Thanks Mike for your recent comment.
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83605&perpage=6&pagenumber=241
The more we know, the more we know what we don't know.
Out of respect to Elite Trader, here is and edited post from another site about my background.
"As a young boy of about 7 years old, I dreamt of making a lot of money in the stock market and real estate.
About 3 years ago, we were about to sell our condo and start flipping houses, but a bump on the road came in.
We became victims of a leaky condo here in British Columbia, Canada.
We almost filed for bankruptcy but decided against it.
We said, instead of filing for bankruptcy, let's keep our credit clean and try the stock market.
The plan was:
I'll work overtime so that my wife could learn how to trade stocks.
It was going to be her full time work so that she could look after the kids.
The company that she was working for closed down.
We enrolled at TMTT.
She got pregnant with our third child.
Her health was not very well due to her pregnancy,stress from the previous work, and other factors.
I ended up learning how to trade stocks primarily.
Stress was high as I had to deal with my full time work, learn stocks, deal with the leaky condo problem, family obligations, etc.
Currently, the leaky condo problem is fixed and the value went up.
People tell me that playing the stock market is gambling.
I tell them if you don't know what you're doing, yes. (Or even though you know what you're doing but you let your emotions cloud your analysis.)
Otherwise, it's a profession.
Almost everything in life is a gamble if you really look at it.
I bought real estate thinking I got a good deal at that time.
Got hit with about $60,000 for leaky condo repairs.
Thought that I got a bad deal and was tempted to sell or just walk out.
Now, it feels that I made the right decision not to walk out.
If we sell our place right now, we would be in the plus.
The place feels like it's getting smaller(because my family is getting bigger).
To me, buying real estate is just like buying stocks.
I buy it because at that point of time it looks good and sell at a later time because it doesn't look good anymore.
Buying and selling real estate or stocks you have control if you want to sell it or not.
Gambling on the other hand, depends on chance.
You hope for that dice to land on your favour or get a good card.
Hope and chance is just some of the difference between gambling and trading.
When our third baby was born, we had to decide whether or not my wife should go back to work.
We decided for her to stay home and look after the kids.
We have 3 boys ages 14,7,and almost 2 (as of February 19, 2007)
Our reasoning was:
Money could always be earned one day but we cannot turn back time (this was the reason why she became so upset with me. I ended up spending more time learning stocks than having quality time with my family.)
My wife is feeling a little better now and is planning to look into trading the stock market.
Financially, it's tough to be a one income earner.
But, I would rather do something than to wait around for things to happen.
I don't want my children's children to go through what we went through.
One of the experience that comes to mind was the feeling I felt when my family were inhaling the fumes while the condo was under repair.
Our privacy was invaded and we felt like prisoners (the mesh that was covering the building was blocking our view and the sun.)
I was really concerned for my wife's health, the baby (that was still in her tummy at that time), and my 2 boys.
One of my goals for writing this is hopefully, someone else reading this will not make the same mistake I did.
I would be really happy if I found out that even only one's family is spared from breaking up."
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83605&perpage=6&pagenumber=241
The more we know, the more we know what we don't know.
Out of respect to Elite Trader, here is and edited post from another site about my background.
"As a young boy of about 7 years old, I dreamt of making a lot of money in the stock market and real estate.
About 3 years ago, we were about to sell our condo and start flipping houses, but a bump on the road came in.
We became victims of a leaky condo here in British Columbia, Canada.
We almost filed for bankruptcy but decided against it.
We said, instead of filing for bankruptcy, let's keep our credit clean and try the stock market.
The plan was:
I'll work overtime so that my wife could learn how to trade stocks.
It was going to be her full time work so that she could look after the kids.
The company that she was working for closed down.
We enrolled at TMTT.
She got pregnant with our third child.
Her health was not very well due to her pregnancy,stress from the previous work, and other factors.
I ended up learning how to trade stocks primarily.
Stress was high as I had to deal with my full time work, learn stocks, deal with the leaky condo problem, family obligations, etc.
Currently, the leaky condo problem is fixed and the value went up.
People tell me that playing the stock market is gambling.
I tell them if you don't know what you're doing, yes. (Or even though you know what you're doing but you let your emotions cloud your analysis.)
Otherwise, it's a profession.
Almost everything in life is a gamble if you really look at it.
I bought real estate thinking I got a good deal at that time.
Got hit with about $60,000 for leaky condo repairs.
Thought that I got a bad deal and was tempted to sell or just walk out.
Now, it feels that I made the right decision not to walk out.
If we sell our place right now, we would be in the plus.
The place feels like it's getting smaller(because my family is getting bigger).
To me, buying real estate is just like buying stocks.
I buy it because at that point of time it looks good and sell at a later time because it doesn't look good anymore.
Buying and selling real estate or stocks you have control if you want to sell it or not.
Gambling on the other hand, depends on chance.
You hope for that dice to land on your favour or get a good card.
Hope and chance is just some of the difference between gambling and trading.
When our third baby was born, we had to decide whether or not my wife should go back to work.
We decided for her to stay home and look after the kids.
We have 3 boys ages 14,7,and almost 2 (as of February 19, 2007)
Our reasoning was:
Money could always be earned one day but we cannot turn back time (this was the reason why she became so upset with me. I ended up spending more time learning stocks than having quality time with my family.)
My wife is feeling a little better now and is planning to look into trading the stock market.
Financially, it's tough to be a one income earner.
But, I would rather do something than to wait around for things to happen.
I don't want my children's children to go through what we went through.
One of the experience that comes to mind was the feeling I felt when my family were inhaling the fumes while the condo was under repair.
Our privacy was invaded and we felt like prisoners (the mesh that was covering the building was blocking our view and the sun.)
I was really concerned for my wife's health, the baby (that was still in her tummy at that time), and my 2 boys.
One of my goals for writing this is hopefully, someone else reading this will not make the same mistake I did.
I would be really happy if I found out that even only one's family is spared from breaking up."
