What is an Investment Club?

The definition of an investment club is simple: a group of people who share an interest in the stock market pooling their resources into one large investment.  Defining how an investment club works is more complicated.

          In most cases the investment club will be registered as a partnership and the members of the club will make decisions together on what stocks they consider to be a good investment risk. 

          The majority of the time the investment decisions will be made after some research has been done regarding the stock that is under consideration.  This will be discussed at length further in this book. 

          An important feature of an investment club is that the members are there to have fun as they invest their money and learn about the stock market.  Making a profit isn’t the only goal of the club and members are encouraged to have fun as they invest their money. 

          An investment club isn’t for those people who are looking for a fast way to make some easy money.  People who want a quick turn around are discouraged from joining an investment group and investing on their own. 

          A main feature of the investment group is to start to learn how to invest your money and to invest for a long term rather than a short one.

          There are several things that you should keep in mind if you are thinking about starting an investment club or have in interest in joining one that already exists. 

          Make sure that you understand all the reasons why you should start an investment group and the requirements needed to be successful as a group.            The following is a list of important ideas and information that you should consider before starting your club:

• Be realistic. If you’re starting an investment club to make a killing in the stock market, you’ll most likely be very disappointed.  The goal of an investment club is to learn more about the stock market and if you have dreams of becoming rich you’ll be starting the club for the wrong reasons.  Joining an investment club means joining for a long period of time.

• Expect to be an amateur. Starting an investment club doesn’t mean that you have to be an expert on the stock market.  In fact, an investment club is ideal for a group of amateurs who want to learn about how the stock market works and what it can do for them.  An investment club is a safe environment in which you can invest a little bit of money and not worry about losing a large amount of your hard earned dollars when something unexpected happens.

• Amount of money to invest. Don’t think that you need a lot of money for investment purposes to start an investment club.  The opposite is in fact true: you don’t need to have a lot of money to invest to start an investment club.  You can set a minimal fee for each month’s contribution that is fits into your budget.  You’ll have the chance to determine what the minimum monthly contribution should be each month when you have your first meeting of the investment club.

• Combined investment money. On your own you may not have enough money to invest in the stock market in a way in which you may be able to realize a profit.  However, when you combine your investment dollars with the dollars of others in the club you’ll have a significant amount of money to invest in the stocks that you’ve been watching and think may be successful.  Keep in mind that just as there is strength in numbers there is also a shared sense of security when you’re not investing alone.

• One thing that you should keep in mind is that your voice will be part of the larger group and you may not always have a say in which stocks you want to invest in.  If you’re unable to sit back and let another decision take the place of something that you would rather see, then an investment club might not be for you.  You’ll need to have the ability to let the majority rule whenever a decision is made.

• Learning experience. You should be prepared to be satisfied to never realize a profit from the stock market.  One of the important goals and features of an investment club is that you benefit from the learning experience of being with other people with the same interests in the stock market.  If you never make a penny you should still be pleased with your participation as part of an investment group.    

          Starting your own investment club will be a pleasurable, and perhaps profitable, way to spend time with other people that share the same investment passion that you do. 

          You’ll be able to learn about the stock market in a safe and secure environment with other people that understand your fascination with the stock market.