The Signs That You Are Addicted To Investing

By Andrew Block


Every wealthy person on the face of this planet invests their money in one form or another. The desire to make your money grow instead of sit in a bank earning simple interest makes good sense. It is only when investing gets out of control that we wind up making poor investment decisions. Our emotions get the better of us and we wind up allowing investing to become more of an addition than a part of doing business or expanding our wealth.

All of us love when an investment comes together. We have all experienced that rush of positive emotions when we find an investment, buy in, see our money grown and then reap the rewards. You research your investment, nervously watch it grow day by day and then get out at the perfect time. You have made money literally out of thin air and you feel like a king. You feel invincible and powerful. With grace and confidence you have earned money wisely through investing it.

Allowing these emotions to grab hold of us and begin to rule us can happen very quickly if we're not careful. The mistake many of us make is to believe that if we make money in an investment then we are a winner. Likewise, it's tempting to feel that if an investment turns on us and we lose money then we are the opposite of a winner or a loser. This can lead us to chase those positive emotions and make poor decisions when it comes to investing in hope of not feeling like a loser. This is where the addiction begins.

It's tempting to check the status of your investments. You're curious. You want to see how things are going. You want to know if you made the right choice on an investment. On the other hand, if you find yourself checking your accounts and your mood changes depending upon if your investment has improved or not then you might have a problem. Once you have committed to the investment, set everything in place as far as sell order and stops then there is no need to check on your investment more than once or twice a day. Your time could be better spend doing something else or even researching other investments that might interest you.

Going to the ends of the earth looking for tips or information that you think will give you an edge or advantage is another sign that you have an unhealthy attitude towards investing. Watching or reading the news or trade papers is legitimate. Making up your own mind about a stock or investment is even better but taking investment advice from faceless names that haunt message boards and email newsletters is craziness. The desperate desire to turn a profit with an investment which overcomes your good senses can cause an otherwise savvy investor to throw good money after bad and do anything and everything to recoup losses or feel that winning feeling again.

Most of us have one or two investment types that we prefer. We all have a knack for picking stocks, a feel for a certain currency pair or we enjoy investing in companies that we know a little bit about. If you find yourself chasing after profit and trying many different types of investments because someone told you that they know this particular investment is going to pay off then you might have a problem. Stick to investments that you enjoy learning about. Venturing off into uncharted territory when money is at stake is an unwise investment no matter where your information came from.

Often the bottom is reached and a good investor turned back realizes his or her folly as they figuratively lay in the gutter looking up at a loved one after they invested a good portion of money that they shouldn't have. Investing money that was put aside to pay bills or in a savings account for a child's education or for a special purpose is often the last straw. Lying to yourself or your spouse or partner about money is a sure sign that you have a problem. Withholding the truth is also just another form of lying and if you find yourself tempted to invest money that has not been set aside for investing then it's time to stop and take a careful look at yourself and your behavior. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your spouse or partner. It might be the best thing that you ever did in your life and you very well might avoid total financial and emotional ruin if you have a problem.

If these words have made you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable then it is time that you sat down and took a look at what you're doing. Investing can be fun and thrilling. A lot of money has been earned by wise investors over the years. Making good choices and not allowing yourself to be ruled by your emotions is key to being a successful investor. You will have good days and bad days but the wise investor knows how to remove their emotions from their investments. They also know when they're having a problem and when they need to get a grip on reality so they can get back to investing instead of chasing after money and the thrill of making money.




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