What scares you about investing?

1. 64

   Daddy Paulposted 14 years ago

   I want to know why some people do not invest other than not having enough money to pay the bills.
   People have views which differ and I would value your opinion.

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   1. 60

      LarasMamaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Probably because of the scary history of investing - ranging from the 30's depression right through to LTCM (even smart people can lose) and the current recession.
      I love learning new things and I plan to learn about the stock market, if not invest (probably in blue chip shares!) after I finish having kids, doing university and writing my book...

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   2. 65

      Ben Evansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think a lot of people invest and they dont know it.  They just call it something different.  Buying real estate is investing for most people.  A house is bought as an investment instead of just a place to live.  Many people do not consider that losing a home is just as real as taking losses in other market vehicles.
      
      The vast majority of people dont understand the equities, forex, and commodity market s as well as different methods of investing.  A person can be long, short, and there are many derivatives and ways to invest.
      
      I think the idea of the market scares people.  The market, however, cant be always traded long (it can be traded down or around other parameters with derivatives like options) because it does not always go up and sometimes it goes sideways.  Everyone's money should not be in the market, however, people who choose to invest must educate themselves before they invest and that includes real estate.

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2. 0

   ralwusposted 14 years ago

   losing my investment, money, is number one for me.

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   1. 64

      Daddy Paulposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you I bet a number of people feel that way as well.

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3. 91

   Urbane Chaosposted 14 years ago

   There's a thousand ways to invest, so it depends on what you're talking about.
   
   Personally, I don't invest in the stock market or anything like that simply because I don't have the time to track things.  It's almost a full time job running all the reports just to figure out what stock to invest in.
   
   But, that doesn't mean I don't invest. It just means that I feel there are more important places to put my money - such as tangible things that I will need for the future.  I'd rather have a car that is virtually maintainence free than something I have to constantly work on, or tools, or even books. 
   
   It's not so much about investing as it is having a healthy budget and a decent stash of reserve funds for those rainy days.

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4. 60

   Csjun89posted 14 years ago

   Probably the high start up costs
   
   There's a lot to lose

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