Your Investment Portfolio

Investment, in general, is a challenging activity. It requires research and preparation. One of the first steps an investor needs to take is to check his or her “Risk Tolerance (RT)”. Depending on the result of that evaluation, he or she chooses the type of investment that suits his RT. If one is extremely risk-avert, they should stick to the safest possible investment instrument: Leave your money in the bank and collect whatever the bank pays on saving accounts. On the other extreme of the spectrum, if one is an avid risk taker, investing in stocks of new ventures is something he can handle.

The bottom line is to build a portfolio of investment instruments. Don’t rely on one venue only. A typical portfolio may look like this: 20% liquid cash, 20% high risk stocks, 40% stable, blue-chip stocks, and 20% in other instruments like HYIP’s or term investments such as advertising programs, and the likes.

The above is my own view of a reasonable investment portfolio. I’m sure different investors would come up with different portfolios that suit their stage in life, their RT, and their long-term objectives and vision.

A question may arise: How do I know my RT level? Just go online and look for tests. You will find hundreds of them. Try to pick something from a reliable source.

Please revisit the HYIP post before risking any money in that instrument, for it is highly unpredictable investment, fueled by hype. Can you find reliable ones? That requires deliberate research on your part.

For all online instruments, other than stocks, you will need to have an account with an e-currency payment processor, such as PayPal, Liberty Reserve, Perfect Money, AlertPay, or Solid Trust Pay. Those are the famous ones. Once you sign-up for an account, you need to fund it, then use it to invest in whatever online investment program you choose.

Please be aware that the online investing landscape is full of scam, maybe more than 90%. Before depositing real money, try to investigate the program, through search engines and monitoring sites. And even when you decide to deposit, start small, test the waters, withdraw your initial deposit once it has made enough profit, then increase your involvement gradually. Always retrieve your principal first, and risk your profits. This strategy is called: Zero-loss (my own strategy and term).

For stock investment, you need to open an investing account (sometimes it’s called a “Discount Brokerage Account), either through your bank, or independently (for example, E-Trade or something similar). The account would allow you to buy and sell stocks through a broker, but you can do that online, without the need to actually talk to or communicate with the broker, unless you have a problem, which is rare these days.

There is a lot to say about the logistics of investing and the process of choosing the right investment for you. Please post your question or comment if you need more information on this topic.

Happy Investing!

The Wealth Maker