My Best and Worst Investments Ever

July 12, 2013

Some of the questions that come up a lot in conversations about personal finances deal with the subject of investing. What can I invest in now to make the most money over the next year? What should I invest in now?  What have been your best and worst investments ever?  While the questions about what to do today are not questions that I can answer, the best and worst investment decisions I’ve ever made are questions I could take in a lot of different directions. Continue reading “My Best and Worst Investments Ever”

Bubbles Come in All Shapes and Sizes

July 11, 2013

After reading my colleagues’ blog posts this week about their best and worst investment decisions ever, I’m glad that I was in college until 2000 and missed the dot com bubble of the late 90’s. As a college student, I didn’t have money to invest in the likes of pets.com even if I wanted to. Instead, I got to watch the rise and fall of the “New Economy” stocks from a distance. The only thing better than learning from your mistakes is learning from other people’s mistakes. Continue reading “Bubbles Come in All Shapes and Sizes”

My Best and Worst Investment Decisions Ever

July 08, 2013

If you are considering working with a financial advisor, you need to ask some important questions when deciding if a professional is qualified to help you reach your financial life goals. Last year, I was asked a simple but powerful question that appeared in an interview for a Forbes.com article.  It was actually a two part question that was framed as things that everyone should ask their financial advisor.   Continue reading “My Best and Worst Investment Decisions Ever”

Should I Manage My Investment Account or Use a Financial Advisor?

June 02, 2011

If I had a dime for every time I heard this question – I would have a lot of dimes! This is actually one of those questions I feel shows that an investor has entered the introspective phase of their investing life. The good news here is that the sooner you can answer this question, the quicker you can get on with the business of putting your money to work for you! Continue reading “Should I Manage My Investment Account or Use a Financial Advisor?”

Investments Du Jour – Are They Right for You?

January 13, 2011

Over the holidays I was enjoying a wonderful dinner at my brother-in-law’s house and as is the tradition, a conversation ensued after the meal.  It started off innocently enough, a little banter about politics, careers, vacations and of course the inevitable, investments.  Now I’ve been involved in a lot of conversations surrounding investments and what my opinion is on the investment du jour.  For those of you who frequent my posts, you know that I am a big proponent of sticking to fundamentals in making investment decisions.  So, asking me my thoughts on investments will lead to such topics as: what is the worst thing the investment can do and can you live with the outcome?  How does the investment fit in your overall portfolio?  Do you understand the basics of how the investment works?  I certainly understand that the answers to those questions may not be exciting but a solid investment choice doesn’t necessarily need to be exciting to get the end result we hope for. Continue reading “Investments Du Jour – Are They Right for You?”