is investing for real people? i ask this because i don't know too many people who actually invest, outside of maybe a retirement/pension plan if their job offers it.

if you invest, should you start with what little you have (if you have any extra money you can afford to lose) and hope it grows, or should you wait til you're balling to get started?

is the volatility in the market something to be scared of? it's dropped over 1,000 points in recent days and it's scaring lots of reporters and taking chunks out of people's investments. is it worth the hassle?

When I get some time, I'd like to take a spare chunk and risk it. I would want to invest it in a product or company I already support...so that I'm a consumer and investor.

I don't know much about it...but it would be on my list once i have time to sit down and think about it.

i must not be alone in not knowing people who invest... maybe it's a black thing...

I don't know many Black people who invest in securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds), etc. or anything else for that matter. Maybe it's the intangibility of not seeing the money, maybe it's lack of trust or maybe it's lack of funding. It could also be lack of information. It takes discipline and automatic deductions to really get involved in securities. And you're really supposed to invest fully in your company's 401K/403B first, then an IRA fund, and then securities/real estate if you have extra money left over each money.

I had heard about those little old ladies throughout America getting rich so decided to try it, too, about 6 years ago. First, I tried to start a small investment club with my family and they all balked at putting up $25 per month so that we could collectively grow our money. I knew it was fear. Then I tried to start an investment club with some other Black people at my job. They're all accountants like me and I thought for sure that they would be for it. To my surprise only one other person wanted to do it out of 9 Black accountants. I was really upset with them. At that point, I decided to invest in real estate and haven't looked back since. [I should be getting a check for $50k in December.] So you have to decide what you like best and what works for you. The people I'm involved with now choose real estate because it's tangible and pays every month. Cash flow is the name of the game for people who like to get paid monthly. They don't like the volatility of the stock market. But I'm thinking of taking my proceeds at the end of this year and putting them into a mix of stock and bond mutual funds. They're a little safer than investing in stocks directly but not as conservative as bonds and CD's. It's a matter of choice I guess.


Check out http://www.better-investing.org/Public/default

how come looking at the social security situation and seeing how old people live today has got me spooked

how come i know that if i don't wanna work now, why in the hayle should i think i'ma wanna work at 76?

how come i'ma start investing - i been reading stuff

how come the older i get, the more i realize that if you don't come up in the world and control your own ends, you don't have the freedom to revolutionize anything

how come i see investment as a tool to get more financial freedom, so that one day, my wellbeing won't be tied to ability to hold a job working for someone else

how come when you've got nothing to lose, you can be as bad as you wanna be

how come two examples of that - the poverty-stricken, who break laws because the worst that can happen is jail, where at least the meals are free and consistent, AND the independently wealthy, who do, go, and say whatever they want

how come that's still limited, because all freedom in this country is an illusion, but i still want as much as i can get

how come the challenge is to avoid becoming a slave to the pursuit of money, even while its attainment can help you avoid being a slave to your boss...

how come that's capitalism for you

how come this ain't the how come thread?

I've wanted to do it for a while, but I finally started investing in stock earlier this year. I've been putting in a little at a time. I've been trying to pick stocks with a good potential for growth. I know the tech market better than any other, so that's where most of my investments are. I want to diversify, so now I'm considering some stuff in the food/restaurant industry.

I know lots of people who invest. One of my first choices for major was International business but I was interested in investing lonnnnngggg before that. Like Vincent says, you have to find a product you like. Property is not my thing at this time but mutual funds are aight. If you're nervous you can take a small amount, between 3-5, and put it into a fund that is not too aggressive. That way you risk low and lose low. Down side is you also gain low with those but it's for a long run. Plus a mutual fund can give you access to some products which would be hard for you to secure as an individual. Right now with the crisis commodities are a hot buy but even that's kind of volatile due the market being built on speculation. With the gov bailing out everybody confidence began to increase before market close yesterday. Therefore gold fell a bit but hell it ain't over yet.