3 ms·

Bummer. My Get-Marginally-Richer-Very-Quickly scheme is ruined!

• trotsky 15y ago
  It's really for the best. Trading like that it's much easier to end up on the wrong side of than it appears from the outside. Take that $200 and put it in a roth ira or similar - you 20 years from now will appreciate it.
  • nostromo 15y ago
    This is generally good advice, but I'd point out two things: 1) It's only $200. Even the most conservative investors will often put aside 5% or 10% of their portfolio for active investing. 2) 10 years ago, the S&P 500 was around $125 a share, and is now about $130. If we have another decade like that, $200 invested in the S&P 500 10 years ago will be a whopping $216 after being invested 20 years -- barely keeping ahead of inflation.
    • trotsky 15y ago
      I agree it's not always good advice, but I do think it's good advice for someone without investing experience and of limited means when they ask about day trading a stock on its IPO day. You can of course actively manage your investments in a roth just fine, but cap gains don't incur a tax liability.
    • jerf 15y ago
      This infographic is so good I just can't resist whipping it out every time it's even remotely related to the conversation: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/02/business/20110102-metrics-graphic.html http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/02/business/20110...
      • nostromo 15y ago
        Fantastic link, thanks! I'm amazed that money invested in 1928 was negative in real dollars if withdrawn in 2011. It's also interesting how devastating inflation can be -- notice how the great depression and the dot com bubble look mild compared to stagflation in the 1970s.