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Investment Phobia - cure better than disease?

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Achilles

Joined
2 October 2007
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G'Day youse'all.

It has just been made plain to me that I have contracted the dreaded Investment Phobia. Worse, it is now obvious that I've been up to my lug-holes in de-nile without a paddle some considerable time.

Manifestation: Eye can see but finger will not click the "Confirm" button on Comsec.

I'm no stranger to the theory of investing but that does not help my condition one jot.

I have lotsa money sitting in banks but that does not ameliorate my ailment.

I have traded shares, futures, options, currencies and other stuff too but that no longer helps.

I think we will see more inflation, perhaps stagflation soon but still I can not get the bloomin' finger to click the blasted button.

Were you so afflicted, what would you do?
 
Ha ha, that's very funny! I know exactly what you mean - seem to be suffering the same thing at the moment.
Perhaps it's best to just leave the money sitting in the banks for now until the malaise passes???
 
Easy!!

You don't trade a single thing until you are absolutely certain it is the correct thing to do.

There is nothing wrong with not trading. I'll say that again, there is nothing wrong with not trading!

I'd say you need to change your mind set and realise that you are most likely doing the right thing by sitting on the sidelines.

Better to be sure than lose your money.

The way i see it is that you should see yourself as a Hunter, stalking the markets, waiting for the easy kill. No need to try and fight every animal in the jungle.

Be patient, one or two trades might be all that is required in a year to significantly increase your capital.

Just my 2 cents worth............
 

Dear Ms Wabbit,

Thank you for your kindly reassurance but I think I must have left you with a slightly false sense of the scale of my disability.

It has been a drought of 20 years since I last felt the liberation of Investing Sans Frontières. I can most assuredly assure you that I have been quite assiduous in being sure and never losing money.

Now I seem to have gone squirrelly squirreling away a pile of bank deposits that would see me set to the end of days - presuming inflation does not have its way with my money.

If I don't have a pressing NEED to invest beyond bank deposits, why do I feel like a rabbit on the eve of spotlighting night - now rather than before? Just me or something in the water?
 
Doubt that it is anything in the water, Achilles! Just a nasty little virus which attaches itself to some of us from time to time.
Why do you feel the need to justify your position? If you have figured that - even if inflation goes mad - you can still comfortably exist until your projected demise without taking any risks, then I don't see why there's a problem.
If you do see it as a problem (and I'm not sure whether you are just having fun with this post?) then it would hardly pose a risk to buy a chunk of say CBA to get that feeling back if that's what you want.
 

Julia,

Most kind of you; I make light but not at your expense.

I had the thought today to buy a slightly more than just fun chunk of the ETF, StreetTrack ASX 200 index fund (STW), or SLF, with the intention of breaking the log jam but it was then that I discovered the acuteness of my affliction.

As you wrote, It would NOT do me any significant harm and I should try to uncover what it is I WANT. What a bloomin' ninny - thanks for your indulgence!
 
Hmmmmm, maybe you need to get yourself checked?

There is probably some ointment you can apply and it will go away?

Sounds like you have enough cash and your investments sorted out. No need to force anything, take it nice and slow and it will just happen (sure you have heard that before).

Maybe try booked a plane flight to the Greek Islands, Kefalonia more specifically. Get there, drink fine wine, eat good food, soak up the sunshine and feel the sand between your toes while keeping the company of a few of Greeces finest godesses. Then one warm evening on sunset make your way down to the beach and light a cigar with a $50.00 note and just sit back, chill out and soak it up realising that you are on top of the world. Too easy.................

I'd say, 'don't worry worry, until worry worries you'

JW
 
Didn't you think about free to all paper trading, or what can be called pretend trading?

It is frowned upon by many, but great skill polisher for me anyway.

If you would not touch paper trading, as it could be an insult to your ego, another great technique is to use small parcels.

Set it on $500 minimum parcel or $1000 and set your loss at 2%

With some slippage, broker fees $30 each way you shouldn't have larger loss than $100

You can try to open account with: http://www.interactivebrokers.com/
I understand that trading with them starts at $6 per trade.

For more info on IB, have a look at this thread: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7303

This could lower your loss to under $50 per unsuccessful trade (in par with cost of lighting cigar from post above).

Hope you did not take us for a ride.
 

Ah Ms Wabbit, hello once more!

This year, given up smoking, cut a lot of sugar, starch and fat from diet; both seeing me on long spins on my treadly; losing a little weight, feeling smirkingly healthy.

I'd say, 'don't worry worry, until worry worries you'

Others have quizically said the same - and I'll take that as good advice.

Kefalonia

Yes or the Peloponese, though more likely other old haunts such as the SW of USA or the Appalachian Mountains due to the $US. I must await my wife's semi-retirement in a year, she wanting to keep her considerable earning potential and work interest alive into semi-retirement.

Others have also offered similar advice - enjoy being - also enjoy having too I think.
 

Many thanks Happy but this silly ninny is not so much lacking in skill as is so risk averse as to want the dead sure thing - knowing full well that there is no such thing.

I have made losses in the past, regretted them, got over it and made profits.

Now all the time, every time, I always make profits - literally banked profits on bank deposits - just a little worryingly closer to the rate of inflation than to the wall of worry.

I probably just need to buy a heap of high dividend paying stocks, review them once a year and muck about the rest of time. Some wisdom but little trading skill required.

But I cannae do it. Buy said stock that is.

And my only understanding of why not is that it is not a dead sure thing even over a 10 year horizon even with just 10% of net worth.

Hope you did not take us for a ride.

Hard to believe, isn't it.
 
Another option would be Managed Fund, or better Superannuation Managed Fund.

If you can hang on to 60 years of age to take all money tax free, of course if another political party doesn’t win election and doesn’t decide to pull the plug on baby boomers honey pot.

As final note, not trading and not having money invested in share market is not a sin, is just different strategy.
If you don’t feel comfortable taking higher risk investment options just don’t do it.

Honestly I would rather call it post traumatic disorder, you might see specialist if you want to overcome your acquired fear.
 
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