Pat McKeough has been making investing for beginners simple—and profitable—by helping investors make big gains for more than 25 years. His advice to beginning investors is the same as it is for all investors: buy high-quality, mostly dividend paying stocks (or ETFs that hold these stocks) and evenly spread your investments over the five main economic sectors (Resources, Manufacturing, Finance, Utilities and Consumer). Pat also believes investors should avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight and focus on those with hidden or little-noticed assets.
In addition, Pat thinks then beginner investors should cultivate two important qualities: a healthy sense of skepticism and patience.
Investors should approach all investments with a healthy sense of skepticism. This can help keep you out of fraudulent stocks that masquerade as high-quality stocks. It will also keep you out of legally operated, but poorly managed, companies that promise more than they can possibly deliver.
If you are a new investor, you should also realize that losing patience can cause you to sell your best choices right before a big rise. All too often, investors buy a promising stock just as it enters a period of price stagnation. Even the best-performing stocks run into these unpredictable phases from time to time. They move mainly sideways in a wide range for months or years before their next big rise begins. (Stock brokers often refer to these stocks as “dead money.”)
If you lack patience, you run a big risk of selling your best choices in the midst of one of these phases, prior to the next big move upward. If you lose patience and sell, you are particularly likely to do so in the low end of the trading range, when stock prices have weakened and confidence in the stock has waned.
 How Successful Investors Get RICHLearn everything you need to know in ‘The Canadian Guide on How to Invest in Stocks Successfully’ for FREE from The Successful Investor. How to Invest In Stocks Guide: Find 10 factors that make your investments safer and stronger. |
When it comes to dual-class shares, the voting shares have certain advantages over non-voting shares
Aside from specific investments (such as U.S. and Canadian stocks, income trusts or exchange-traded funds), our Inner Circle members ask us about a wide range of investments. For example, I’ve been… Read More
What are the key differences between dividend and index investing?
Dividend investing focuses on stocks that pay regular cash distributions to shareholders, while index investing aims to replicate the performance of a broad market index by holding a diversified portfolio of securities.
One big advantage of index… Read More
Successfully playing the stock market — like chess—is never about going for broke.
Many investors like to use analogies from sports or the military to describe their investment approach, so they’ll often use the phrase playing the stock market. But if I had to compare our… Read More
Worrying too much about the wrong things, like unpredictable stock market events, takes a toll on results and diminishes an investor’s intelligence
Many investors spend a lot of time worrying about the wrong things. In particular, they worry about things that are unpredictable. Even if they… Read More
Here’s what we think about real estate investing in Canada — and it may surprise you
We’re constantly asked about real estate investment in Canada (or investment in Florida real estate, for that matter), and we understand the appeal. Even though today’s house prices still remain… Read More
Theme investing, particularly when snatched from the latest headlines, may seem appealing—but more often than not will lead to poor returns
Theme investors zero in on something that’s going on in the world—in business, politics, technology or society as a whole—and try to cash in… Read More
Invest in spinoffs and avoid IPOs when you look for new companies on the stock market. This should boost your long-term portfolio returns
The decision to go public or remain private depends on a number of factors that a company’s owners must evaluate from the unique… Read More
The dangers of online trading don’t get much play in the media when addressing how to buy stocks for dividend growth, but online trading does indeed carry hidden dangers that aren’t always evident at first.
The main risk comes from the fact that online trading may… Read More
Following these tips on how to start investing in Canada will help you avoid some of the guesswork that can lead to big portfolio losses
You can tell a lot about a couch by sitting on it, checking the price, the delivery schedule, the warranty, the… Read More
Investment climate indicators can be useful tools when evaluating the market. But they are just part of the big picture.
To succeed as an investor, you need to look at the overall picture, rather than confine your view to your favourite selection of easily accessible investment… Read More
Recognizing the significant added risks that investing in real estate vs stocks can lead to is key to making smart decisions
There are a variety of considerations when deciding on investing in real estate vs stocks. It’s easier to start investing in real estate and get… Read More
Getting into the stock market for beginners can feel overwhelming, but only if you go at it without the tips we share in this article.
As many of our readers know, I had the good fortune to get introduced to the stock market early in life,… Read More
Tax shelters in Canada that can help you save money when you use them correctly
Tax shelters in Canada aim to reduce or eliminate your tax liability and protect your gains on quality stocks to buy. As such, we at TSI Network have always advised investors… Read More
ADRs (American Depository Receipts) are a great way for investors to invest in foreign stocks
Our view on foreign investing is that for most investors, U.S. stocks can provide all the foreign exposure they need. We also feel that virtually all Canadian investors should have 20%… Read More
Stock investment clubs can help new investors find quality stocks and develop their own investing style. But watch out for the drawbacks.
Learning about stocks is as easy as connecting to the Internet. But if you want to further your knowledge of investing, you may find… Read More
A Member of Pat McKeough’s Inner Circle recently asked for his advice on a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that caters to customer service needs at small and medium-sized businesses.
Pat likes the firm’s steady revenue growth and expanding customer base. However, he notes that… Read More
Use tax-loss selling, or tax-loss harvesting, to offset your taxable capital gains in Canada.
Tax-loss selling (or tax-loss harvesting) occurs when you deliberately sell a security at a loss in order to offset capital gains in Canada. With tax loss selling in Canada, you can then… Read More
Canadian stock options can generate a lot of money for your broker, but here’s seven ways they can cost you even more
Trading Canadian stock options can generate a lot of brokerage commissions, which is why some young, aggressive brokers recommend them for their clients. That’s despite… Read More
Discover five facts about investing in stocks that will help you make better investment decisions over the long term. Learn more in this article now.
To succeed as an investor, you need to keep matters in perspective. Despite wars, recessions and market setbacks, stock prices generally… Read More
Dear Client,
In July 2024, I commented in our weekly Inner Circle Question & Answer Report that a lot of changes are now going on in the world, particularly in U.S. politics and law. Some of these changes are good and others are bad. Some are… Read More
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