The most successful investors were not made in a day. Learning the ins and outs of the financial world and your personality as an investor takes time and patience, not to mention trial and error. In this article, we’ll lead you through the first seven steps of your expedition into investing and show you what to look out for along the way.
1. Getting Started in Investing
Successful investing is a journey, not a one-time event, and you’ll need to prepare yourself as if you were going on a long trip. Begin by defining your destination, then plan your investment journey accordingly. For example, are you looking to retire in 20 years at age 55? How much money will you need to do this? You must first ask these questions. The plan that you come up with will depend on your investment goals.
2. Know What Works in the Market
Read books or take an investment course that deals with modern financial ideas. The people who came up with theories such as portfolio optimization, diversification, and market efficiency received their Nobel prizes for good reason. Investing is a combination of science (financial fundamentals) and art (qualitative factors). The scientific aspect of finance is a solid place to start and should not be ignored. If science is not your strong suit, don’t fret. There are many texts, such as Stocks For The Long Run by Jeremy Siegel, that explain high-level finance ideas in a way that is easy to understand.1
Once you know what works in the market, you can come up with simple rules that work for you. For example, Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors ever. His simple investment style is summed up in this well-known quote: “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.” It has served him well. While he missed the tech upturn, he avoided the subsequent devastating downturn of the high-tech bubble of 2000.
