Investment Tip: Join the 'Club'
Investment clubs bring comfort during stock market turmoil.
Jan. 13, 2009 — -- In times of turmoil, we all need friends we can rely upon.
That's one reason you might want to consider joining an investment club as the shock of 2008 wears off and you consider ways to rebuild your portfolio. The education and support provided by an investment club can help small investors navigate these difficult times and provide a buffer against the urge to panic and sell stocks at low points.
"I think this has given us strength and given us focus," explained Marie Gaziano, member of a Massachusetts investment club since 1985.
Her club, Investments Unlimited of Cape Cod, has not lost a single member as a result of the recent stock market swoon that began last year, and is even preparing to bring a new member to bring the total to 14.
"We didn't like it, but I don't think it's a reason to drop out," said Gaziano, a lighting design consultant who doubts she would have learned as much about investing without the club.
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An investment club is a small group of individuals who pool their money and together make investment decisions on a joint portfolio. Typically, members contribute a set amount of money each month that is then invested based upon decisions made during monthly meetings. Between meetings, individual members research potential investments in preparation for the next meeting.
"It's a wonderful learning experience," said Martha Schilling, a Dresher, Pa., financial planner who has been involved in three different investment clubs. "They promote value investing and not trading, getting a solid foundation, researching companies and doing comparisons, monitoring them."
Jen Sterling, the president of a Virginia-based investment club, said she and fellow members have tackled unfamiliar territory together without feeling intimidated.
"We can look at each other and go, 'What the hell's a margin?' or 'What's a stock buy?' or any of these terms that we don't know -- we can ask each other," said Sterling, the owner of a brand marketing and strategy company. "This is a case where we can all come together comfortably and learn something we were never taught."
