How do you think of yourself as an investor?

How do you think of yourself as an investor?

  • I am a much better investor then most

    Votes: 29 12.0%

  • I am an above average investor

    Votes: 83 34.4%

  • I am an average investor

    Votes: 102 42.3%

  • I am a below average investor

    Votes: 20 8.3%

  • I am a very much below average investor

    Votes: 7 2.9%
  • Total voters
    241
I said average. However, back when I fired my FA, I went looking for a fee only person so I could get a second opinion if I felt I needed it, and one of the people I looked into said I did not need any help. Now I only have the FIDO guy and I haven't talked to him in 2 years.
 
Above average here but then I am in Canada where there was no Vanguard option so I was forced into stock picking. Learned some lessons in 2000 so I avoid holding onto dogs no matter how friendly they appear!

But I suspect the average investor here is way above average.
 
Really? Is his name Bill? Maybe he is lying to all of us!
 
Below average on this forum, but above average in my circle of friends.
 
I'll say above average, like most others I'm a B&H index fund holder, so I understand that those "average" returns are above the average of the average investor, who sometimes sells low and buys high.

tmm99 said:
Below average on this forum, but above average in my circle of friends.
Click to expand...

Are you not a B&H index investor? I'd expect your returns to be about the same as the majority here.

It would be pretty boring to have a "stock picking contest" among this group! Tracking the delta between SPY, VOO, and IVV would be like watching paint dry! :)

-ERD50
 
tmm99 said:
... above average in my circle of friends.
Click to expand...
Well above average, I'd guess.

Looking at @Lsbcal's poll results here, my conclusion is that this is a really modest crowd. I'd bet serious money that a independent study would end up rating this group at least one step higher than the poll shows.
 
I consider myself and above average investor only because the average family has less than $100K in retirement savings. (I also was an Econ major and MBA) Most members of this site are probably above average for that same reason.
It doesn't mean I'm better at picking investments, only that we're doing much, much better than the average family when it comes to actually making investments. I actually have very little confidence in my stock picking, or predictive expertise.
 
I rated myself above average. Why?

Well I think my benchmark results are at least above the market but that is a difficult comparison because the next question is "what market?". For instance, does it include international stocks and what mix? I have some benchmark portfolios I personally compare to but they would not necessarily be other's benchmarks.

Also I look around at our house and accounts and available money in retirement. It's pretty cozy so I'm content. And yes, I know it is a bull market now and that might color my view. Yikes.

But I do try to be somewhat humble about my skill level. Partly due to superstition and because I know that inflated egos are not attractive. I get a kick out of studying markets and that is weird compared to the general public.

This poll has been interesting because people seem to have quite different interpretations about how to measure their investing skills versus others. As at least one poster pointed out, you don't have to compare yourself to others.
 
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NW-Bound said:
^^^ Thanks.

My wife told me I could make money with a Youtube channel. I don't think I can beat or even match "Bald and Bankrupt" with his travel videos. Perhaps Nemo could, but he's too old now to embark on this endeavor. See, there's a lot of chances in life. You are born too early for the Internet age, you miss out on chances to become rich.
Click to expand...

Not many can beat Bald and Bankrupt. Entertaining, ballsy dude. Just saw one of his videos where he went to Chernobyl. I guess anything goes to get the views.

I'm below average, that's why I now have most assets with Vanguard. Though did do well with real estate and actually gold at one time.
 
Lsbcal said:
Well I think my benchmark results are at least above the market but that is a difficult comparison because the next question is "what market?". For instance, does it include international stocks and what mix? I have some benchmark portfolios I personally compare to but they would not necessarily be other's benchmarks...
Click to expand...

The way I look at it is that a good active investor would know to jump in/out of international/domestic stocks as appropriate.

My international equities hurt my performance over the last 3 year, but it is a small consolation to blame them for my trailing the S&P. If I were that good, I would know to dump them early on. :)
 
OldShooter said:
Well above average, I'd guess.

Looking at @Lsbcal's poll results here, my conclusion is that this is a really modest crowd. I'd bet serious money that a independent study would end up rating this group at least one step higher than the poll shows.
Click to expand...

Highly agree. That's why most here are here--conservative investors for the long-term. In fact, getting average market returns is actually above average. Average returns with an eye towards fiscal stewardship goes a long way.
 
Elbata said:
Not many can beat Bald and Bankrupt. Entertaining, ballsy dude. Just saw one of his videos where he went to Chernobyl...
Click to expand...

Nemo2 said:
Chernobyl is quite the tourist attraction these days.
Click to expand...

There are tour guides to take anyone to Chernobyl. It's not big deal, just a matter of signing up and pay some money. Bald-and-Bankrupt goes to other places where no tourists go.
 
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NW-Bound said:
There are tour guides to take anyone to Chernobyl. It's not big deal. Bald-and-Bankrupt goes to other places where no tourists go.
Click to expand...

"Kathmandu and Beyond" is another blog that goes 'where no-one else goes'.
 
NW-Bound said:
The way I look at it is that a good active investor would know to jump in/out of international/domestic stocks as appropriate.

My international equities hurt my performance over the last 3 year, but it is a small consolation to blame them for my trailing the S&P. If I were that good, I would know to dump them early on. :)
Click to expand...

My approach is to take the international part of the portfolio (40% of equities) and move between US and international. But it is based on a mechanical method so it lives and dies on the spreadsheet model not on ad hoc calls.

Over the last 10 years the returns for this part of the portfolio been slightly below US returns for US/international large caps and somewhat above US returns for US/international small caps.

I expect that at some point the international stocks will do better then US but not a problem for me either way.
 
Originally Posted by Dtail
Average investor I suppose.
BTW - the word "average" is spelled incorrectly on the Average line choice.


Well, if we're keeping tabs, there's this:
quote_img.gif
Quote:
I am a much better investor then most
Click to expand...
Did you notice the thread title?

" How to you think of yourself as an investor?"
 
Lsbcal said:
Oops, I missed that one. Can't fix it but maybe a moderator can?

Maybe I should start a new thread: Are you good at spelling and grammar?
Click to expand...
I probably looked at it a couple dozen times before I noticed it, so I'd be a below average editor.
 
ERD50 said:
I'll say above average, like most others I'm a B&H index fund holder, so I understand that those "average" returns are above the average of the average investor, who sometimes sells low and buys high.



Are you not a B&H index investor? I'd expect your returns to be about the same as the majority here.


-ERD50
Click to expand...

Yes, I am a B&H index investor (except in the Canadian market as I'm advised not to buy Candian index funds as a US citizen.) and did well last year for example (18%+), but knowledge-wise, below average compared to the people on this forum. As for my circle of friends, most of them don't even know their own asset allocation...
 
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