All I can positively say is make sure any thing you have to invest is diversified. The old saying about all your eggs in one basket.... The stock market is at an all time high right now. More good advice is to wait for a drop, or correction before jumping in. I personally don't have a good feeling about the economy right now so would be more inclined to be more hands on with any investing. I've always questions someone else's intentions as are they doing what's wise or makes them more commission?
I've been investing for over 40 years in the stock market. And until recently I've managed most of my accounts myself. Why pay someone to invest for you when you can do it yourself? Open an eTrade, or similar account. The stock market has been very good to me. The trick is to sell high and buy low. Easier said than done. People tend to want to hold on to their stocks on a down market, hoping the price will go up. And when the market is up, they hang on hoping the trend will continue up. I prefer dividend paying stocks, and have the dividends reinvested. It's easy to find good quality stocks paying 3-10% dividend yield. Stay away from "penny" stocks (stocks generally under $10/share). They're too risky. To this day I have never had a year with a net loss in the stock market. That doesn't mean that all my stock picks have been winners, but when I sell my losing shares the loss helps offset some of the gains on the profitable shares. Currently capitol gains are taxed at 15%. The market is at all time highs right now, thanks to Trump. I don't expect it to continue beyond a few more years though. I view any drop in the market as buying opportunities. As with most investments the stock market is for the long term. Keep an eye on the news and adjust your strategy accordingly. And keep all emotions out of it. For example, on 9/11 I sold all my stocks and 401k investments and bought defense stocks and gold and silver. Didnt lose anything, just the opposite. Once things stabilize and start picking up again get back in the market.
All the online brokerage firms have all the research tools you need to make an intelligent decision. If you're capable of reading at a third grade level, ok, 10th grade if you went to public school, you shouldn't have any problems understanding the research material. My opinion for what it's worth, start with large safe companies, such as: GE, KO, JNJ, MO, CAT etc. They've all been around forever and they pay a decent dividend.
Maybe the "Fool" part should have been a clue? (I subscribed to them at one time too).
Military contractors are probably doing well for the next four years too.
Just stay away from Sears at this point! It's sad that such an icon is failing, but it dosent and hasn't looked good for them for a long time now.
I don't think there's any reason to get rude....
Ummm, yeah, right
