Going to write a bit about investing on my personal blog. Here is my introductory post. Will see what folks think:
A reader commented on an off-handed remark I made about managing the Smith Family Hedge Fund with this:
I'm a lurker from the northwest, have been enjoying reading about your plans and the implementation of them. I encourage you to write about your Smith Family Hedge Fund activities; I'd be very interested in your perspectives. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
With that little bit of encouragement, and it does not take much, I will soon launch into a description of what and how I proceed in this avocation, but first some important disclaimers:
1) Nothing here constitutes investment advice. I am neither competent nor licensed to give that.
1a) Everyone, myself included, is responsible for their own investment decisions. It does not matter whether you follow the advice of a highly paid adviser, a hot stock tip by an anonymous poster on some internet forum, advice from your brother-in-law or shoeshine girl (or some random dude who writes about his hobby on a retirement blog) - you and you alone are responsible for your decisions.
2) I may use some company names to illustrate specific points, but that does not mean I am giving a positive or negative recommendation on those companies.
3) These activities are something I do for fun, but it is serious stuff. My background as a research analyst is certainly helpful. What I do is ill-suited to people who do not have the time or inclination to engage is the level of study and work that I do - about 10-20 hours during most weeks.
4) There are some good resources for folks who do want to learn more and who may be interested in becoming self-directed investors, but many people may also be well served by using a registered financial adviser, investing in index funds or one of the relatively new "retirement date" funds. I also have no advice on any of those. I will provide information and web links to some of the resources I use.
If we can kind of agree on those disclaimers and points, I will put some stuff out there in the not too distant future.