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Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

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Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#21

Post by nwomack »

Bostonian wrote: post #2

Go to Bogleheads https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Getting_started . There is an active forum https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php . Bogleheads is named after Jack Bogle, the late founder of the Vanguard family of funds and a champion of stock index funds. Bogleheads is not the place to learn about crypto or FX trading. They generally advise against non-traditional investments.

I would start with bogleheads. I also always recommend people start with bogleheads and learning about 3 fund investing.

However I feel they are slightly too conservative especially if you are young. If you are following their bond advise right now you are getting crushed for no good reason, and Warren Buffet would be the first to point this out.

But still, having the majority of money in a total market fund is sort of a “no brainer”, and reading this will explain why.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#22

Post by chollida1 »

vubui wrote: post #12

Skin in the game is the start. Don’t read, don’t research first. This will give you about a year of procrastination being an intellectual and probably textbook overthinker. But some stock, start there then answer your own questions. Don’t start backward. Don’t even read or “follow the legend”. How many who have read Buffet and have become rich like him? None. Forge your own path. Or join wallstreetbet, superstonk, et…

Can you give an example of what you'd learn from wallstreetbets or superstonk that you wouldn't learn from more main stream channels that would make you a better investor?

I follow those channels almost daily and I'm not sure I've learned anything of value from them that would make me a better investor.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#23

Post by whitepoplar »

Read any of William Bernstein's books. The Investor's Manifesto is a good one.

If you don't want to engage in the emotional rollercoaster of price, it's a good idea to set your investments on autopilot--have your broker automatically buy a certain amount each month without having to think about it. Don't touch it! (Except for rebalancing)

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#24

Post by rapfaria »

DeathArrow wrote: post #3
Bostonian wrote: post #2

Go to Bogleheads https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Getting_started . There is an active forum https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php . Bogleheads is named after Jack Bogle, the late founder of the Vanguard family of funds and a champion of stock index funds. Bogleheads is not the place to learn about crypto or FX trading. They generally advise against non-traditional investments.

Thank you!

After learning for years, I settled on Jack Bogle's reversion to the mean, and put 75% of the money in VOO, and 25% I do stock picking.

I check this stuff once a month (I'm not in the US, can't have admiral shares), and than forget about it.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#25

Post by vubui »

alecst wrote: post #15
vubui wrote: post #12

Skin in the game is the start. Don’t read, don’t research first. This will give you about a year of procrastination being an intellectual and probably textbook overthinker. But some stock, start there then answer your own questions. Don’t start backward. Don’t even read or “follow the legend”. How many who have read Buffet and have become rich like him? None. Forge your own path. Or join wallstreetbet, superstonk, et…

Ah yes, the famous Warren Buffett who forged his own path by shirking his education and investing in meme stocks.

And OP, this is an example. This is exactly the point.

Stopping at the phrase “meme stock” and being so arrogant that they are never going to get it.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#26

Post by sokoloff »

You’ve got some good recommendations here. To them, I’ll add: don’t procrastinate endlessly. Find a plan that seems reasonable and start now.

If you want to keep learning, feel free, but I’d set a date no later than Jan 31, 2022 to have made your first investment according to the plan.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#27

Post by devoutsalsa »

Keep this in mind as you are learning:

- people trying to sell you stuff will say things like “if you believe X has the potential to become the next dominant investment trend…”, because they make money on selling you speculative advice that is essentially worthless

- when people say “the market”, they generally mean broadly diversified indexes like the S&P 500

- no one can beat the market over time with any continued success, and anyone claiming to be able to do that for you wouldn’t need your money to make gains for themselves

- whatever you invest in, pay super close attention to the fees, because the higher the fees, the lower your returns will be

- internalize the phrase “time in the market beats timing the market”, and learn what it really means

- If the only thing you ever did was invest in a total market index fund with low fees, you’ll probably be pretty happy with the results over time

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#28

Post by ramesh31 »

Stay away from active investing. I run a fintech investing app and the only investments I have are whatever my 401k is doing. I don't know and don't care about anything else the market is doing.

Why? It consumes you. When you're actively investing you become a slave to CNBC, futures charts, and 1 minute tickers. You'll start waking up at 4am to watch the premarket. You'll spend an inordinate amount of time chasing returns that, in all likelihood, will end up less than tracking the market, to the detriment of your family, health, and career.

Re: Ask HN: How to start learning about investments?

#30

Post by dninednjwryv »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #27

Keep this in mind as you are learning: - people trying to sell you stuff will say things like “if you believe X has the potential to become the next dominant investment trend…”, because they make money on selling you speculative advice that is essentially worthless - when people say “the market”, they generally mean broadly diversified indexes like the S&P 500 - no one can beat the market over time with any continued…

People absolutely beat the market over time. The investment world when they say no one beats the market, are referring to investment managers moving billions of dollars. As a regular guy, you can. It’s sad to see this terrible advice repeated ad nauseam
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