Investment resource links and info

[koihoshi]

A list of good places to check out if you are new to investing or want to learn more.

For stock and funds trading:

E-Trade (https://us.etrade.com/e/t/home)
Scottrade.com (http://scottrade.com)
Schwab (http://www.schwabat.com/?offer=NDH)
Sharebuilder (http://www.sharebuilder.com/)

For news and market information:

Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com)
Marketwatch (http://www.marketwatch.com/)
Google Finance (http://finance.google.com)
Yahoo Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/)

Financial advice:

CNN's Money 101 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/)
About investing stocks (http://www.fool.com/school/basics/basics03.htm)
CDs (http://www.smartmoney.com/university/investing101/otherinvestments/index.cfm?story=intro)

Books (listing these only because i've read them):

Investing for Dummies, 3rd edition (http://www.amazon.com/Investing-Dummies-Third-Eric-Tyson/dp/0764524313/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213468035&sr=8-1)
The only investing guide you'll ever need (http://www.amazon.com/Only-Investment-Guide-Youll-Ever/dp/0156029634/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213468072&sr=1-1)
IRAs, 401(k) and other retirement plans: Taking your money out (http://www.amazon.com/IRAs-401-Other-Retirement-Plans/dp/1413306969/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213468120&sr=1-1)

[DOUGIESTYL]

Really funny that "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" is included w/ two other titles!LOL
Beside that- I appreciate these links, as I plan on beginning an investment portfolio w/ the stimulus funds. I remember the investment/ financial thread on the old site, and gained some useful advice. I wish the link was still around...
Maybe I'll throw up a new topic!

[koihoshi]

Feel free! That's what this section is for!

By the way, awesome call on INVESTING your stimulus check, rather than just blowing it ;)

[JenzZx2]

Thanks for the links.

Drew and I want to start investing some, but aren't exactly sure where to start. His mom's advisor recommended Vanguard for us so I was going to start there, but good to know where there are more resources.

I'll admit, it kind of freaks me out a little because I worry about losses....

[rlbzx2]

Losses are bad...I agree, it is a sort of a gamble but you can minimize risk if your careful. Make sure to spread your eggs out in the basket and not overload in one area.

Also, depending on how much you have to start you can create yourself a little "CD Ladder." That can be useful in the beginning and will also allow you to get to the money if for some reason you have an emergency of some sort and don't have an "emergency" fund set aside.

I was going to use my stimulus check to get moving in the right direction, but I used it to pay off my Credit card. Which happened to fall right around the same time when my transmission busted in my Scort. :( It's alright though...I am still moving in the right direction...which is getting out of debt! It's funny I have just about been to each of those sites, and did my reading in each. I haven't read all the books mentioned on the bottom but I have read a few others.

IMO I would go with Scottrade. They seem to have the least amount of monthly fees (and fees is what you have to watch out for, how much is it going to cost you a month to use their site and products, the fees in what you invest in...sometimes there are management fees...all that takes away from your % gain that your trying to obtain.)

-Rob

[JonsZX2SR]

A few more links...

TDAmeritrade.com (http://www.tdameritrade.com/welcome3.html)
Fidelity.com (https://www.fidelity.com/)

If you want to invest overseas and have the means and savvy it is possible to open an account in Europe through Schwab Worldwide.

Schwab Worldwide (http://www.schwab-worldwide.com/cgi/index.pl)

For those who travel and know how to legally move money offshore it is also possible to open European accounts in Paris, Frankfort, Singapore, etc. You would either have to travel their in person or have a local agent empowered to open an account and transfer funds.

I recognize this is beyond the means of most, but having a chunk of money invested in Euros has taken the sting out of devaluation of the dollar. The downside is having money invested overseas can complicate things at income tax time.

US military personnel stationed in Europe might look into opening accounts, even small ones, in Europe before returning to the US,

[rlbzx2]

That's pretty slick there John...a little out of my means at the moment, but definitely something to look into. My 401k is run through Fidelity...they seem to be pretty good and o the up and up from what I can tell.

[koihoshi]

Losses are bad...I agree, it is a sort of a gamble but you can minimize risk if your careful. Make sure to spread your eggs out in the basket and not overload in one area.

Also, depending on how much you have to start you can create yourself a little "CD Ladder." That can be useful in the beginning and will also allow you to get to the money if for some reason you have an emergency of some sort and don't have an "emergency" fund set aside.

I was going to use my stimulus check to get moving in the right direction, but I used it to pay off my Credit card. Which happened to fall right around the same time when my transmission busted in my Scort. :( It's alright though...I am still moving in the right direction...which is getting out of debt! It's funny I have just about been to each of those sites, and did my reading in each. I haven't read all the books mentioned on the bottom but I have read a few others.

IMO I would go with Scottrade. They seem to have the least amount of monthly fees (and fees is what you have to watch out for, how much is it going to cost you a month to use their site and products, the fees in what you invest in...sometimes there are management fees...all that takes away from your % gain that your trying to obtain.)

-Rob

Never paid a monthly fee in my life with them. I have a cash account. Only thing I pay with scottrade is $7 per trade.

[rlbzx2]

Awesome...even better. I used to work through Sharebuilder....and they were anywhere from $14-$20 a month I think...depending on what type of tools/plan you wanted to be with. Then not to mention the cost per trade that you have to factor in...buying and selling.

[koihoshi]

Yeah that's kind of retarded. Most the money that scottrade makes is through their per trade cost as well as their percentage they charge if you have an options account. Which most people here are going to use cash account only.

The good thing also is that if you aren't doing anything with your money they treat it like a bank account with interest, so it'll collect interest every month from the money that is not being traded. It's a small return rate, but money is money.

[rlbzx2]

Yeah....that's how sharebuilder did it to. It seemed that the money was automatically placed into a "money market" fund...so you gained a little bit of interest on the side for what was not invested. By no means did it match the amount of fees I was paying...i was young, dumb, and full of ....yeah. You can finish it! Wait....I'm only 23....that wasn't that long ago! :)

[JenzZx2]

Ok, so I called and talked to somebody at Vanguard today and I'm even more confused than I was before.

I'm not sure what the difference between all the mutual funds, bond funds, stock funds etc. work. When I look at the rates it really doesn't appear like the return is that much more than our ING account until it hits over 10 years unless you start getting more risk. How do we know what to go with?

The more I look into it, the more I get confused.

[PHeller]

Roth IRA for the win.

[SoCalZX2]

Roth IRA for the win.

I agree, but you still have to select a mode of investment inside the ROTH ;)

[David E]

If you want a site that will help you understand how to invest, what the terms mean, help you get started, and go as sofisticated as you want, try this one.

http://www.fool.com/

I'll post some more links to a couple other sites to learn on when I get to my home computer. This one is pretty good for a beginner or even for most folks. They explain things pretty well. Just look through it awhile.

They charge for specific advice, but much of the info is free.

[David E]

I remembered another good site, It has a good book list and glossary for investing terms.

http://www.bobbrinker.com/

Remember you don't have to take their advice. They are good for starting and learning terms and what to stay away from. Both sites are great for learning. Take their advice with a grain of salt, both will charge for specfic advice. Both are good for learning from also.

[CraZx2ing]

Aggreed... listen to what everyone has to say, and then decide for yourself. Just like taking advice about working out in the gym... do you do what the fat wad tells you works, or do what the guy that looks like hurcules tells you to do? :).