Biggest Investing Mistakes

Superscrooge

There is lots of advice on the forum about the most profitable ways to invest, best investment strategies etc. so I thought it would be educational and help others avoid falling into the same trap to ask the question....

What has been your biggest investment mistake or worst investment strategy?

Flobberchops

I'd say my biggest mistake is not starting earlier! When I think back to all the times when I either lived paycheck-to-paycheck, or just spent my disposable cash on rubbish instead of putting it in a savings account, let alone investing it, I mentally kick myself. As it is, I'm just starting out saving and learning about investments when interest rates are at an all time low. Better late than never...

talexuser

Superscrooge wrote: »

worst investment strategy?

Buying the flavour of the month fund that all the intermediaries seem to be recommending without a long enough manager record (or the HL 150!).

torbrex

When investing in penny shares you have to watch them all the time.

Vortigern

Not selling BT when the price was £15 per share.

Bazofts_Revenge

Listening to my Dad and not buying 2 Bed through terraces back in about 1990 when you could pick them up for £18k and they now rent out at about £6k a year. Also playing too safe and paying my Mortgage off too early. Thankfully I've borrowed it all back and it is working for me.

chris_m

Vortigern wrote: »

Not selling BT when the price was £15 per share.

More recently, not buying them when the SP was around 80p.

enthusiasticsaver

Probably mine is not starting to invest earlier and not knowing enough about investing to be able to make good choices on funds so have taken the "lazy or easy option" of investing in a globally diversified passive tracker fund of funds. Overall my portfolio is down but I am determined not to make the biggest mistake of all of selling when returns are low and crystallizing losses.

El_Torro

In my twenties I had some shares, but most of my money was tied up in Cash ISAs. Interest rates where about 5% back then so not a big disaster but I could have made more with shares.

Also not making more use of salary sacrifice pension contributions. It was only recently that I started paying in more than the minimum.

G_M

Not transferring my personal pension into my company final salary scheme when I first joined. It would have bought far more years service than later once my salary had risen.

But how was I to know then I'd stay with the company, or get promoted? Water under the bridge.....

prosaver

not investing in my education
and looking out the window
(well it was the 70 's)
and the teachers didn't care anyway