Where should I invest my money?

So, where do I put my money, Jack?

I strongly believe that no one can tell you what investment strategy is right for you. If you are looking for guidance, I would employ a fee-based financial adviser.

That is not what I wanted to hear!

I realize that, but lets be frank: I don't know you, or your lifestyle.

You may have a unusually high or low risk tolerance, or a new, intricate investment pattern you know it 'fool-proof'. Or you may have insider information about the state of the fundamentals of companies - more then an adviser, or a blogger on-line can possibly have access to.

I would advise anyone that is looking into investing, especially in stock markets, is to READ. Read everything you can about everything to do with your investment before putting your money into it.

Good places to help you get a grasp of investing:

• Investorpedia
• Finance Blogs
• Magazine-based sites (Globe & Mail, Moneysense, etc.) - Beware the rampant bias.
• Library books

There are many others sources for information on investing, because, lets face it, everyone likes to believe they can get rich from investing, and everyone wants to know how, so writing about it (and selling that 'advice') is very popular.

I think it's fair to say that almost all financial advice is a little bit biased, and I think that is due to the fact that so many people feel 'strongly' about the subject matter. This can lead to some people having some very intense (and often, unhealthy) emotions about dealing with income, bills, and investments.

Jack, I feel nervous about my money.

I believe a little nervousness is not a bad thing. Obviously, if you have trouble sleeping at night (a popular sign that you invested in a risky venture above your tolerance), then you need to make a change.

If you don't feel any nervousness investing your life-savings in a risky emerging markets stock, then you may need to speak with a financial adviser, and be told, in person the risks and repercussions of such actions.

If you are interested in learning about two of the most popular amateur investing styles, please read my post on Dividend investing vs Index investing.

In the end, no one can tell you what is perfectly correct for you; not even a highly-trained financial adviser can read your mind and know exactly what you really want.

Only you can know your investing inner-desires through conscious effort and learning.





Have you invested your money already?
Where did you invest it?
Let me know!