stocks and bonds...

[cokey]

I searched and didn't a thread specific to them..  I know its a touchy subject for some and I know there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here..  I've always wanted to try my hand in stocks.. not as a main source of income and for longterm gain..  firs ? Is if anyone knows of a good site to start at or should I stay away from trading websites all together?  Is it easy to find a certain company from the index?   With bonds, where's a good place to buy them?  I have ing and they do bonds but the longest I've seen is 5 years..  I've heard of 10 yr bonds though.  Is there a limit on term or is thete a bond that just keeps accumulating untill you're ready to cash out?


I want start some bonds inmy 6 month old daughters name..

[DucofWestwood]

my recommendation would be to avoid individual equities - too much risk for someone starting out - unless this is pure gambling money for you, in which case have at it. 

the safer bet might be mutual funds, or even an index fund (like something that mirrors the S&P500 ... that way, as the overall market goes up over time, so does your investment).  there are many of them, just google it.  it's hard to beat the S&P overall. 

interest rates are low right now, so not the best time to buy bonds.  however, bonds are less risky than stocks; but the trade-off is that, in general, bonds have a lower return.

there's lots to be said on this subject and on general management of personal finances overall - like first pay-off all your credit card debt (b/c you're unlikely to generate a return on investment that exceeds the interest rate you're paying on credit card debt), then max out your 401(k) contribution (if you have that available to you), etc., etc. 

you could also look into starting a college savings plan (called a "529 plan") that has some tax advantages for saving for your daughter's college expenses.

if you're just starting out, you might want to pick-up a "for dummies" book on personal finances.  (i don't mean that in a condescending way; i personally like those books and think they lay-out the basics in an easy-to-follow way.)

[1KDS]

If you want long term growth,
find an Edward Jones (or the like) guy and set up a roth or traditional ira.  You can buy stocks or most anything else under the umbrella of an ira.

For fun,
start an ameritrade or etrade account and research what to buy.  I have some Berkshire Hathaway, Ford, and Ingersoll Rand that have been pretty good to me.  I bought Ford during the bailout era and it has more than tripled.

[kopfjäger]

NEW E*TRADE Baby - Girlfriend

[cokey]

yea my company matches up to 10% and max is20%..  I'm thinking long term like 15-20 years.. even something small like a bond will gain a lot in thatamount of time correct?  Ill lookinto the books..   I was thinking of starting in one of the web sites, just didn't know which is better..

[superjohn]

Stick with index funds if you are investing large amounts for retirement. It takes a lot of time and research to accurately play the market on individual equities, so for the casual investor it's easier and smarter to spread that investment out.

If you want to play around though, as others have suggested, get an E-trade account or something and treat it like gambling money in Vegas. Only put in what you can afford to lose. Don't re-up and just continue re-investing any growth. And under no circumstances borrow money or buy on margin.

[zooom]

you can also look into Share Builder which allows you to buy pieces of a shre or a group if there is a minimum....

[1KDS]

yea my company matches up to 10% and max is20%..  I'm thinking long term like 15-20 years.. even something small like a bond will gain a lot in thatamount of time correct?  Ill lookinto the books..   I was thinking of starting in one of the web sites, just didn't know which is better..

10%?! Lucky mofo, I get 3.5%.  I don't know which sites are better, I use TD Ameritrade and it works for me

[Veloce-Fino]

Avoid individual securities, you will end up hanging from your rafters...


Look into mutual funds, also consider starting a RothIRA before the federal government outlaws them. As stated before an index fund is always acceptable for a more secure investment.

I work with Oppenheimer and American Funds. Oppenheimer is open for anyone to use, AF requires an advisor.

Good luck.

[DucofWestwood]

yea my company matches up to 10% and max is20%.. 

dude if your company matches some portion of your contribution to a 401(k), it's a no-brainer to max that out.  that employer match is like a guaranteed return that most likely you couldn't beat by investing on your own.  it's not as "sexy" as trading stocks, but it's the wise move from a financial stand-point.  my $0.02.

[cokey]

Oh I deff have it maxed out..