New here - Is it wise for me to invest now? (IRAs, mutual fund)
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Sorry, there is no need to stay out of the market while learning how to invest. It is more important to start putting money in and to take advantage of that compounding over 35 years...
Agreed. Throw a few grand at the market in an ETF/mutual fund and see how it does while you learn. The sooner you start, the better.
Yeah, you're not going to go wrong investing in a mutual fund or ETF that's indexed to the S&P 500 or to the total US Stock Market. And the sooner you can get started investing, the better! Just understand that done properly, investing is a long-term game, and is about as exciting as watching paint drying. Put money in regularly, diversify across asset classes (US stocks, international stocks, bonds, real estate, and cash), and don't react to market swings, and in 40 years you'll be pleased with the results.
Sorry, there is no need to stay out of the market while learning how to invest. It is more important to start putting money in and to take advantage of that compounding over 35 years.......
The OP said he's new to investing and you want him to just JUMP in there immediately? He should take at least one year to learn the basics of investing, stocks, bonds, etc. and use that year to add more to paying down his mortgage. After one year or so of learning the basics of just what a Stock is, what a Bond is, what the "Stock Market" means, etc., now start out in the market.
Why the hell would you guys advise somebody to start investing in something he knows absolutely nothing about?
once again poor advice. you do not need to know everything about how a baby is formed to be good parents.
he needs to just understand a bit about his pucker factor and invest a bit of money in an index fund and see how he reacts when it falls.
if he isn't freaking out do a little google search and their are fine portfolio recommendations you can put together and be quite well positioned while learning.
that is how we all learned. there isn't one of us that spent a year learning before we bought our first fund.
once again poor advice. you do not need to know everything about how a baby is formed to be good parents.
he needs to just understand a bit about his pucker factor and invest a bit of money in an index fund and see how he reacts when it falls.
if he isn't freaking out do a little google search and their are fine portfolio recommendations you can put together and be quite well positioned while learning.
that is how we all learned. there isn't one of us that spent a year learning before we bought our first fund.
He doesn't know what a factor is, he doesn't know what an index fund is.....the guy said he's brand spanking NEW mathjak. Did you read his post?
Okay, don't take a year then, take 6 months. You don't want to take 6 months, take 1 month. Just learn what a Stock is, or a Bond is, before you throw money in it. I'm assuming the guy doesn't know anything about the investment vehicles. Lol, mathjak you guys are a trip.
i sure did read it. it takes 5 minutes to google all he needs to know to buy his first fund . all he has to do is buy a total market fund and if he wants, a bond fund and he is good to go whether he knows any more than that or not. experience will be his best teacher.
how many posters here bought their first funds more or less blind ? i know i did
He doesn't know what a factor is, he doesn't know what an index fund is.....the guy said he's brand spanking NEW mathjak. Did you read his post?
Okay, don't take a year then, take 6 months.
How about an afternoon? That's about as long as it will take him to read Personal Finance for Dummies and The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing.
When it comes to no load indexed mutual funds, there's just not all that much to learn. (Especially if he's investing via a 401k, where he'll be limited to the options offered to him by his company.)
Now if he wants to get into the real estate/landlord game, or dabble in commodities, or pick individual stocks, that's an entirely different story. He should stay away from those areas and just stick with indexed stock and bond funds until he's a lot more knowledgeable.
i sure did read it. it takes 5 minutes to google all he needs to know to buy his first fund . all he has to do is buy a total market fund and if he wants, a bond fund and he is good to go whether he knows any more than that or not. experience will be his best teacher.
how many posters here bought their first funds more or less blind ? i know i did
Man, you guys argue with me just for the hell of it. Now you are arguing about me telling a guy to take time and research/learn about an investment before he makes it? Please tell me how could he possibly go "wrong" with that advice?
If you are NEW to investing then you should stick with what you know right now, until you fully comprehend the risks, benefits, drawbacks, etc. of other types of investments.
I would put the extra money into paying off the real estate for right now, AFTER you fully comprehend investing in Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, etc. then you can proceed with that route. Give yourself some time to truly learn what it is you are investing in, give it 1-2 years, in the meantime send those extra payments to your mortgage. At about 31 you can start putting some money into the higher risk investments and seeking to make higher returns from 31 - 65, once you hit 65 I would pull out of the higher risk investments.
he does not need years to learn . he needs a few days reading at best to buy index funds and get his feet wet.. this ain't rocket science.
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