Tink has a very good point (several actually). Get your feet wet with the real thing.

What really got me interested is when I had real money on the line. I read about commodity options and futures for a couple of years before hedging some crop, but the first actual hedging experience with real money on the line made more of an impression in a matter of a few months than all the previous reading.

With off farm investments it was the same thing. After maxing out IRA's for a number of years and picking a mutual fund, I thought surely I can not do worse than these professional managers. So I read and learned about stocks for probably two years before my wife probably got tired of hearing about it and on our anniversary took me in to a broker and bought me some Wal-Mart stock for my present (still have it - 406% total gain not counting drip reinvestment). The broker convinced me I should also buy a little Wal-Mart de Mexico which I did and was my first lesson that I had already learned from my crop hedging broker experience - never listen to any broker. I was perfectly capable of loosing the same money my broker would so why let them have the fun? They may have perfectly good intentions (some do not). But it is my money.

Tink said: "Industrious people are productive, but even with success, they often underestimate their abilities." this is absolutely true. The opposite is also absolutely true, so beware. Being successful in one thing may give us over confidence on areas we are not competent in or have not had the depth of experience in to be making major decisions. Which brings me another statement of Tink's. " Doesn't have to be much." Tread slowly. A bull market can make a person think he is a genius and set him up for a big fall when the realization that luck in timing had more to do with the success than skill. Don't ask me how I know.

All in all, good comments Tink.

John