2. Investing your money in worthwhile ventures and
investment vehicles is a worthwhile pursuit. The desire
to see your money grow and to secure your financial
future is normal and encouraged in most cultures. Is
investing turning into something that is out of control? Is
your pursuit to leverage your savings to make more
money turning into an addiction that borders on
something unhealthy?
3. The rush of having an investment pay off is exhilarating.
The adrenaline rush that you get when you cash out
along with all the other emotions that go along with
seeing an investment through to its conclusion can be
addictive. The nervousness of your entry into the market
gets your heart beating. Your nervousness as you watch
your investment by the hour and then the thrill when
you see your money literally growing can rival any thrill
imaginable in this world.
4. It is when we allow the emotion to dictate who we are
and what we do that investing becomes a true
addiction. We confuse the outcome of the investment
with who we are as a human being. We feel like we are
winners if everything plays out as we had predicted and
our investment is successful. We are a winner because
our choice was correct and it turned a profit. When an
investment doesn't turn a profit and we find ourselves
on the losing side of an investment it might be tempting
to feel like we are a failure. Our investment was a failure
so we are a loser. The emotions compound upon each
other and soon we find ourselves in a situation
wondering how we got there.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Lastly, if you find yourself using money that is
earmarked to pay bills or that is put aside for savings or
your child's education then there is a real problem.
Stealing money from savings accounts or other
investments because you lost some money on your last
investment or because you feel a need to make money is
a sign that there is a problem. Lying or not telling a
spouse or partner about your investments and thinking
that you can return the money as soon as you cash out is
your investment addiction talking and no common
sense.
9. If any of these points strike home for you then you are
encouraged to take a closer look at what you are doing
with your investment activity. While it is a pleasant
experience to make money through investing, it should
never be something that is addictive or that you chase
after. There are plenty of opportunities out there in
investment vehicles that you are interested in. Learning
about investing can be fun but chasing after money is
always a bad move in investing.