Returning after 2 years

[smooch]

I used to visit the group often two years ago, but then dropped out for a while. My husband retired last year at 62 and I just left full time employment at 60. My husband received an early retirement package, which includes the option to stay in his company health insurance at a very good monthly fee. Otherwise, we would be working for quite a while! I will be working part time at a much less stressful job (also a lot less money), but I don't mind a bit of work.

We have most of our funds with Vanguard. During the crash I left everything alone, mostly because I didn't quite know what to do. Now I see that we could have gotten some great prices on good stocks had I bought them last year.

What I'd like to do now is to learn how to analyze a stock. We have some cash that I'd like to use to purchase dividend paying stocks. I see some recommendations on the board, but I need to know how to do the analysis myself.

Is there a tool or site that you can recommend where I could learn the basic fundamentals to analyze a stock? Thanks!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Click on the "links" option at the top of the page. One of the resources there is this list:

http://www.early-retirement.org/links/browselinks.php?c=2

which will help you find information about investing. There are many ways to learn about investing, of course, but this is a start.

Welcome back!

 

[Moemg]

Welcome back ! I used to belong to an investment group and that is a fun way to learn how to analyze stocks .

 

[brewer12345]

Smooch, to do a proper job you will need to crack some texts. Start with "fundamentals of corporate finance" by brealey and myers, and an intro accounting book. After that, I can offer suggestions.

 

[smooch]

Thanks!

Thank you for your responses. I checked our library for "Fundamentals of Corporate Finance" by Brealey and Myers. There are 2 books with the same name, but not the one you recommended. I'll check Amazon. There is one by Richard Brealey - "An Introduction to Risk and Return from Common Stocks". I'll start with that.

I've been watching Jim Cramer (opinions?). One of his books has a worksheet with what to research, so I have that on order.

 

[brewer12345]

Cramer is an entertainer, and a not very amusing one at that. Turn off CNBC.

 

[REWahoo]

I've been watching Jim Cramer (opinions?).

Switch to Judge Judy - just as entertaining and better financial advice.

 

[smooch]

I sort of thought you'd say that. I'll move future questions to the stock picking forum. Thanks for the advice!

 

[ziggy29]

I sort of thought you'd say that. I'll move future questions to the stock picking forum. Thanks for the advice!

Just remember there are several different ways to pick stocks. Some people (often the CNBC types) are momentum players -- they buy whatever is hot, believing that in the short term it will stay hot (and trusting on blind faith that they will know how to get out). This has a more pejorative (around here) term: "market timing."

Another kind (and the method I use on the rare occasions that I buy individual stocks) is the crusty old Benjamin Graham-style "security analysis" which is also followed by Warren Buffett and forms the basis of most modern "value investing." My core is a bunch of index funds across multiple asset classes, but I do have a little bit "on the side" to look for value plays.

But yeah, the stock picking forum would be a better place for more detailed discussion of individual stocks and stock picking methods.

 

[LOL!]

Read Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor. Get the edition with commentary by Jason Zweig. This is a classic on value investing. It's all about researching and buying individual stocks. You can read the reviews of this book on Amazon and elsewhere.

After I read it, it was pretty clear that buying individual stocks is not for me, so I switched to index funds.

 

[kcowan]

Yes the amount of work involved in value investing can be daunting. However, sticking with blue chip stocks can be easier because you just have to eliminate ones that practice dodgey tactics.