Do any of you guys invest in stocks if so What is your strategy and what brokers do you use. For me I invest in dividend paying companies for long term investing and for short term/day trading I trade options which have a lower cost basis but greater risk/reward than stocks.

If you invest for long term make sure to open a ROTH IRA and try to maximize contributions every year which is a tax free investment and withdrawal... meaning no tax when you retire and start taking out your money. And secondarily make sure your brokerage allows for DRIPS (ie dividend reinvestment) which is what makes your wealth grow exponentially over time through compound interest.

What do you guys invest in and what is your strategy? If you guys need some advice on investing I can give you tips / advice.. just ask!

/polster

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"You know 'that look' women get when they want sex? Me neither" ~Steve Martin

I ask Dr. Ken's children.

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I would invest in Webio. Its going to revolutionize radio.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

When I was out of college, I tried to follow the Motley Fool approach. Needless to say, it didn't work out well for me. Now I just have a few stocks in the portfolio and I don't even look at them.

Right now, my IRA has finally returned back to 2007 numbers, plus about 25% more over the past two years. Thankfully a company I worked for during a span of five years matched 3 to 1 on profit sharing. Can't find that anymore. Despite that, I'm not quite sure I'm comfortable gambling my retirement in the market.

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I have warehouses of Beanie Babies.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I have a Roth IRA and some guy in a tie manages that for me. I'll probably end up broke and sucking dick for crack either way, but it's something.

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Motley Fool is a garbage website... as well as the clown Cramer on CNBC.

I learned from many years of trial and error what works and what doesn't. What a majority of people don't know is that you can create your own income stream with dividends which is like getting a rent check every month. Most people who see the stock market and watch the news only see companies like google or apple which go up or down but pay little no dividend back to the investor. There are funds and stocks that payout in dividend income anywhere from 5-10% annual yield and many of these companies pay dividends monthly. Why not get paid to hold a stock? Try getting 5% from a bank deposit... banks pay like .01% on savings accounts and maybe 1% on CDS. I am currently making around $700/month from dividend income which is basically creating an Annuity to yourself.

I work with retirement products in a company that has a similar name to the vegetarian burger producer and I learned quit a bit about investing and retirement being there. What I learned is a majority 90% don't know shit about stocks and money management. Most know they have a 401k and don't know when to sell/buy, what sell/buy, and what to do with there free cash.

I recommend anyone reading this forum to read this book (either from the library or buy it on Amazon)... If you want to learn how make money from money and have comfortable retirement or perpetual income stream: The Single Best Investment: Creating Wealth with Dividend Growth by Lowell Miller
http://www.amazon.com/Single-Best-Inves ... 0965175081

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"You know 'that look' women get when they want sex? Me neither" ~Steve Martin

I have a warehouse full of Patrick Sharp jerseys that fell off a truck. Wink wink.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Since this is an area of expertise for me, I'll weigh in. For most people there are a few simple things they should be doing:

1) You have to save regularly. 401(k)'s are the best example because they often provide some sort of matching, and they are a natural way to dollar cost average into the market.
2) Do not use high interest rate forms of debt as they will often exceed your market returns and are not tax deductible. Pay off all of these forms of debt first before investing outside your retirement plan.
3) Stay diversified by large/small cap and domestic international. For those with short time horizons and a low risk appetite, hybrid stock and bond funds are a great way to reduce volatility.
4) Index funds are much more efficient from a tax and expense perspective. Use them, Vanguard is probably the best fund family in this respect.

Recap: Save. Diversify. Keep costs low.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I take the advice of random strangers from the internet.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Yeah, that's pretty much true.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

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Invest in Whores. Sex never goes out of style.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

All excellent suggestions. A few others:

1. Live below your means. Big houses and fancy cars (and their associated costs such as utilities and insurance) suck cash. One does not need them to be happy.
2. Don't smoke. Over a lifetime that decision can mean a swing of several hundred thousand dollars.
3. Invest regularly and systematically -- in good times and bad. Don't panic and sell in bad times and don't get too excited and don't over estimate your intelligence when times are good.
4. Keep a cash reserve for emergencies and unexpected job loss.
5. If you get married take the marriage seriously. Tend the relationship and work at staying married. Discuss finances and ensure compatible financial goals and values.
6. When kids are born start a 529 college savings plan.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Good stuff, although the irony of taking advice from "a retard" is not lost on me.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Thanks a few more and then I will move along:

1. Time is your ally and the tax man is your enemy. Start saving for retirement at the earliest age you can (I opened IRAs when I was 18 and working as a union laborer) and max out your 401k contributions. Time will help you overcome the inevitable market dips and favorable tax status of retirement plans can protect your contributions and earnings from the tax man. Many 20-somethings (including my kids) don't get this but it really is the surest bet there is.

2. 401ks are great when you are participating. But fees can be high too and they can suck the life out of inactive accounts. If you leave your employer don't leave your 401k there. Instead roll it directly into a low-fee IRA (i.e. Vanguard). It is easy to do on line. But make sure you roll it straight to them -- not in a check to you -- otherwise you are on the hook for taxes and penalties.

3. If you are not eligible to participate in an 401k at work then ensure you and your spouse max out your IRA contributions each year. And then of course save your subsequent big tax refunds*

* of course the best course of action is to set up withholding to avoid making large interest-free loans to the US government each year.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Here's my advice: enjoy yourself, it's later than you think.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest