When investing who do you trust?
” Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing ”
Warren Buffet.
One of the finest things regarding my career is that I’m able to talk to a lot of folk about their investments, past, future and present whether for pension investing in the UK or taking advantage of a QROPS for retiring abroad. And, unfortunately , I keep on hearing about the same mistakes being made over and over again. After literally hundreds of real-world interviews with real folk from all kinds of life I can say that these traders fall into 3 main categories.
The first 2 are do it yourself enthusiasts.
Before we take a look at the particular mistakes they look condemned to replicate, let me bring up a question.
At what point did you last fit a new exhaust to your auto, install a central heating system in your house, replace the circuit board on your TV, or change a filling in your teeth?
Maybe you did one of those things recently. Maybe you truly are a dentist with a penchant for vehicles and you did 2. But I’m guessing you probably did none. Instead you called a pro and paid them to do it and were pleased to do so.
That as confirmed, then why do so many folks think they can actively manage a complex portfolio of stock and fund investments while also going to work or running a household?
Hence why the Lone Wolf investor?
It’d sound edgy and fun, but it is customarily the most unfortunate. Out on their own, this beginner trader is very isolated and extraordinarily vulnerable. Wolves hunt in packs and do not prosper alone. The same is true for traders. Without the shelter of the pack, the lone trader is stuck out in the frozen wasteland, scrapping around for food and the target of bigger, threatening predators.
It’s not a tempting existence, so why decide to go down this lonesome route. Give yourself an opportunity of survival as an alternative.
Yes, some people are part-time traders – they play with a small set amount of money that they can afford losing, and this, while not especially smart, is at least not dangerous. But unfortunatley I meet many people that are out on their own, trying to self manage a large portion, if not all, their assets. This is madness.
I also talk to many people who decide to “do it solo” saying that they like to feel they have control over their money.
Again, this seems a weird and crazy idea to me, for if your cash is invested in a portfolio of stocks you have very little control over the world economy or disasters like the recent BP oil disaster.
The sole control speculators have is selecting when and what to purchase and when to get out.
And wherever you choose, on your own, to park your money, there are heavy risks.
These range from inflation to bank collapse. Even that presumably safe ‘bricks and mortar ‘ investment is dangerous, as the impressive bursting of the home price bubble has illustrated.
Without expert information to help manage the hazards involved in investing, the lone wolf position is nearly mission impossible.
Disclaimer
Stockholders must seek professional finance guidance regarding the acceptability of making an investment in any instruments or following any investing methodologies. Nothing in this piece shall be considered a solicitation or offer to purchase or sell any security, future, option, fund or other financial instrument or to supply or provide any investment advice or service to any person in any jurisdiction.
You’ll be able to find out more about investments, pensions, SIPP’s QROPS pension and get the right QROPS advice from R W Holmes who represents an independent company of Finance Advisors offering a top quality and unprejudiced service on all areas wealth management and fiscal planning.
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