I'm not big on mutual funds either, but like I said I have a sick fascination with financial markets anyway so its no big deal to do my own investing.
Just looking down your list I see a number of companies that you could have done very well with. Whole Foods, for example, was a darling of the investment community for a year or so before taking a hit in mid 2006. It was as high as 72 and is now in the mid 40's. My guess (and again, if you're thinking of buying do your own homework) is that it might be a little undervalued at this point.
Of course this brings up another point--there's a big distinction between trading stocks and investing in them. That's a discussion onto itself however...
Long story short, though, there's plenty of investment opportunity in just the companies you feel comfortable about dealing with. Even if you're planning to buy and hang onto a company's stock for the long haul there's still some work involved--either you have to do it yourself, or get a professional to do it which puts you back in the boat of having someone else responsible for your finances.
There is such a thing as too much loyalty--for example, my dad has been a "Ford man" for years. He's owned Ford stock for over a decade and basically watched the share price drop by almost 50% in the past five years. Every few months during that timeframe I've tried to convince him to sell. He's a smart guy, understands the changing nature of the auto manufacturing industry but he's loyal to Ford to a fault in this case. He'll very likely ride the Ford stock down for the rest of his life...
Unless you do it for a living, its impossible to follow all of the companies on the US exchanges alone. What I've always tried to do is focus on companies in industries that I know alot about--in my case its the restaurant industry, the computer/tech industry and the gaming/casino industry. I've done my best investing in stocks of several companies that build those big hotels in Steve's home town. I know about these industries and enjoy following them so its a lot less overwhelming and certainly less like "work".
Anyway, I'm rambling but the trick is to start somewhere. Though some would argue with me I'm of the opinion that effective investing in the equities markets is one of the better financial opportunities available. In your case you have to "pick your poison"--find a professional you trust to do the work for you or do it yourself. I'm in agreement that your best option is to do it yourself, and that's the route I'd suggest... |