223: 3 Financial Education Secrets

Learn the 3 secrets about financial education that most financial experts don't tell you.

This show is all about financial education! Specifically, how to make it understandable and interesting, even if you're usually bored by financial topics!

1. Financial management is very doable on your own. It takes a bit of learning a few concepts and terminology, but it can be done. The truth is, most advisors put you into an asset allocation model and look at it quarterly. They are not watching your account like you might think. Why not learn how to do your own asset allocation and save 1 - 3% annually?

2. Financial advisors think their best service is to hold your hand when you are scared by market volatility. Perhaps if you understand what to expect, you can do that for yourself.

Rather than hoping deep dips and wild swings won't happen, you have to accept them as part of investing and learn what to do because the stock market drops about 10% every 11 months on average.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 20% 12 times since the end of WWII. That's about every 6 years.

We are now overdue for such a dip. Do you have a plan? Do you have cash set aside to buy? I certainly hope you weren't buying at Dow 20,000, an all-time high!

Liquidate some things, trim positions a bit to raise some cash. You can keep all your positions but have smaller ones.

Prepare for maximum fear - the time to buy. You can watch the VIX or watch consumer sentiment. When the VIX hits a high, consumer sentiment a low, or relative strength is below the bottom of the chart on stockcharts.com you could have a bottom.

3. Keep learning. Keep listening to this podcast and your other favorites and keep learning. Be cautious of certain stock hawkers on TV and of so called "traders" on TV. They have more incentive to be confusing so that you keep watching and giving them ratings, than to actually educate you. Remember, moving opposite the crowd is usually the smart move and the TV is the crowd.

To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.