Reply to: Anyone here buy shares?

[lukemg]

This thread has caused me to almost shed a tear in frustration.
I consider the proper investments to be the best way for me to generate a substantial fund which removes the need for me to work.
It's approaching a state where this is possible, certainly full time work is optional.
And without any of the requirements to put in additional time e.g. that property would.

I have made all the mistakes illustrated here and many more and people are their own worst enemies to success but I have one characteristic that has saved me despite all this.
When the market stumbles or crashes (I have been through dotcom, bank crisis etc) I hold my nerve and try to continue buying (everyone thinks they can but very few do) - automatic monthly purchase helps this.
Oh - and forget individual shares, you don't have a clue and cant compete with the market.
BUT do buy the market - I would urge you to consider something like the Vanguard lifestrategy 80 global fund, low cost, very wide spread.
Trust me on this, you will be delighted you did this in 10 years time, pound-cost averaging and compound interest are your friend and FFS don't sell up when it tanks NO MATTER WHAT.

[SimonMac]

Just prompted me to take a look at my Yahoo Fantasy Trader portfolio; set up about 4 years ago following motley fool recommendations currently sitting at -17%

Meanwhile I pay a chickie to manage my real stuff that is +15% (currently) (Edit: and is likley screwing me in fees.)

Its all a gamble.

The biggest tip I can give is around fees, and that is don't tinker!

I get a flat fee of about £12 per trade so now don't trade anything under £1000, also means you foster a more long term approach to growth rather than cashing lots of small wins

[Dallas]

Just prompted me to take a look at my Yahoo Fantasy Trader portfolio; set up about 4 years ago following motley fool recommendations currently sitting at -17%

Meanwhile I pay a chickie to manage my real stuff that is +15% (currently) (Edit: and is likley screwing me in fees.)

Its all a gamble.

[mudskipper]

I paid 164 few years back, but on the flip side I bought ASOS at 3300 sold at 1991 , so overall now I've got the same £ as I invested initially 3 years back, I don't think I'm very good at it to be honest

No, me neither. Been 'playing' with my ISA - made a few hundred quid on some, lost it on others.
SIPP is sensibly invested in managed funds and doing better. Think I might sell up and move to funds. Or just go mad and spend it!

[ELBBUBKUNPS]

My vodafone shares are finally back up to what I paid for them...

I paid 164 few years back, but on the flip side I bought ASOS at 3300 sold at 1991 , so overall now I've got the same £ as I invested initially 3 years back, I don't think I'm very good at it to be honest

[SimonMac]

My vodafone shares are finally back up to what I paid for them...

I am back up to the levels before last months blip, forgot I had dividends to reinvest automatically so unwittingly topped up some CLIG today, I know I should stop looking at this every day but damnit I just can't help myself

[mudskipper]

My vodafone shares are finally back up to what I paid for them...

[RSoles]

Decent piece,
I particularly liked:-

You’ll notice that all of these actions hinge on one thing – having a plan in place. And if you don’t already have a plan, don’t pile in (or out) on a whim. Take some time to consider your ideal asset allocation and to set up a list of assets you want to buy. Now is as good a time as any to do it.

My bolding....

[Zero Liability]

A decent little piece from MoneyWeek.

[RSoles]

The thing to watch out for is that a sure sign of a market crash is somebody coming asking
' Anyone here buy shares?'

Well hush ma mouth............

Sadly not deep enough yet.
'October is the time when bad things happen to the stock market.'
'1929'.
'Boo'.
Oh, I forgot , the market's closed..........

[SimonMac]

If you are investing long term don't look at it daily. On the other hand a daily loss of x probably doesn't feel as bad as suddenly seeing a loss of z

If I knew how to stop looking I would

[jamesbrown]

If you are investing long term don't look at it daily. On the other hand a daily loss of x probably doesn't feel as bad as suddenly seeing a loss of z

I get the sense that a lot of people are basically invested for the long-term, but then tend to check on their losses during headline events and start to panic, questioning whether their allocations are sensible etc. And perhaps they aren't, but you don't really want to change them when everyone else is panicking. As you suggest, you need to ignore the headlines as best you can, and perhaps then re-visit allocations when things have calmed down (if it isn't something you've done for a while, because allocations have a life of their own over longer periods).

[eek]

If you are investing long term don't look at it daily. On the other hand a daily loss of x probably doesn't feel as bad as suddenly seeing a loss of z

[jamesbrown]

Although its depressing when you get several days of four figure losses in a row

Or, to add a positive spin, if you don't panic, you know you're cut out for it (i.e. having an appropriate fraction in shares), because days of four-figure gains are quite nice too

[SimonMac]

As a long term thinking (22 years before I need to cash in my SIPP) I am not really that worried, will use the depression as a top up of existing holdings and hope that its just a cycle, which it will be, still getting a good return on dividend and as I count the yield on purchase price the value now means little to me.

Although its depressing when you get several days of four figure losses in a row