You are here:
- Home
- Money
- Investing for Beginners
- Beginner Investing
Beginner Investing/Questions Answered by Expert Steve Hach
| Subject | Date Asked |
| how can a stock lose money and go up? | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: how can a stock lose money and go up? In the past few days, Alcoa (AA) has gone up approx 10%, yet ... A: Because the market is not totally rational and efficient. But, it is always right. So, you can have ... | |
| Early withdrawal from 401k for down payment | 10/26/2011 |
| Q: I've been considering purchasing a townhouse or condo while interest rates are low and renting the ... A: I do agree with your thinking on the condo or rental property. This can be a very good idea as long ... | |
| T bills and Bonds | 10/4/2011 |
| Q: I have a question about short term and long term government securities. Q. Among U.S treasury ... A: I think this is a semantic language problem perhaps. All of the US Government securities are backed ... | |
| Trying to understand earnings per share | 9/11/2011 |
| Q: Is EPS the amount that will be paid out as a dividend as an "earning per each share", or is EPS ... A: The shares are always priced according to what the market thinks they are worth. Announced earnings ... | |
| Trying to understand earnings per share | 9/1/2011 |
| Q: Is EPS the amount that will be paid out as a dividend as an "earning per each share", or is EPS ... A: sorry for the delay, I was in an accident and have been out of work for a while. EPS means earnings ... | |
| Trading | 8/19/2011 |
| Q: I have been investing in different businesses and real estate ventures since I sold my company in NY ... A: My suggestions would be these: Avoid Day Trading--you will lose Avoid get rich quick trading ... | |
| what questions to ask | 8/1/2011 |
| Q: Hach, I'm a beginner at inviseting, and whatever I might invest, it would not be much-- not more ... A: Eleanor, The best/easiest thing to do would be to put your money into a stock market index fund. ... | |
| My portfolio if no debt deal reached | 7/18/2011 |
| Q: I am worried as we get closer to no deal on the debt cieling, and especially when Aug 2 comes and if ... A: well, the short answer is "yes," of course you should sell all of your stocks if you are sure that ... | |
| bank investment centers | 6/25/2011 |
| Q: Do you know if a bank's investment department/advisors find it more profitable or earn more ... A: I am not sure of the incentive structure for banks and their sales people but I do know that one ... | |
| stocks in canada | 6/12/2011 |
| Q: i was interested in a penny stock called Copper Creek Gold Corp V.CPV. when i type in cpv. i get 2 ... A: Jerome, ticker similarities can cause more than one company to show up on a search for a stock. ... | |
| Need Help for Buying and Selling Currency | 5/21/2011 |
| Q: I'm a total beginner in currency exchange filed no idea how it works, but I trying to start buying ... A: Jamil, investing in FOREX is one of the most difficult and riskiest investments there is... I do ... | |
| Real price paid for a stock? | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: Apparently Paul thought my short question was too long to answer. Maybe you can be of assistance. ... A: Mike, the bid price is the price you can SELL the stock at if you own it. It is the price people ... | |
| Investing for an uncertain future | 4/13/2011 |
| Q: What are the best investments during periods of stagflation? Thank you, Bill Robinson A: It is important to remember that we don't have a lot of historical examples for ... | |
| Tracking portfolio online - privacy | 12/3/2010 |
| Q: I have several investment accounts, and would like to track them more closely online, as well as ... A: I don't see why yahoo or google finance would be an issue. If you are concerend about spam, set up ... | |
| us dollar projections | 12/1/2010 |
| Q: I'm not sure if my question belongs to this category, since I'm a total beginner in finances and ... A: in general Forex--foreign exchange trading, arbitrage--which is what you are proposing, is a really ... | |
| knowing your stocks wil resell?.. | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: Say you buy 3000 of the latest hot penny stocks (zane), like what's usually on the running ticker ... A: Richie, there is never a guarantee that any stock is going to sell for more than you paid for it... ... | |
| Is there anything worth investing in? | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: I am 49 years old. Way back after I graduated college, I read all kinds of articles on how great ... A: Jeff, I cannot give personal specific investment advice. In almost all time periods, investing ... | |
| OVIP / NGG.C4 | 10/5/2010 |
| Q: Can you explain in layman terms what happened to ticker OVIP, formally VIP, open jt stk co vimpel ... A: Randy, I cannot see your statement so I cannot comment on that--NGG is a ticker for the National ... | |
| How exactly do hedge funds operate? | 10/3/2010 |
| Q: You always hear of hedge funds "adding/cutting positions" and "annual portfolio holdings" etc. These ... A: Nicolas, That is too broad a question. In the purest sense of the term, a "hedge fund" is an ... | |
| Interested in starting investing-index funds | 9/11/2010 |
| Q: Hach I'm a 24yr old college student with a full time job averaging $1800/mo. I do not have any money ... A: Sorry for the delay in my reply. I was on vacation and forgot to set the vacation auto-responder. ... | |
| Re: How Index Fund company make money ? | 8/18/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchase an index fund locally but when I check and call the bank, the bank officer ... A: The index fund buys and sells stocks/bonds/commodities/etc. to keep a portfolio which tracks the ... | |
| Cost Basis | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: I've inherited some stock which I transferred to my brokerage account. I think the "cost basis" is ... A: "Yes" and "no." For your purposes, the "cost basis" is the value on the date of death of the person ... | |
| changing price of stocks | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I always thought that the stock price could only be marcap divided by existing shares to get the ... A: Mike, Thanks for the question. If there are a finite number of shares and there is more demand for ... | |
| dividend dates | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: I would like to buy and sell periodically to try to capture dividends, but I am confused by when to ... A: Buying and selling stocks just to get the dividend around the dividend dates is not a viable ... | |
| how to buy stocks | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: I want to know how to buy stocks without using an internet website that charges fees, is this ... A: Mike, 1. "shouldn't it be a percentage? What if I purchased one General Motors stock at .75 cents, ... | |
| how to buy stocks | 3/7/2010 |
| Q: I want to know how to buy stocks without using an internet website that charges fees, is this ... A: 1. I know of no "free" method of buying stocks. Be advised that even with the direct buy plan you ... | |
| Technical Analysis | 1/16/2010 |
| Q: I've read that Technical Analysis generally gives one an edge as compared to fundamental analysis in ... A: Mike, Sorry for the delay in my response, I answered this one a few days ago and screwed up by not ... | |
| High Yield Investment Program | 12/15/2009 |
| Q: i want to invest small amount of money($ 100) at 5-6 HYIP's promising 1,5-2 % daily profit, i ... A: They are scams. There is no reliable get rich quick scheme. If it sounds too good to be true it is. ... | |
| hello | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: i want to be a stockbroker oneday and I am just wondering ...if an investor calls and wants to know ... A: misskitty, The best answer would be "I don't know." However, there are many ways to value a ... | |
| beginning investmentd | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: I was thinking of doing some smalltime investing. About $100-150 a month. Would silver or gold be a ... A: silver and gold are very risky and for gold you face the disadvantage of buying in at historic ... | |
| Forex trading | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: I'd like to ask you the following questions: 1) I want to try Forex trading, can I expect some ... A: Forex is very difficult and volatile and you can lose all of your capital in a short time. There is ... | |
| Series EE Bonds | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: Steve: Series EE Savings Bonds were issued in 1990 and 1991. You answered a question on your home ... A: sorry for the delay, I answered this and forgot to hit "send" after the spell check. Your best bet ... | |
| Penny Stocks/Investing for beginners | 11/8/2009 |
| Q: Last spring I subscribed to an online newsletter that gives tips on ground floor opportunities in ... A: Gary, the quick answer is "yes," all of the major stock trading services allow you to purchase and ... | |
| beginning | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: I have a couple grand I would like to start playing the stock market. I am 32 years old and am ... A: James, Successful investing takes discipline, education, and patience. A plan should be established ... | |
| investment | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: I am a South asia currently working in Dubai.Can i invest in US stocks or bond while in Dubai.If yes ... A: Rajesh, to invest in US stocks you need an account with a US stock broker. There are many such ... | |
| Allocation | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: I don't know if I really apply to "investment for beginners," as I'm a week away from taking my ... A: Given your question, it seems to me there are only two possible answers: 1. move to cash/"safe" ... | |
| New investment strategies and tips | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: Where I am not: I am 22 and have been investing since the beginning of this year. I can live off ... A: I get lots of these questions, and out of all of them you are --by far --way out in front of the ... | |
| Investing 101 | 7/20/2009 |
| Q: I've always had an interest in investing because I think its important to plan for the future. This ... A: Sorry for the delay in my reply, sometimes you answer and the system does not send it through unless ... | |
| Investing | 6/3/2009 |
| Q: I live in England, I am 21 and going to university in September. I was told that at this age it is a ... A: Hey Ruben, Thanks for the question. I think the most important step for someone in your position ... | |
| Fin Planning | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I want to open a Roth IRA to save for retirement. I want to know: 1) Where should I open the Roth ... A: You can open a ROTH IRA just about anywhere that has an investment arm or that keeps accounts. If ... | |
| Insider Trading & Selling | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: What is the difference between insider selling and insider trading? I know that one of these is ... A: Insider trading is when you use information not available to other investors to buy/sell stock. ... | |
| Quantitative finance | 5/19/2009 |
| Q: I am currently a college student double majoring in finance and accounting. My goal is to someday ... A: Right now there is not much demand for any type of finance person due to the horrible economy. Lots ... | |
| EE Bonds | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: My question is this. I have emailed the Treasury people. They tell me my bonds I bought in ... A: All the information you need is available at the Treasury Web site. A bond interest calculator is ... | |
| newbie | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: im 18 years old and my dad suggest that i go into the stock market a bit. he says if i put in a few ... A: The best/easiest thing to do would be to put your money into a stock market index fund. Most major ... | |
| investment for dummies | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: yup,im the dummy.i wnt to use my money to create longterm wealth n a lil extra money to spend in the ... A: Tapfuma, Thanks for the question. The best/easiest thing to do would be to put your money into a ... | |
| investing | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: im have an excess 1000 dollars what should i do with it A: Jon, If you have a bit of money saved away the first thing to do is pay any outstanding ... | |
| Hello | 2/4/2009 |
| Q: this is a bit off topic, but I am a sophomore in college and trying to decide if I should keep ... A: I will give the short answer that "yes" finance is going to be similar to accounting and that almost ... | |
| Technical Vs. Fundamental Anaysis | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: I am set on doing my own future investing & read where evaluating stocks using both technical & ... A: I am not sure about books that compare both methods because in many cases people seem to be on one ... | |
| Starting the basic Investment teen age 19 | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: I have currently start a busiess with out investing even a piny in it. i'll tell how. I am from ... A: Mansoor, Thank you for your question. I wish you the best of luck with your cement business and I ... | |
| 19 years old boy wants to be an investor | 12/19/2008 |
| Q: I would like to become an investor like Warner Buffet. What i really want to know is that, how to ... A: I think the most important step for someone in your position is to get an education that will lead ... | |
| Treasury Bonds | 12/17/2008 |
| Q: Could you please give me a specific web site where I could find every day the 10-year Treasury Bond ... A: Yahoo Finance is a good free site for all sorts of data. If you go here: ... | |
| investing | 12/6/2008 |
| Q: I only have $4,000. to invest. How should I invest it? A: The websites like firstrade, etrade, scottrade, etc. often low fees and low/no minimums so you can ... | |
| worth more dead | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: My question is, what exactly is meant by a company being worth more dead? I have found a few ... A: You have the right answer/concept with "dead" If they go bankrupt they have to pay creditors but ... | |
| ROLLOVER IRA TO MONEY MARKET | 11/11/2008 |
| Q: AS YOU KNOW MARKET IS LOW. I AM ROLLOVER FROM ONE TO OTHER COMPANY. WHAT IS MONEY MARKET? IF I ... A: As long as the money market fund you want to roll over into is available from your broker/bank, you ... | |
| Recession | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: I have heard all kinds of news stories and confused over the outcome of this recession. Some have ... A: There are set definitions for "depression" and "recession" available on the internet via google or ... | |
| Grandfather's bequest to Grandson | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: .when my husband died in 2004 he left a bequest to his grandson of $A5000 to be held in trust until ... A: Please keep in mind that I am no lawyer and I am a US citizen so I am unfamiliar with your financial ... | |
| Earnings reports | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: I'm doing paper trading on historical stock data, and finding I could probably time my trades much ... A: Darrin, I always look to google or yahoo finance for earnings data. They often have historical ... | |
| investment safety | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I'm concerned about the safety of investing with financial institutions and insurance companies ... A: The short answer to your inquiry is "no." Unless your money is in an FDIC account-- and below the ... | |
| rolling stock price | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: Where can I look to find the 50-200 day rolling average for a given stock? A: For technical features like moving averages you can usually find free resources on the internets. I ... | |
| Where to invest $50K | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to invest $50K in the next few months. my risk tolerance is low to medium. Could you ... A: Tim, Successful investing takes discipline, education, and patience. A plan should be established ... | |
| Where to start? | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: Hey, First off i'd like to say that Im from australia, so this might be different for you guys. But ... A: I am not really qualified--and actually not allowed by law--to recommend specific stock ... | |
| where to put my money? | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I put my money in the first two banks, which is very dangerous, ... A: The thing to remember with banks is that if they have FDIC insurance--most do and you will see the ... | |
| Just Starting | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: I literally just started! I have been wanting to start in stocks and investments because at my age, ... A: The websites like firstrade, etrade, scottrade, etc. often low fees and low/no minimums so you can ... | |
| Investing | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: I am really interested in investing.I can afford about 1000$.I prefer a more risk-free way so as to ... A: The websites like firstrade, etrade, scottrade, etc. often low fees and low/no minimums so you can ... | |
| my first hundred dollers in the bank | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: i am young and don't know what the best thing to do with one hundred dollars that will lead to more ... A: Congratulations on getting that first 100$ socked away and thanks for the question! The answer is ... | |
| Investments | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: I have about $5000 in my bank account right now, and I want to invest it in stocks. I'm debt free, ... A: There are a few books that can really help a new investor. One is "Investing for Dummies" and it is ... | |
| Investment | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: I am begginer invester and I am very much optimistic about oil prices. I want to know how can I ... A: There are several ways to invest in oil. Stocks in oil companies are easy, as are stocks in oil ... | |
| Investing | 5/27/2008 |
| Q: "Hello, my late uncle left me 7 million dollars which was a solid transfer from his bank to my bank. ... A: Sherry, I wanted to add the following to this answer.... here is a link to an article in the NYT ... | |
| Investing | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: "Hello, my late uncle left me 7 million dollars which was a solid transfer from his bank to my bank. ... A: sorry about the delay in my reply, long weekend and all. Here's is what I think about your ... | |
| buy directly from a co. | 4/29/2008 |
| Q: Where can I find the name list of companies that could sell stocks directly to me? A: Weidong, thanks for the question. I am not sure if there is a free public access list available. ... | |
| Re: Advice on Investment Portfolio | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: Re: Advice on Investment Portfolio Hello, after reading 9 books on investing I have created my ... A: Asad, It seems to me that the 50/50 split with US and foreign equities may not be the best ... | |
| Required guidance | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: I want to first understand the market, stocks, trading &start investing. My knowledge regarding ... A: Chetan, There are a few books that can really help a new investor. One is "Investing for Dummies" ... | |
| investools | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: i was online and saw a video for investools.. what do you know about this? the video really caught ... A: Kevin, there is no way in hell I would pay 1200$ for some investor course and internet tools. You ... | |
| Pause Investing? | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: Since the market is currently down, should I stop putting NEW money into the things I currently ... A: If you are doing a regular investment plan that is geared toward retirement far into the future then ... | |
| Valuation | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I am a value investor. My level of investment knowledge is MBA finance and Investments graduate. I ... A: Tom, I work at a quant shop with a valuation model. The theory behind the model is found here: ... | |
| beginner investing. | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: Yes I'm in the military and i would like to start investing in the market to have a little more ... A: Brad, The best thing to do is avoid credit card debt and save as much money as possible. Take ... | |
| Investing | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I am a beginner investor and have about $20,000 to invest. I was wondering what are some of the best ... A: The best/easiest thing to do would be to put your money into a stock market index fund. Most major ... | |
| Novice wants to set up low-cost investing account. | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: Novice wants to set up low-cost investing account. --- I'd like to start investing, but have no ... A: The websites like firstrade, etrade, scottrade, etc. often low fees and low/no minimums so you can ... | |
| How can i step into stock market investing | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I know nothing about stocks and investing in the stock market. How can i learn that and how do i ... A: There are a few books that can really help a new investor. One is "Investing for Dummies" and it is ... | |
| Change NC 529 Investment Option? | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I currently live in NC and have three 529 College Savings accounts for my three boys--ages 3, 5, and ... A: Nikki, The answer is that no one knows how long a potential stock downturn may last. 5-6 years ... | |
| ira | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: I have a simple question. What happens if you contribute more than legally allowed to you IRA? Where ... A: Mary, This is outside my area of expertise but I can provide a little insight. If you contribute ... | |
| Change NC 529 Investment Option? | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: I currently live in NC and have three 529 College Savings accounts for my three boys--ages 3, 5, and ... A: Please be advised that I know nothing about the specifics of your state's college savings program. ... | |
| options in silver and gold | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: What can you tell me about the company R.J. O'Brien? This is the company we are thinking about using ... A: I am not very familiar with options trading houses. In my work we mostly focus on stock purchases ... | |
| Investing in Precious Metals | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: I am thinking about investing some money in the platinum, gold, and silver bullion bars/coins. I ... A: Precious metals are traditionally used as a hedge against inflation. They have been on a huge run ... | |
| Stocks | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: how are you doing? I have a friend that uses a stock broker to buy his stocks. He puts a lot of ... A: There are lots of online brokerage services you can use. They are very similar in terms of costs ... | |
| Limit orders | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: When trading stocks, what is the difference between “sell limit”, and “sell stop limit” order? Could ... A: You can always find answers to these types of questions using google, this will be quicker than ... | |
| performance charts | 11/6/2007 |
| Q: Why are long term performance charts (5 years plus) totally inaccurate in yaohho and google charts? ... A: the short answer to your question is that in order to maintain a more accurate long-term picture the ... | |
| Online banking | 11/5/2007 |
| Q: I have noticed that the rates for cd's are a lot higher for online banking than at local banks in my ... A: Frank, As long as the usual internet protocols are followed, I see no issue with privacy and ... | |
| investing help | 10/2/2007 |
| Q: Originally my ambition was to work in I.T however now that plumbers have become wanted in Australia ... A: I am not really qualified--and actually not allowed by law--to recommend specific stock ... | |
| Help on being new | 9/6/2007 |
| Q: I am new to investing. I have started investing online and watch CNBC when I can. The problem is ... A: Diana, There are two books that can really help a new investor. One is "Investing for Dummies" and ... | |
| finance | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: im 18 and just started college and majoring in buisness administraion. i plan to become a ... A: I think that you should make sure that your college courses included a wide-range of finance courses ... | |
| investment | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: I am 20 years old male who currently working to collect money to enrol university.I understand only ... A: Hey Jack, Thanks for the question. I think the most important step for someone in your position is ... | |
| small cap stocks | 8/24/2007 |
| Q: otc and pink sheet) stocks appealing but how do you go about finding relevant info to judge if the ... A: Tony, The lack of data on small caps and penny stocks are a major reason we do not track a lot of ... | |
Beginner Investing
Answers by Expert:
Steve Hach
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can field general questions about the stock market and investing. The best ways to analyze stocks for investing, general financial questions about the markets, and questions about companies.
Experience
I am a research analyst for a quantitative stock market research firm. I also have extensive research, writing, and teaching experience in the field of US history with an emphasis on US foreign policy and international relations.
Publications
Various newspaper Op-Eds
"Cold War in South Florida Historic Research Study" US Park Service, 2004
Education/Credentials
BA in US History and French
MA in US History
PhD ABD in US History
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.