Note: Start Investing with $100 is no longer available as of October 10, 2014.
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I normally start the show notes by giving you some context about the Smart and Simple Matters (SASM) episode.
However, most of that has already been provided in the Start Investing with $100 announcement article.
I spent a ton of time turning this investing specific episode into what actually is a free crash course to Start Investing with $100.
And although 54 minutes of audio might seem like a lot at first, once you listen, you'll understand how much is packed into every last crevice of this episode. I'm actually amazed this didn't turn out to be two hours!
Odds are your brain, pen, and fingers will be trying to take notes so fast that you'll wish I didn't try to do so much in one show. If you're struggling to keep pace, check out the special edition of the transcript where I have a ton of links to resources, definitions, and more.
I'm proud of this episode and confident enough of its value to say that, if you spend only an hour this year getting educated about investing, make it this hour of Smart and Simple Matters.
What You'll Learn
Gosh, where to begin. This is just a partial list to whet your appetite.
In this episode you'll learn about:
- The considerations you must make before investing your first dime.
- The simple – sometimes comically easy – five-step process to select an investment company.
- Why investing increases more than just your financial health.
- How to approach investing with fresh eyes and shed bad habits.
- Why I'm a heretic and disliked by most of the investment industry.
- My surprising answers to the question, “what do I invest in?”
- How the value of your investments can skyrocket…but you still lose money.
- The online course Start Investing with $100 and how it can help.
Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode Include:
- Resources: Investopedia
- Investment Screeners and Tools: Morningstar, TD Ameritrade, Yahoo Finance, Financial Visualizations
Topics
- [03:06] Why I'm doing an investing specific episode
- [08:40] The sequence and considerations to getting started
- [16:28] Overview of picking an investment account structure
- [20:29] Hey Joel! What should I invest in? A.K.A. investing principles.
- [40:14] Socially and environmentally conscious investing
- [42:11] How to select an investment company
- [49:34] Key details about Start Investing with $100
Awesome Ways to Subscribe to the Show
If you're not already subscribed for automatic notifications of a new show, please do so with one of the links below.
- Click here to subscribe with iTunes
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Transcript
- Click here to download the transcript
I'm Grateful for Your iTunes Reviews!
If you enjoyed this specific episode or the Smart and Simple Matters show in general, I always appreciate when people go to the iTunes page and leave an honest review. Every single review is a huge help and received with gratitude!
If you want to make me incredibly thankful, like the people who have recently left an iTunes review, here are the four quick steps (assuming iTunes is already installed):
- Visit the Smart and Simple Matters iTunes page here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/value-simple-podcast-joel/id545208089
- Click the blue button on the left labeled “View in iTunes” below the cover art of the show
- When iTunes loads, scroll down below the “Customer Reviews” section and click the link labeled “Write a Review”
- Write a review with whatever title you like, whatever length you have time for, and give the show an honest rating. If you don't think it deserves five stars, don't rate it as a five star show.
And if you have someone or something you'd like us to cover on an upcoming show, tell us in the comments below.
I’m pretty cautious and pessimistic when it comes to investing. Sure, I fund my 401k like the rest of us, but I’m talking more about actively trading stocks and other securities. It seems like it’s the kind of thing where the rich get richer and average people like me lose their hard earned money. I’m looking forward to giving this podcast a good listen– as I would like a change of perspective!
Ethan,
Investing doesn’t just seem like a place where the rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer. It actually is that way for most people. I’m not looking to level the playing field between the rich and their access to investing resources we could only dream about (e.g. their own team of financial pros). I’m looking to boost the fortune of the average person so they can leverage the powerful tools available to all of us.
I’m never going to make 20% a year on my investments like some of the well-off folks out there. But that’s not my goal. My goal is to handily say to taxes and inflation, “Eat my dust suckas!” Maybe that will be your goal after listening to the podcast.
I’m a maximizer… I can tear myself apart attempting to find the very *best* place to invest. I finally came to terms with the fact that the “best” investment at the moment won’t necessarily be the best investment in the future. Right now I’m a big fan of dividend-bearing stocks, but I feel like I just don’t know enough about anything else to get me out of my rut, so I can’t wait to read all about your advice.
As a fellow maximizer, I totally get your comment Shanna. But you want to know one area of my life where I’m not a maximizer? Investing.
It’s too complex, too stressful, and too hard to track when I apply my default maximizing mode to it. I’ve opted to simplify significantly and be comfortable with good enough on this aspect of my life. There are other aspects that are more important that I want to switch on maximizing mode for. I only mention this to suggest you can turn off maximizing mode and investing can be the perfect place to do it.
Wow, how generous of you, Joel! I know the podcast will be packed with great information.
I’m a pretty cautious investor. I finally opened a retirement account a number of years back and recently convinced my husband to open one as well. But that’s as much as I’m comfortable with. In fact, my feelings toward investing are pretty similar to Ethan’s. I’m actually curious to learn more about socially/environmentally focused investing options, though — it’s always been easier for me to support causes I really believe in! 🙂
There’s not a ton of detail about socially/environmentally responsible investing in this episode. It’s a difficult subject to tackle and a comment from one of my beta testers for SIW100 summed it up nicely. He said, “Socially/environmentally conscious investing is like putting your head in a shark’s mouth. Good decision making is much harder.”
It does seem like there’s a lot of interest from people in this community on socially responsible investing though. Would anyone else like me to create an article or separate resource about socially responsible investing?
I have an investment/saving account with Fidelity that I “dabble” with. I never really know what I am doing because you are allowed to go in and do your own day-trading by yourself. I tried a few penny stocks and some other stuff and had no idea what I was doing lol. Lost quite a bit. I wish I knew a system besides the traditional “put it in some long term SAFE account and cross your fingers and hope” approach. There has to be a better way. I am looking forward to your Investing with $100 program! =-)
There are a lot of better ways Coach. Start Investing with $100 is one of them, although I know of others that would probably suit you based on what you’re describing.
It all starts with “why” though, doesn’t it? Why did you decide to trade a few penny stocks instead of trying to figure out what you were doing first before taking action? Why do you think that a safe investment – meaning preserving your initial investment amount for a guaranteed (small) return – is actually safe once you factor in taxes and inflation? You don’t need to answer these questions of course. But you know better than most that crossing your fingers and hoping isn’t going to work most of the time. 🙂
I’m happy you’re on the Start Investing with $100 pre-launch team though. Hopefully the emails I’ve been sending you and the rest of the team is giving you an idea how you can change your mindset and actions on investing. Compliment those emails and the attached resources with this episode of Smart and Simple Matters and you could be making some good progress even without a course like SIW100.
I remember when I first invested in mutual funds through a deferred compensation program at a former job. I felt like I was in a foreign country trying to learn the language! Luckily, my partner had a lot of experience with investing and helped me choose well and then taught me some of the basics of investing. It can get quite complicated, but I know your course will help people understand investing in a simple, concise way.
Start Investing with $100 is simple, but it’s not concise Bobbi. I intentionally made it more than bite size because the level of education necessary to help people make their own decisions is huge (as you know). I don’t want to give people the wrong impression that it’s going to take fifty hours to get through the course, but those who pick up a pass for the class should know they have their work cut out for them.
I’m glad your introduction to investing was more smooth and more beneficial than most. We should all be fortunate enough to have someone take us under their wing for all our needs in life.
I just signed up for the pre-launch team, Joel. I know absolutely nothing about investing and have been intimidated by the subject for quite some time.
At the same time, simple savings accounts aren’t helping to actually get anywhere other than simply creating a cushion (when possible).
Looking forward to the podcast and the pre-launch!
You sound like the kind of person I’m trying to help with the course Michael. Lacking some knowledge and intimidated by what seems like something that’s too delicate or risky to dive into. I’m happy you’ve joined the pre-launch team, but you’ve missed the first couple of emails with some really rad stuff. Just let me know if you want me to pass those along to you.
Welcome aboard!
Yeah, I’d like to check out those messages. I just sent you an email about it. Thanks!
I agree with most of the comments thus far – I’m not the most optimistic about the whole concept of investing. Other than my Roth IRA, I… well, I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I sometimes play one on TV. I mostly feel like the stock market is a game that interferes with the proper functioning of true free market system. I used to have some stocks that family had bought me when I was younger, but mostly I’d rather invest my money in building my business. I’d need a lot of convincing! I’m curious to listen and see if it changes my perspective at all. 🙂
I am mostly a conservative investor. All of my money is ‘tied up’, as they say, in medical bills now (with an outrageous $620 a month!) so I couldn’t invest no matter what I believe; but I am the Roth/Bond person. Though if I know of a good start-up, I do like or liked to get in on the ground floor. 😉
Hi Lee (the mostly conservative investor who invests in unpredictable start-ups from time to time), 🙂
I know your back story about those medical bills and I wish you had money going to many things other than investing right now. Wouldn’t you say that learning new principles and gathering new skills, even if you can’t use them immediately, is a good use of time? Hopefully that’s what the episode of Smart and Simple Matters did for you. I hope you get to put your money and wisdom where you want to focus on it soon. Be well and stay well!