parks have had to close due to capacity and are setting attendance records. Sea World got their asses handed to them with the Killer Whales fiasco but they are starting to make a comeback. These companies traditionally go up April, May and July. Sell mid July as they dip and buy back in November for holiday rush.

Technology/Aerospace - BA, LMT and HON. Boeing can't make planes quick enough to fill orders. Trump is pitting them against LMT to make cheaper Air Force One. All that means are that both companies are going to get orders in the defense sector. Honeywell makes aircraft equipment but also home solutions automation and control like wifi thermostats in your home, smoke detectors and materials. If shit go down anywhere in the world these companies will be on speed dial. Lockheed might get a huge missile contract just to put some countries on notice.

The FANG stocks, Facebook, Amazon, Google and Netflix. I use all of these everyday. Everybody I know use these everyday.

Lot of good companies out there but you have to time when to get in and get out. These companies will have dips and highs. Timing is everything in the market. Time the dips and get in. It's hard to figure out the highs but just like gambling use money management. Set a profit/loss and stick to it. When a stock goes up a certain amount, I'm taking profits, especially before earnings. Most people let it ride into the earnings and even with solid earnings the stock ends up dropping because people are selling their wins. Sell before everyone else does and buy back on the dip.

[Mac4Lyfe]

and the stock market is a slow marathon not a gamblers sprint. Try to get out of the gamblers mindset of parlaying and teasing. Be realistic. A 5% increase in a month is tremendous. 5% plus a solid dividend a year is great. Expecting huge returns is a recipe for disaster because you are speculating. Slow burn until you are funded enough to then play a bit with a little amount. The market will go up and it will go down. Stocks will go up and they will go down. Be a contrarian almost like betting against the public. When the market crashes most people run. That's when you load up. When the market is booming, be careful, hedge your bets because it will correct.