The idea of writing my own blog has been growing in my head for a long time, and now that it's a reality I'm so keen to start that I was almost tempted to skip the introduction and go straight to the point, as if the reader joined the club in the middle of a discussion. But one shouldn't start a conversation with someone new without introducing oneself first. At least, a
gentleman wouldn't do that.
I entered the world of the investors about a couple of years ago, but I've been doing my research for a long time before then, and I felt that I needed to grow my experience for some time before I could start sharing publicly my investing objectives, targets and aspirations in a personal blog. Now I believe it is the right moment to start.
When my interest in the investing world started to grow, I used the best source of information I had at hand:
the internet. I was sure I would have found everything I needed there, as always.
However, I've been surprised by how much rubbish there is on the subject. I was looking for some articles where people just shared their experience, but most of the time I ended up frustrated to find piles of websites which irresponsibly tried to sell premium services in a sly, annoying way.
I don't know about you, but I am really tired of getting redirected on
The Motley Fool,
Morningstar,
Guru Focus and
Dividend.com (and many more websites) only to find out that in order to read the rest of the article you have to pay a subscription service.
Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit, but I really think it's not fair to manipulate people to try to sell them a $500+ annual subscription for some information which they could find themselves on the 'free side' of the internet. I find it unprofessional and unfair...I hate it!
So, we end up here and now. This space is like I am sitting in a Gentlemen's Club where I can share my own story with the other members.
It works for me, because public commitment is a powerful tool, and sharing my personal aspirations and goals will generate a stronger drive. At the same time, this website could provide some honest and unbiased examples to anyone interested in starting to invest their money. I am not selling anything to anyone, this is more like my 'investing journal' where I can write down the progress made and review my own objectives regularly.
If you've read my lengthy article until here, I like you already. The next one will be all about the exciting stuff...the numbers! I will provide a review of my 2016 objectives as of end of May.
Oh, you may have noticed that my introduction was a bit peculiar. The first thing that you say, usually, is your name. But if you don't mind I will skip that part, at least for now. For the moment, you'll have to settle with my alias.
Yours,
The Gentleman Investor
