The Complete Guide to Investing

Investing gets over-complicated all the time.

Don’t be intimidated. It’s not as hard as you think.

There are a few basic rules to always remember, such as:

• Invest in index funds. I know I sound like a broken record, but the average investor should be investing in index funds. It takes a lot of time to research individual stocks and spending all that time doesn’t guarantee your success. Also, index funds provide automatic diversification within the stock market and they save your time!
• Spend your time elsewhere. You’re better off devoting your time to earning more money, improving yourself and doing the things you love. Even if you could beat the index by a few points, is it really worth the time you spend?
• Avoid paying high fees. One of the best things about index funds is the low fees. You shouldn’t be paying more than 0.5% on a good index fund. And honestly, you shouldn’t even be paying that much.
• Avoid taxes as much as possible. You’ll be avoiding high fees, but don’t let Uncle Sam take it either. Find the best ways to shelter your money, legally, from paying taxes. Your company’s 401k and/or an IRA is your best bet.
• Follow Buffet’s first rule. Buffett says the first rule is to not lose money. Why? Probably because a 50% decline fully offsets a 100% gain. Index funds are pretty well protected. Take more risks when you’re young, but don’t be stupid.
• Time, not timing, is everything. Don’t try to time the market. You can’t. I can’t. Can George Soros? It’s debatable, but we are not George Soros and buying low and selling high never happens consistently. Save yourself the stress and buy low-cost index funds. Think long term growth.

Articles to Start Investing

• Invest – Let Your Money Work for You
• The Most Important Article You’ll Ever Read on Investing
• What a Millionaire Farmer Taught Me About Money

Investing for Retirement

• Understanding Retirement Plans: Your Options and What’s Best
• Retirement 101: When and How to Start Contributing
• 3 Ways to Start Investing for Retirement With $100 or Less
• Build a Rock Solid Retirement Portfolio
• 6 Common Misconceptions About Retirement Accounts
• How to Choose Index Funds for Retirement Based on Your Age

Automate Your Retirement

• The Automatic Budget
• Why It No Longer Requires Discipline to Become Wealthy
• The Slight Edge and How it Can Make You Rich

Learn More About the Stock Market

• Making Sense of Stock Market Orders
• What Causes the Price of a Stock to Rise or Fall?
• How to Determine the Size of a Company
• 5 Priceless Investing Lessons From 6 Influential Billionaires

• 401k Accounts
• 529 Accounts
• Bitcoins
• Bonds
• DRIPs
• ETFs
• Index Funds
• Individual Stocks
• IRA Accounts
• Mutual Funds
• Penny Stocks

1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
2. The Essays of Warren Buffett by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham
3. Why Stocks Go Up and Down by William Pike and Patrick Gregory
4. Financial Statements by Thomas R. Ittelson
5. One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch
6. Active Value Investing by Vitaliy N. Katsenelson
7. Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? by Mariusz Skonieczny
8. F Wall Street by Joe Ponzio
9. Beating the Street by Peter Lynch
10. The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher H. Browne
11. Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich
12. Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond by Bruce C. N. Greenwald
13. The Shortest Investment Book Ever by James O’Donnell
14. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip Fisher
15. The Little Book That Builds Wealth by Pat Dorsey
16. The Motley Fool Investment Workbook by David and Tom Gardner
17. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach
18. Quality of Earnings by Thornton L. O’glove
19. The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing by Pat Dorsey
20. Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham
21. Bull: A History of the Boom and Bust, 1982-2004 by Maggie Mahar
22. The Four Pillars of Investing by William J. Bernstein
23. A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel
24. Million Dollar Portfolio by David and Tom Gardner
25. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
26. The Little Book that Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt
27. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein
28. Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
29. The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
30. Stocks For The Long Run by Jeremy Siegel

1. The Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing by Gary W. Eldred
2. My Life & 1,000 Houses by Mitch Stephen
3. Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur by James A. Randel
4. Who Says You Can’t Buy a Home! by David Reed
5. The ABCs of Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroy
6. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller
7. Real Estate: The Sustainable Investment by Glen Sweeney and John Gordon
8. The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroy
9. Building Wealth One House at a Time by John Schaub
10. Real Estate Advantages by Sharon Lechter and Garrett Sutton
11. 2 Years to a Million in Real Estate by Matthew Martinez
12. The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss
13. Real Estate Finance and Investment Manual by Jack Cummings
14. Buy It, Rent It, Profit! by Bryan M. Chavis
15. Every Landlord’s Tax Deduction Guide by Stephen Fishman