Hi everyone. I’ve been a lurker here for a year, trying to make sense of what smart folks are saying about stocks and finance. I’ve had some luck running online businesses, and for the past three years I’ve wanted to invest the profits from my businesses. Unfortunately, my complacent attitude prevented me from making an effort to start my education about the financial world.
The last year has been a huge blow to my ego and sense of self. Folks have made a great deal of money investing in index funds and whatnot. The stock market is at historic highs. And I feel like I missed the boat by days. Here I am standing at the dock with my suitcases, and I can’t even see the distant silhouette of the ship. I’m arriving at the New Year party in June.
Having said that, I’m trying not to beat myself up too much for being a close-minded moron. The way I see it now (and please correct me if I’m being delusional), I had the drive and disciple to make money from other businesses, so if I open my mind to another realm of knowledge (finance and investing), with patience and discipline, I can learn enough to not be miserable at it. It’s a pretty low bar I’m setting for myself, so as not to be unrealistic in my expectations.
The advice I now seek concerns where to start. My mathematics skills go as far as Cambridge International A Level Mathematics (I’m sorry, I don’t know the US equivalent). I’m not bad at grasping complex concepts, I think I do alright. Negative character traits are: emotional, reactionary, impatient. I have improved in the last few years, so I’m less impatient and emotional now than I was a few years ago.
Some more information that might be helpful: I moved to Europe from a third-world country. The only way I knew how to make money was by working my ass off. Where I’m from, investing in stock market is a very opaque activity for the middle-class. The only way we knew how to “save money” was by purchasing gold jewelry which, of course, didn’t make you any more money. I’m conditioning myself to be in alignment with the reality of advanced economies. It’s very important that I do if I want to ever make any money with my money.
Therefore, my education will have to be more than academic in nature. I’m trying to embrace the world I now live in, where there’s everything from BRK-A to BCH and FB to TSLA. I’m fearful of being left behind in the dust as the world whooshes past me.
I apologize for this call-for-help/rant, but I really wanted to pour my heart out.
TL;DR > Where should a moron with no knowledge of finance and investing start? Books, videos, etc. No textbooks please.
P.S. I am an admirer of Nassim Taleb (Black Swan, Antifragile), Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow), William Easterly (The Tyranny if Experts). Have a dislike for IYIs, but I try to keep an open mind. Again, I don’t know if I’m even admiring the right people. So please feel free to nudge me in the right direction.
Thank you for reading.
Submitted December 24, 2017 at 09:26AM by OvermanGreen http://ift.tt/2l7bxya
