dimanche 16 mars 2014

Is Your Investing Turning Into An Addiction

By Andrew Block


Investing your money in worthwhile ventures and investment vehicles is a worthwhile pursuit. The desire to see your money grow and to secure your financial future is normal and encouraged in most cultures. Is investing turning into something that is out of control? Is your pursuit to leverage your savings to make more money turning into an addiction that borders on something unhealthy?

The emotions that follow a successful investment are unlike any other that you may ever experience. Finding a solid investment vehicle and researching the investment. Looking at the market carefully and then coming up with a game plan is thrilling. You enter the market and invest your money and then this is where the real fun starts. You're in and your heart is beating in your chest. You watch with anticipation as it all plays out as you had hoped. You sell off the investment, collect your reward and the rush of emotions flood your body. There is nothing like it in the world and you're hooked. You want that feeling again and again but you know that this thrill is only part of the process of investing.

It is when we allow the emotion to dictate who we are and what we do that investing becomes a true addiction. We confuse the outcome of the investment with who we are as a human being. We feel like we are winners if everything plays out as we had predicted and our investment is successful. We are a winner because our choice was correct and it turned a profit. When an investment doesn't turn a profit and we find ourselves on the losing side of an investment it might be tempting to feel like we are a failure. Our investment was a failure so we are a loser. The emotions compound upon each other and soon we find ourselves in a situation wondering how we got there.

It can be tempting to check the status of your investments a couple of times a day. The childlike glee that we get when we see that an investment has improved or a stock has gone up in price brings a smile to our face. Of course, if you find yourself glued to the computer screen refreshing the page you might have a problem. If you mood and how you feel about yourself and those around you is affected by what you see then you need to check your emotions. Being nervous or overly concerned about an investment that you have researched and done your due diligence with is insanity. You have safeguards in place, such as stops and sell orders, which will take care of losing too much money and selling your stock or option when your predetermined price has been reached. Also, if you find yourself moving your stops and sell orders because you don't want to lose or because you are feeling greedy then you might have a problem.

Going to the ends of the earth looking for tips or information that you think will give you an edge or advantage is another sign that you have an unhealthy attitude towards investing. Watching or reading the news or trade papers is legitimate. Making up your own mind about a stock or investment is even better but taking investment advice from faceless names that haunt message boards and email newsletters is craziness. The desperate desire to turn a profit with an investment which overcomes your good senses can cause an otherwise savvy investor to throw good money after bad and do anything and everything to recoup losses or feel that winning feeling again.

Most of us have one or two investment types that we prefer. We all have a knack for picking stocks, a feel for a certain currency pair or we enjoy investing in companies that we know a little bit about. If you find yourself chasing after profit and trying many different types of investments because someone told you that they know this particular investment is going to pay off then you might have a problem. Stick to investments that you enjoy learning about. Venturing off into uncharted territory when money is at stake is an unwise investment no matter where your information came from.

Often the bottom is reached and a good investor turned back realizes his or her folly as they figuratively lay in the gutter looking up at a loved one after they invested a good portion of money that they shouldn't have. Investing money that was put aside to pay bills or in a savings account for a child's education or for a special purpose is often the last straw. Lying to yourself or your spouse or partner about money is a sure sign that you have a problem. Withholding the truth is also just another form of lying and if you find yourself tempted to invest money that has not been set aside for investing then it's time to stop and take a careful look at yourself and your behavior. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your spouse or partner. It might be the best thing that you ever did in your life and you very well might avoid total financial and emotional ruin if you have a problem.

Investing is a wonderful thing to do with your money. Over the long run, you will find that if you make intelligent choices based upon both facts and your feel for a market, you can do very well. The temptation to let your emotions get the better of you and force you to make decision that you otherwise might never make is a sign that something is wrong. Take this seriously. You obviously have a talent and a desire to make more of your life. Keep your emotions in check and don't let investing become an addiction for you.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire