Stocks?

[blm]

Technology can have it's downfall though....

Yes it can. It's a very volatile market. Look at the dot-bomb companies. I was a victim of an smaller scale Enron type situation w/a Telecom. Co. in 2000 and I lost my ass.....BIG TIME!

[Control]

I've thought about getting into penny stocks. There's this website www.mcapstocks.com that advises you on what penny stocks to buy for $99 a year. But I don't know anything about that type of stuff. It would be more for fun than a long term investment plan.

[Curls4dGirls]

The data shows that the best risk adjusted returns come from investing in the entire market, which essentially translates to betting on the US economy. To do this, you would need to invest in a total market index fund. Fidelity and Vanguard are the leaders in this area.

The goal of investing is to maximize your risk adjusted return. For example, betting on Sirius might provide a huge upside, but it comes at the price of increased risk. In other terms, say you have $100 to invest in two stocks, A and B. At the end of year 1, your $100 investment in stock A has a 50% probability to be $200 and a 50% probability to be $0. At the end of year 1, your $100 investment in Stock B has a 100% probability to be $101. Which is a better investment?

I'll give you a little more on types of risk and mutual funds later today.

[Bouncer]

Sana works for Smith Barney. She is a Financial advisor if anyone is looking for some help with financial matters and such I will tell her to get on the board and answer some questions.

http://www.smithbarney.com/app-bin/h...omepageServlet

[blm]

Were they based out of Tampa B?

Yeah. Winstar Communications. They ended up going bankrupt and liquidating their $6.4 billion network and assets for $100 million! Then the company who bought them (IDT) ended up closing the doors as well.

That's when I went from 6 figures to a full-time broke ass college student. Now I am back in the work force full swing trying to get back to being ahead, as opposed to being barely comfortable.

[blm]

Sana works for Smith Barney. She is a Financial advisor if anyone is looking for some help with financial matters and such I will tell her to get on the board and answer some questions.

http://www.smithbarney.com/app-bin/h...omepageServlet

Very cool. Good looking out.

[Shibby]

DO NOT BUY SIRIUS RADIO IT IS A DEAD STOCK<<<!!

What is a dead stock?


Also, I'm not sure how a mutual fund is really different than stock trading. Or is that it's not just your money being used so the risks lowers for everyone involved?

[Cory]

I buy into attractive companies at discount prices, make money off of them for a while, and when they start to become unattractive, I sell. If you keep repeating this strategy, you can make alot of money, but it takes a little time and effort on your part and a good amount of research about the companies using internet tools and IBD and so on.

[trip]

GO TO VANGUARD

THEY HAVE A STARTER MUTUAL FUND

INVEST A LITTLE BIT EVERY MONTH


sirius, one of the most volatile stocks in the market, it lives in the red zone, meaning it has yet to make a profit, trust me on this one shib, you put a grand in siruis and it goes to ten a double and you will feel like a genius, in a month or two, it can go back to 4 bucks, and you have knots in your stomach, just go back and look at the chart for the last year

vanguard vanguard vanguard, let a professional do a professional job

[Shibby]

A guy that was on Niel Cavuto said that Sirius is a bad investment, but XM looks like it has a promising future. Something about sinc Sirius spent so much money on Howard Stern, the only person that will ever make money with that company is Stern.

[trip]

well, been following sat radio since 96, when they first started to go for approval from the govt.

whether one wants to believe it or not most stocks in the long get fairly priced based on there making a profit, with the sat radio companies this guys will make a profit and a big one eventually IMHO, there big big problem down the road will be

IMHO, it's a nice deal at 12-13 bucks, commercial free radio, yet, how many customers will they lose if it's at 20 bucks, 25 bucks

let's say xm has 30 million customers that's 400 mil a month, 5 billion a year, after all costs let's say they make 1.5 billion, statistically if that would happen fair value of the stock price is around 80 bucks, cause 30 million is about the max subscribers all inside reports talk about, thus the company never really grows from there, yes you have a cash machine, yet, the business building is done

now, if they only get to 15 million they make 750 million a year, which means around 40-60 bucks etc.

the time to buy xm was dec of o2 for two bucks, which I didn't lol, talked myself out of it, lol long story long story

[Turbo3000]

GO TO VANGUARD

THEY HAVE A STARTER MUTUAL FUND

INVEST A LITTLE BIT EVERY MONTH


sirius, one of the most volatile stocks in the market, it lives in the red zone, meaning it has yet to make a profit, trust me on this one shib, you put a grand in siruis and it goes to ten a double and you will feel like a genius, in a month or two, it can go back to 4 bucks, and you have knots in your stomach, just go back and look at the chart for the last year

vanguard vanguard vanguard, let a professional do a professional job

I went to Vanguard and didn't see the starter mutual fund. I am interested in doing some investing soon. Still in college so it won't be a ton of money.

[Turbo3000]

Have you thought about a mutual fund? I have a Roth IRA (which means you contribute after taxes, but can still pull money out if need be, vs. a Tradiotional Roth that IS tax deductible, but you will be penalized if you take outm oney before a certain age) w/ Vanguard, and a good amount of funds are available with only a $1000 initial deposit. They also can automatically draft from your debit/checking account every month on a certain day. The only reason I mention this is #1- because of the compunding daily interest you get w/ any fund and #2- you said you're looking for something sort of long term. Mutual funds are not like stocks, in that you don't get rich fast. There are several different kind...Aggressive, Value, Large Growth, etc.

I've had mine opened for almost 2 years now, and my contribuiton to gains is about 18% in the positive.

I don't know of any CD that has a 9% return rate. :)

I only found one vangaurd mut fund that had a min of $1000. I would like to start in the 3k range but being a college student with a part time job and a small income from ebay doesn't exactly make it possible for me to save up 3k anytime soon. The STAR fund has a min of 1k and I think I will look at investing in that maybe this summer. I have to spend 2k in the next couple of weeks for a new computer. After the computer I think I am going to start saving for some investments. Thanks for the tip to check out Vanguard.

[trip]

turbo,

I believe the STAR fund is the correct name of that one.

Best thing to do, call em up on the phone, these phone reps are not your ordinary customer call folks, these are professionally trained and licensed investment advisors, you will not be diappointed, there goal is to help you do your best.

good luck

[Shibby]

Update, I started a mutual fund with USAA. Investing $50/mth and it's set at a moderate level. It's one that dosn't have any taxes on it, but it can only go towards my son's college without a penalty. I have a max of $1500/yr that can be put in.