Want in on the stock market but have no idea how to get started?
​
It is no secret that the super rich owe the majority of their wealth to capital gains from the stock market.
​
Although I have yet to join their ranks (wink wink!), for years I have actively invested my own money in a self-directed brokerage account and successfully grown my wealth.
​
I have always enjoyed discussing stocks with clients. I have found that although many successful gentlemen already invest their own money as I do (or are satisfied with paying someone else to do it for them), others have not had time to learn about how investing works.
Of the latter group, many have asked me to teach them.
​
One thing led to another, and I eventually put together my own beginner's guide to investing in index funds (which is the easiest way to grow your wealth as a DIY, buy-and-hold investor!)
​
​
​Investing 101
​
Investing means, in essence, to make money with money. What could be better than making money that you don't have to work for?
​
If you've been keeping all of your cash in a savings account that yields a mere ~2% per year or less, you are missing out big time.
​
I've met many gentlemen and friends who are keeping tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings accounts like this. They--you!--could be earning far, far more with that money.​​
​
​
The stock market and compound interest
The stock market as a whole has historically yielded an average gain of about 8% per year after inflation. If you recall how compound interest works from math class, the difference between 2% and 8% is massive when it comes to building wealth over the long-term.
​
If you invest $25,000/year at a 2% annual percentage gain (i.e., if you continue to put this money in your lame savings account), you will have $619,582.93 in 20 years (for the sake of simplicity, I disregard taxes in these calculations).
​
If, however, you invest the same amount of money each year and get an average return of 8% per year, you will have $1,235,573.04 in 20 years--making you a millionaire with plenty to spare!
​
You could quit your job at that point, live off the interest earned from that principal amount (about $98,000/year on average before taxes), and never have to work again.
Unless you come from money and already know how all of this works (in which case you should stop reading this and book me already), that probably sounds pretty good.
​
​
So how can the average person do this themselves?
​
The answer is index funds, and it's not complicated at all!
​
If you'd like to learn an easy, step-by-step DIY approach to investing in index funds (and thereby capturing that sweet 8% average annual gain), I will teach you how.
​
Legal disclaimer: I am not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. My advice is to be taken merely as peer-to-peer sharing of knowledge. All investment involves risk, and there is no guarantee that historic market trends will continue into the future. I cannot be held responsible for any money lost.
​
The Beginner's Guide to Investing with Index Funds
​
$25
​
Includes:
​
-
My step-by-step game plan for setting a monthly budget, detailed tips for saving more money and limiting debt, building an emergency fund (including what that is and why it's important to have one before you start investing), and opening a self-directed investment account
-
Newbie-friendly explanations of investing concepts like:
-
Realized and unrealized gain/loss
-
Average cost per share
-
Margin (and why I recommend never using it)
-
Long and short-term capital gains (and what this means when it comes to taxes)
-
Divided reinvestment
-
Market/stop/limit orders
-
-
What index funds (also known as exchange-traded funds, or ETFs) vs. individual stocks are
​ -
Why it is important to diversify your portfolio to reduce risk
​ -
What "buy and hold" means and why I recommend it as your primary or only investing strategy
​ -
Why you should not panic-sell when prices drop, and what to do instead
​ -
Introductions to economics topics that will help you better understand the stock market and long-term investing, such as:
-
Inflation and how it affects money stored in standard savings accounts and wage rates
-
Historic bear markets such as the Dotcom Bubble and the Great Recession
-
The Federal Reserve and monetary policy
​ -
A list of suggested ETFs that provide broad-spectrum access to the stock market as well as specific market sectors to get your portfolio started
-
Access to any future revisions of guide upon request
Email me to purchase. Payment must be rendered via Venmo.
​
Purchase includes receipt of my 15-page guide in .PDF format. Please note that because I have reduced the cost of my guide, access to personalized advice and assistance is no longer included.