What I wish I knew before I started investing

Having an emergency fund will prevent you from taking money from your investments when some unexpected expense comes up, like unemployment. The fund will keep you afloat for 6 months.

The emergency fund will be based on basic expenses such as :

1. Rent

2. Grocery

3. Commute

4. Utilities

My interest in stocks grew when I felt I can do more than just having it on saving accounts. I came to learn about trading and then read about long-term investing Impulsively grabbing the first book that Warren Buffet kept on recommending on his interviews, a book that was beyond my comprehension, The Intelligent Investor. I have met challenges from terms and scenarios, which made me doubt my capacity. I put the said book on hold and read into articles, videos, books and podcast, one idea kept on appearing, "Start early as possible". I did, but I manage to kept hold of my emotion and see more what there is to know, keeping myself from doing a wrong move.

Here are the most valuable resources which help me get out from my ignorance in stocks trading and into stock investing:

3. Millennial Investing by Robert Leonard

Robert talked to people who will provide stories as to how they started, their background, and talk about their strategy, disciplines, and ideas which helped them as they go through achieving financial security and success.

Preston is an engineering graduate, and he explained investing in such a way that a person of no background will understand. He provided 3 courses: Beginner, Advanced, and Intermediate. He also does a podcast but I recommend completing the 3 courses before going into anything else.

"Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1."

Warren Buffett, Adam Smith’s Money World: How to Pick Stocks & Get Rich, PBS (1985).

"To distill the secret of sound investment into three words, we venture the motto - Margin of Safety."

Benjamin Graham, Chapter 20: “Margin of Safety” as the Central Concept of Investment, The Intelligent Investor.

Phil explains the investing world to her daughter Danielle. The first few episodes explain the rules such as Meaning, Moat, Management, and Margin of Safety.

Danielle has no background in investing too. She asked questions in order to get a clearer understanding of the principles which Phil explains in a comprehensible way by giving relatable examples.