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The Signs That You Are Addicted To Investing

By Andrew Block


Investing and using your money to make more money is something that all of us try to do in one form or another. The desire to put our money to work for us and to gain more money in the process beats digging a hole and burying it in the back yard any day of the week. Investing can become an addition and one that destroys savings, families and lives every year. Is your investing becoming something bigger than life and threatening to take over your life?

The emotions that follow a successful investment are unlike any other that you may ever experience. Finding a solid investment vehicle and researching the investment. Looking at the market carefully and then coming up with a game plan is thrilling. You enter the market and invest your money and then this is where the real fun starts. You're in and your heart is beating in your chest. You watch with anticipation as it all plays out as you had hoped. You sell off the investment, collect your reward and the rush of emotions flood your body. There is nothing like it in the world and you're hooked. You want that feeling again and again but you know that this thrill is only part of the process of investing.

Allowing these emotions to grab hold of us and begin to rule us can happen very quickly if we're not careful. The mistake many of us make is to believe that if we make money in an investment then we are a winner. Likewise, it's tempting to feel that if an investment turns on us and we lose money then we are the opposite of a winner or a loser. This can lead us to chase those positive emotions and make poor decisions when it comes to investing in hope of not feeling like a loser. This is where the addiction begins.

It can be tempting to check the status of your investments a couple of times a day. The childlike glee that we get when we see that an investment has improved or a stock has gone up in price brings a smile to our face. Of course, if you find yourself glued to the computer screen refreshing the page you might have a problem. If you mood and how you feel about yourself and those around you is affected by what you see then you need to check your emotions. Being nervous or overly concerned about an investment that you have researched and done your due diligence with is insanity. You have safeguards in place, such as stops and sell orders, which will take care of losing too much money and selling your stock or option when your predetermined price has been reached. Also, if you find yourself moving your stops and sell orders because you don't want to lose or because you are feeling greedy then you might have a problem.

Going to extremes to find stock tips or advice about investments from dubious sources is another sign that you might be dealing with an addiction rather than a desire to make good investment decisions. Subscribing to stock tip newsletters that tell you which stocks or investments are primed to move on any given day is a sign that you're grasping at straws for investment advice. Often these newsletters themselves are the reason behind the jump in price and the owners of the newsletter have already put their money in place and are simply using people like you to pump the price up artificially. Steer clear of nameless, faceless advice. You are being used and this is not investment advice at all that you are receiving.

There's a pretty good chance that you have a type of investment that you prefer. There is probably an area that you have some specialized knowledge in or a keen interest. You enjoy learning more about stock, bond, futures, foreign exchange or precious metals investing. While you might have always dreamed of branching out and learning about other forms of investing, jumping into an investment without having a good knowledge of the market because of emotions is a bad move. It can be tempting to take the advice of a good friend or business partner but check your motives. Are you investing because you have an interest in the investment or because you want to turn a quick buck? Look before you leap and understand the market unless you are fully prepared to lose the money that you're investing anyhow.

Often the bottom is reached and a good investor turned back realizes his or her folly as they figuratively lay in the gutter looking up at a loved one after they invested a good portion of money that they shouldn't have. Investing money that was put aside to pay bills or in a savings account for a child's education or for a special purpose is often the last straw. Lying to yourself or your spouse or partner about money is a sure sign that you have a problem. Withholding the truth is also just another form of lying and if you find yourself tempted to invest money that has not been set aside for investing then it's time to stop and take a careful look at yourself and your behavior. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your spouse or partner. It might be the best thing that you ever did in your life and you very well might avoid total financial and emotional ruin if you have a problem.

Investing is a wonderful thing to do with your money. Over the long run, you will find that if you make intelligent choices based upon both facts and your feel for a market, you can do very well. The temptation to let your emotions get the better of you and force you to make decision that you otherwise might never make is a sign that something is wrong. Take this seriously. You obviously have a talent and a desire to make more of your life. Keep your emotions in check and don't let investing become an addiction for you.




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3 Considerations When Buy Physical Gold For Investing

By Andrew Block


Buying gold and investing in precious metals may leave you pondering more than a few questions. Making the decision to invest in gold, silver, platinum or palladium is a good idea but how you invest can sometimes leave new investors confused and frustrated. Where is the best place to buy gold and where will you get the best price when purchasing precious metals? Should you buy gold coins or should you choose gold ingot or bullion? Where should you keep your gold and what is involved with storing your investment?

While many investors are turning to gold and other precious metals for various reasons, the fact that you will have a physical asset that is known all over the world should give you some security. Knowing that your money is literally backed by physical gold that will always be valuable no matter what happens in this world might be your primary reason for buying the shiny metals. The one often unspoken reason for investing in gold is the shear thrill of owning gold. The childlike glee that is experienced when you first hold your own gold simply can not be denied. All of us have probably thought of this at one time or another. It may have been many years ago when you were little but you have to admit that at one point in your life you probably dreamed of owning some gold.

The type or form of gold that you will buy will depend upon a few factors. You should think about the future and what you might possibly do with your gold. Will you hold onto it and cash out when the economy gets better or are you hoping to use it as an investment that you will draw from over time? Your options are to buy either coins, of where there are many different types, or bullion or ingots. All different types of gold and ingot or bars of gold are readily available to you but you will wind up paying more for gold coins than you will for ingots, typically. The minting process and the collectible value often dictates a higher price than gold bars. You might consider a combination of both coins and bars to diversify your portfolio of precious metals as well as look into different metals to capitalize on the price fluctuations and growth potential of each kind of metal. Owning various weights or values of coins or bars is also recommended. This allows you some flexibility in the future if you decide to sell some of your gold.

An easy way to look at this would be to imagine that your investment is a ten dollar bills. While having ten dollars is great, imagine that if you wanted to buy something you would need exact change or else pay someone to break that ten dollars into change. As a forward thinking investor you might ask for a five dollar bill, a two dollar bill, two singles, two quarters, three dimes, three nickels and twenty pennies or some combination such as this. Your initial investment might be a little more expensive because you're buying several different assets but in the long run, if you are planning on selling some of your gold it will be easier. On the other hand, if you have no plans of selling until the time is right and then liquidating your entire stock of gold then buying larger bars will be more economical.

There are many different places where you can buy gold these days. You can check with your local bank or seek out a local business that sells the kind of gold that you're looking for. You can also invest with a gold company that specializes in the sale of gold and precious metals. Try to find a reputable company that you can trust. Prices and the customer service that you will find from one company to the next can vary. You may find that some of these companies won't sell you gold if the amount that you're hoping to invest isn't high enough. This fact is nothing to be offended over. It is simply an economic fact that they must turn a profit and the more money you invest, the easier it is for them to make a profit and provide you with a competitive price.

If you're hoping to enter the gold market for the first time and you simply want to get your feet wet with a few coins or ingot, that's fine. Everybody has to start somewhere. You may be able to find a local business that sells gold or you can look into auctions as another resource. Of course, the price that you receive might not be as competitive as you will find with a larger gold company using a larger investment amount but this might be an option if you are simply hoping to accumulate some gold for the thrill of the experience.

Where to store your gold is something that you should think of before placing your order. After all, it's a good idea to know where your gold should be shipped as well as have a plan in place to secure your investment once it arrives. Small quantities of gold stored in your home is always an option but the risk becomes higher with larger quantities. Many people choose to store their gold at their local bank in a safe-deposit box. It is secure there and readily available during bank hours. If you want, the gold company that you bought your gold from can store it for you if you choose to open an IRA or retirement account with them. With gold companies becoming more competitive, it is possible to find one that offers a reasonable, flat fee instead of a percentage of the value of your investment dollars. Do your research and you can find some good deals out there on IRA accounts that include segregated storage also.

While storing a small amount of gold in your home might sound like fun, you should consider adding your investment to your homeowners insurance. Your agent can help you to take care of this for you. Alternately, you can rent a safe-deposit box at your local bank, if you don't have one already. Prices are relatively low and you won't have to worry about insurance. Keeping a few pieces of gold around the house where you can see them on a regular basis or hold them can be quite motivational but you should always consider security above all else. Either keeping your gold under lock and key and buying insurance might be a good idea.

Investing in gold might sound a little complicated at first but learning about investing in gold and precious metals is interesting. You might find that as your knowledge grows you wish to learn more about the precious metals market. Owning such metals is a unique experience and one that every investor should experience. Whether you're hoping to make a profit from investing in gold or you simply wish to hold an investment that you can feel with your hands and see with your eyes, gold is the perfect investment vehicle. Experience what it's like to own gold and you will never look at investing the same again.




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