This Site
The purpose of this site is to set out my notes from books, articles and lectures on investment. There are a range of topics on this site but my main focus for now is the share market.
As an investor, it is necessary to keep a journal of what I have learnt and a record of my investment decisions. This is not a stock tipping site, so if I write about my investment in a company I will not name it.
The site is open to the public to read and comment on for a number of reasons:
- it imposes a discipline on me to write well, accurately and honestly;
- if I’m discussing a concept or an idea with someone, I can link them in to an article I might have written previously (instead of trying to remember all the points for and against, most of which I usually forget); and
- arrogance that other people might enjoy reading it or learn something from it.
About Me
I am an investor who has made and lost a fortune and is in the process of rebuilding it. It is a very careless thing to lose a fortune so you don’t need to feel sorry for me. I am wealthier than most of my fellow Australians and I am well placed to recover my losses in a few years. I feel fortunate to be in this position because of the many lessens it has taught me and the new adventure of building another fortune.
I engage in various types of investment, but mostly share trading and property. Sometimes I invest with borrowed money (margin investing) but I don’t engage in commodity trading, bonds or managed funds.
I haven’t always earned my living solely from investment. I’ve held quite a few different jobs in three different countries. Now I’m finally doing what I’ve always wanted to do since I was a preschooler gazing at the rows of numbers on the financial pages of the newspaper on my grandmother’s kitchen table, knowing they meant money but no clue about why.
Having said all that, you might be surprised when I say money ranks low on my list of most important things in life. I’m financially independent and see no reason to work a regular job.
About you.
Most of the time, when I say ‘you’ in a post, I’m talking to myself. But I also have enough of an ego to want other people to read my stuff, so it might get a bit confusing at some times.
Everyone’s investing needs are different. Tolerance for risk taking differs depending on their personal situation. But I’m convinced that everyone has to take an interest in their own finances or else they take a chance of becoming a slave. You might find some information here that you can apply to your own ends, but that’s not my main purpose in writing.
Over the years, many people have come to me with questions about how to manage their money, how to free themselves from financial burdens they have taken on. I could not give them a magic bullet, such a thing does not exist. I cannot even tip them a company that’s sure to increase in value (I’m never sure about my investments). Maybe they can find some ideas for how to make their decisions on these pages.
If, while reading a post, you think I’m directing you to take a certain form of action, take a five minute coffee break then read my disclaimer and do some research of your own.
Some people who I know are reading my posts are much more sophisticated investors than I am. If you’re in that category I hope you forgive my mistakes, correct them and direct me to a relevant book or online resource.
I wish you a pleasant journey.