[HDTony]

I just opened an Ameritrade account yesterday. I'm finnally trading online. Are any of you playing around with this also? Got any tips for me, I need to learn the ins and outs of this stuff.

I never really bought stockes before but I have done really well on my companys stock options in the past. I figure it's a good time to start playing with everything being in the tiolet.

 

[Meulen]

I just opened an Ameritrade account yesterday. I'm finnally trading online. Are any of you playing around with this also? Got any tips for me, I need to learn the ins and outs of this stuff.

I never really bought stockes before but I have done really well on my companys stock options in the past. I figure it's a good time to start playing with everything being in the tiolet.

I trade stocks for a living, so I pretty much play with all of them. Anyway, for the average investore the Motley Fool has a great rule of thumb. "If the stock is below five dollars a share there is a good reason it's so cheap" Although these days I'm not sure if five dollars is the figure to work with anymore, but a good rule non-the-less. Unless, you have time to sit there and watch them like a hawk day in and day out.

 

[HDTony]

Yeah really I think the 5.00 mark might need to be moved a bit. A lot of good companies are below that right now. Plus I hear burgur king might be doing an IPO.

 

[Kruz]

Got any tips for me

Leave your investing to the professionals

Pick a few funds you have interest in (telecom, tech, etc) and don't touch them until you are ready to retire.

I'd hate to see you lose your wife's bikes due to a margin call.

 

[Meulen]

A lot of good companies are below that right now

Name one
:confused :confused

I've got to go with Kruz on this one. Although I do like some of the DRIP programs they have out there, but even with those I stick with more of the index shares like Diamonds and Spiders.

 

[HDTony]

Leave your investing to the professionals

Pick a few funds you have interest in (telecom, tech, etc) and don't touch them until you are ready to retire.

I'd hate to see you lose your wife's bikes due to a margin call.

No margin for me, just my cash, and I dont put in more than I can afford to lose. I do own part of a telcom find that I bought 3 years ago. You can imagine what that looks like at this moment. I've got a bonus coming in sept, and I think that is going into a fund of some sort.

 

[Odysseys]

do your self a favor and buy bonds and CDs

3 years ago...i REALLY hit some good stuff.
still got some of that money left too.

But since last year I am down around 15k its a nasty roller coaster right now.

If I was you don't trade right now for day to day pay off's go for long term retirement portfolios. NOW is the time for that.

I would get a firm to spread sheet good balanced mutual investments for long term pay off.

other then that its RESEARCH research research, forget about hot tips.

 

[Kruz]

Buy what you know...

 

[jcc_rr]

Buy what you know... and only if you know Martha Stewart.

 

[Meulen]

Buy what you know...

Ahhh the old Peter Lynch Method. Seriously Tony, if this an account you don't care about losing it's ok to do some trading for the experience. I've done that too and have done really well at it. Most people however aren't so lucky. My best advice in this case is learn how to sell. Never fall in love with a stock. If you own something that's given you a good gain sell the thing and move on. There are always good companies out there to buy. Learn about options. They are cheap to trade with big payoffs and limited losses. If you want to talk sometime I'd be happy to talk about it with you, but don't ask for any hot stock tips. I've learned that if you give a good tip you never hear anything about it, but if you give a bad one you never hear the end. Just like anything else....shit happens and you can't always be right. It's a game of probability and any research you do raises your probability for a win.

 

[Y2KR1]

I get discount on IBM stock

 

[BusaDave]

Personally, I think the Telecom stocks are destined for a comeback and many of them are at a bargain price right now. The only questions are how much you want to invest in that volatile sector and how long you want to wait for a return.

Many of them are at bargain basement prices right now and you can make a significant investment in the future with little money. They key is to pick ones that will survive.

There are other tech stocks that are out of favor right now but we all know the tech sector will rebound, the question is when.

If you believe in "buy low - sell high", it doesn't seem much of the tech sector can go much lower.

 

[Meulen]

it doesn't seem much of the tech sector can go much lower.

I've been hearing that for two years now.

 

[BusaDave]

I've been hearing that for two years now.

Not from me! Seriously though, some of the tech stocks are at or below $2. Like I said, how long do you want to wait? Make a $2 investment now and it's worth $25-40 in 5 or less years. Many of you would spend more at a casino.

 

[Meulen]

Not from me! Seriously though, some of the tech stocks are at or below $2. Like I said, how long do you want to wait? Make a $2 investment now and it's worth $25-40 in 5 or less years. Many of you would spend more at a casino.

I know what your saying Dave, but as we've seen with WCOM it's going to be near impossible to predict survivors. Lieing Cheating and Stealing has deminished all credibility, which just tells me to find another place to put my hard earned $$$$$. Just my .02

 

[Kruz]

$2 can go to $0 a lot faster than to $25.

 

[Meulen]

$2 can go to $0 a lot faster than to $25.

I was wondering when you were going to back me up on this.

 

[Kruz]

Not to be a snob or anything...but I limit my market conversations to those that have a clue. You are absolutley right...you never hear about the good tips.

 

[MoTo178]

yeah, i know nothing about trading or investments (wish I did), but I do know it's hard to tell which of these telcom companies are going to come out on top and which will dissappear or get bought out or whatever.

I have just started my career, and am starting to get serious about saving and investments, but I really don't know where to start. I had a sit-down with a merril Lynch rep the other day, but it didnt really tell me much. It was more like a drawn out ad for Merril Lynch.

Here's my two cents: Invest everything in bubble gum and shotgun shells!!!

 

[ricerocket]

While I wouldn't want to give advice on what to buy, I will tell you NOT to buy a penny stock called DNTK (Dauphine Technology). There was quite a buzz around Bourbonnais and Kankakee two summers ago about this stock being ready to take off. It didn't and I doubt ever will. I honestly think there were a few people hyping it to drive the prices up so they could sell. I have a cousin in Lindenhurst who heard of it too, so I guess the news travels.

It's a Chicago tech company, but I doubt it will ever turn into a valueable stock.