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Do you wonder how people invest and make money, and why you do not do it so successfully?

Well, your wrong investing habits may be the ones that are on your way.

In the summary of “Investing 101,” we cover the bad habits, how you can get rid of them, and why you need to create a portfolio of investments.

Who Should Read “Investing 101”? and Why?

Wannabe investors, you have to read this book!

If you are not investing, there must be something that is keeping you away from it. “Investing 101” will give you the proper motivation to start putting your money to work, by explaining how investing works in simple and understandable words.

As you have probably concluded by now, we recommend this to all beginner investors, who are having second thoughts because of the lack of their financial expertise.

About Kathy Kristof

Kathy Kristof is a columnist and book author. Her finance column is published in more than 50 major newspapers.

“Investing 101 Summary”

If you have no problem following clear guidelines, investing will not be troublesome for you.

However, many people cannot follow directions because of their bad habits which stand on their path to becoming wise investors.

So, if you want more money by the time you retire, we propose you start getting over these psychological limitations.

People who abstain from putting resources into the stock are typically afraid of the hazard that comes with it.

However, you have to keep in mind that these feelings of dread are there because of misunderstanding. Moreover, if you decide to put some time into understanding market risk, we promise you that you will soon be able to improve your investment portfolio.

Simply put, in the financial world, the risk equals uncertainty. In other words, the risk is not connected to the likelihood of loss, but to the variance in the returns.

However, that is not all there is to it.

Risk and rewards are also connected.

So, although stocks are considered risky investments, the odds are that in the long-haul their value will increase. Yes, low-risk investments will protect your principal, but the profit you will get out of them is not much.

Of course, there are ways you can earn money while staying safe. At this point, the need to create a diversified portfolio comes into play.

The diversification of portfolios will dramatically decrease risk. However, merely having a bunch of investments is not what “diversified portfolio” means.

Instead, try to make many different types of investments. The trick is to diversify just enough, so you can minimize the risk and stress, but not to the point where you will sacrifice your profits for the long haul.

For more detailed explaining of the information we have given you, read “Investing 101”. Next, scroll down to the key lessons we have taken out from this book.

Key Lessons from “Investing 101”

1.      Investment Categories
2.      Bad Investing Habits of Women
3.      Bad Investing Habits of Men

Investment Categories

There are five basic categories of investments, that show what the investment does, not what it is.

• • Investments that safeguard your principal

• • Investments that provide income

• • Investments that promise strong growth of your principal

• • Investments that protect you from inflation

• Investments that allow you to speculate

Bad Investing Habits of Women

• The Poor Girl

Women earn less than man. That is a fact. However, that does not mean that women cannot save money to invest. Life is not always fair, but you have to get over it. If you have a decent job, you can make investments.

• The Substitution Shopper

Stop buying so that you can cheer up. Instead, be wise and save, save, save.

• The Martyr

The martyr woman puts everyone’s concerns above her own. These women need to realize that their families will be happier if they get manage stronger both financially and physically.

• The Princess

Princesses tend to think that there will always be someone who will take care of them. However, they need to realize that most of the women will have to start supporting themselves at some point.

Bad Investing Habits of Men

• The Unrealistic Pessimist

You are making money on your investments, but it all goes down the drain when you meet someone that says that they tripled their investment in a speculation market. Then, you begin to doubt your investing strategy and start feeling like a loser. Stop that. Realize that people that make a fortune overnight can just as quickly lose it.

• The Ostrich

Ostriches hold on to money-losing shares until they lose too much. Instead of doing that, evaluate your portfolio once a year, and sell stocks which you would not buy today when looking at its prospects.

• The Tinkerer

Internet stock trading created this kind of investor. The tinkerer continually checks stocks and trades for a few dollars per transactions.

• The Believer

Believers buy stocks of companies that don’t have a track record of sales but show a significant number of prospects.

• The Money-Lover

Many investors out there overwork themselves. To avoid that, decide how much money you want to earn to achieve your personal goals. Once you reach that amount, relax. Spend more time with friends and family. Spend the money on fun activities. In the end, that what money is for, isn’t it?

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“Investing 101” Quotes

Our Critical Review

Kathy Kristof has written the ideal manual for those who are puzzled by the world of finance. “Investing 101” is a simple book filled with facts and explanations of financial terms and instruments, stock-valuation techniques and simple investment wisdom.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.