Investing?

[SLW]

This might seem a strange place to ask about investing but I have been asking everybody lately.  Why not try here?  If you have investments do you use e-trade, a full service place or ?  I am looking for very general, high level opinions to get me thinking about what might work best for me.  I am not looking for "hot tips". 

SLW

[John]

This might seem a strange place to ask about investing but I have been asking everybody lately.  Why not try here?  If you have investments do you use e-trade, a full service place or ?  I am looking for very general, high level opinions to get me thinking about what might work best for me.  I am not looking for "hot tips". 

SLW

I use Ameritrade. I'm sure e-Trade is about the same.

Only investing advice I have is treat it like a game, only use money you can afford to totally lose. You'll sleep better, and most likely do better too. Fear makes poor decisions.

[kagliostro]

In Amsterdam (Netherland) you can buy (also small) quantities of diamonds closed in an envelope with

a Certificate of Authenticity affixed, those envelopes are easily resalable if not opened

and you can get your profit



http://www.investmentdiamondcompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=62&lang=it

K

[SLW]

What is your best investment?  matching funds from an employer.  For example, your employer matches 50% up to 6% of your salary, then you are a fool not to take advantage of this investment strategy.

Good advice indeed.  I am maxed out on the retirement plan with my employer.  Matching funds = free money.  That is always a good thing.

Only investing advice I have is treat it like a game, only use money you can afford to totally lose. You'll sleep better, and most likely do better too. Fear makes poor decisions.

That sounds like good advice.  I have to think about what "money you can afford to totally loose" really means to me.  If it means that my wife and kids will go hungry and I can't pay my bills, I can say yes, this money is outside those obligations.  The money is part of my long term plans.  I have to think about what loosing it all would mean to those plans.

[EL34]

I use Merrill Lynch
Merrill is owned by Bank of America so all my BOA accounts tie in with Merrill accounts

I get 30 free trades per month at Merrill which is a nice perk
Merrill has the Merrill edge pro trading software which is really nice

E-Trade has excellent trading software also with E-Trade Pro
Lots of traders use and like E-Trade pro

[Shrapnel]

This might seem a strange place to ask about investing but I have been asking everybody lately.  Why not try here?  If you have investments do you use e-trade, a full service place or ?  I am looking for very general, high level opinions to get me thinking about what might work best for me.  I am not looking for "hot tips".  

SLW

I'm not in your neck of the woods... but I know where you can probably find a good one: Dave Ramsey has local providers he endorses and they're supposed to look out for you AND help you learn about what you're doing (or they can get their endorsement dropped by him) so you can make intelligent decisions about your investments. They're not supposed to sell you stuff just because they get a better/larger commission. Might be worth investigating.

(EDIT) added note on commission.

[Ed_Chambley]

I use Ameritrade and have since they were Waterhouse Securities.  Inexpensive if you enjoy trading.

Also, I have a SEP plan with Wells Fargo and ROTH with Bank of Boston.  I currently am steadily moving out of US Dollar backed and acquiring some metals.  Light on Gold heavy on Silver.

I do work with a broker as well.  There are certain things which are available to brokerage houses like IPO's.

Also, I am buying real estate, old radios and amps.

Other than the fluke when internet based companies were running so high, I have made higher gains in amps and radios.  I was fortunate enough the get a couple of IPO's during the internet craze that made great returns.  I could not have gotten them without a broker.

I only sell stocks which have increased in value.  The only way to ever make a return from a non-dividend stock is to sell it when it is up.  It is the only way to make profits.

Like anything, there are many ways to do the same thing.  I usually do not give "Hot Tips," but I think Guns, Beans and Bullets are a pretty good investment right now.

Oh yea, I also have a Commercial Printing Company which I have invested in that has paid great returns over the last 28 years.

I am not a rich man, but I play one on the internet.