Is it really worth the effort?

[aberdeen]

I don't own any individual stocks and just have a gold/precious metals mining fund as well as a global resource fund which has plenty of metals as well as oil and other types of energy. To me, it's just not worth the effort to research individual mining stocks. Do people here actually believe that they are smart enough to do much better than the fund managers? You might be able to do slightly better due to the expenses associated with funds, but it doesn't seem to me at least to be worth the time and effort. What are your thoughts on this?

[LongDonSilver]

I don't own any individual stocks and just have a gold/precious metals mining fund as well as a global resource fund which has plenty of metals as well as oil and other types of energy. To me, it's just not worth the effort to research individual mining stocks. Do people here actually believe that they are smart enough to do much better than the fund managers? You might be able to do slightly better due to the expenses associated with funds, but it doesn't seem to me at least to be worth the time and effort. What are your thoughts on this?

Like most things in life, taking the easy route might get you there, but the fun is striking out on your own and finding you own path. Mutual funds and ETF's are for the faint at heart. Digging into company published reports and listening to those in the know and trying to find the real winners that make the mutual funds result look good despite betting wrong on 9 out of ten holdings can be very rewarding. But not for those seeking instant results. If you can't sit on a dull, sometimes upside down holding, for years maybe, waiting for your ship to come in then don't go there. It really is up to each person to decide for themselves.

[aberdeen]

Like most things in life, taking the easy route might get you there, but the fun is striking out on your own and finding you own path. Mutual funds and ETF's are for the faint at heart. Digging into company published reports and listening to those in the know and trying to find the real winners that make the mutual funds result look good despite betting wrong on 9 out of ten holdings can be very rewarding. But not for those seeking instant results. If you can't sit on a dull, sometimes upside down holding, for years maybe, waiting for your ship to come in then don't go there. It really is up to each person to decide for themselves.

So it's more fun to do individual mining stocks rather than those boring mutual funds - I can understand that. Have you found that your overall investment returns have been better than if you had taken the easier route with mutual funds and ETF's?

[LongDonSilver]

So it's more fun to do individual mining stocks rather than those boring mutual funds - I can understand that. Have you found that your overall investment returns have been better than if you had taken the easier route with mutual funds and ETF's?

We have a financial advisor that does all the boring stuff. He gets paid well to do so. My wife allows (yes, she wears the pants) me to dabble with a small amount of our wealth. As far as returns, I've made some good returns and also have had my share of losses. The market, in general, in mining stocks has not been kind to long term shareholding of late. I would have to say that at this moment I'm in the hole, but have shares in several companies that if they pay off in the next 12 months will lift me well into the green. I entered into this with the understanding that I was going off the beaten path as recommended by those in the know and anyone with half a brain. Just as did when I decided to learn 3D printing, bamboo fly rod making and other wacky projects after retiring due to medical issues. I wish to continue to learn new things or will turn into a vegetable like some old people in politics. Now if I could only master C+++ and CAD design programming.......

For good investment return advice I would suggest you beg the mod's to bring back Redrum's long ongoing thread.

OBTW, nothing I've said says I don't buy ETF's or mutual funds. I happen to like NUGT and DUST along with GLD, SLV and several other paper products that can provide decent returns short term. If gold takes off I will have money in NUGT PDQ. But that is not something that I would ever leave money in long term.

[alexOSC]

Hi, there. the decision of whether to invest in individual stocks or funds is a personal one. There is no right or wrong answer, and the best approach for you will depend on your individual circumstances and preferences. I started out trading short U.S. stocks, but ended up settling for medium-term on cryptocurrency, trading from levels, and one trade can take up to 6 months until it works out. But that's the way it works for me.