It has been an interesting year.  All my holdings have crumbled in value but my financial advisor is trying to re-assure me by pointing out the fact that things have turned around and I will eventually gain it all back.

The fact remains that I did not do anything when some of the funds and stocks I owned dropped more than 40%.  I did not know what to do or how to do it.  The whole thing could have dropped to be worth absolutely nothing and I would have just stood there and looked stupid and broke.

I have now decided to educate myself and be prepared to take action when the next events in the economy dictate that I take action.  Whether it is to sell stocks at a high and lock in profits or to sell when they start to decline.

I am not going to become a day trader by any means but I am going to practice trading stocks and funds online so I can manage my investments.

I have opened a practice account with Wall Street Survivor.  There I can buy and sell stocks and bonds without losing money. This looks like a great place to educate yourself and learn more about personal finance.

Join me during the next 30 days as i share my experiences on learning the markets and how to manage my funds.  This promises to shed some light on many points I know I need to learn to become truly prepared for the future.