Is Your Investing Turning Into An Addiction?

Investing your money in worthwhile ventures and investment vehicles is a worthwhile pursuit. The desire to see your money grow and to secure your financial future is normal and encouraged in most cultures. Is investing turning into something that is out of control? Is your pursuit to leverage your savings to make more money turning into an addiction that borders on something unhealthy?The rush of having an investment pay off is exhilarating. The adrenaline rush that you get when you cash out along with all the other emotions that go along with seeing an investment through to its conclusion can be addictive. The nervousness of your entry into the market gets your heart beating. Your nervousness as you watch your investment by the hour and then the thrill when you see your money literally growing can rival any thrill imaginable in this world.On the other hand, there are some of us that allow investing to rule our lives. An investment pays off and we feel like a winner. When an investment doesn’t pay off we feel like a loser and we begin to chase that emotion so fiercely that sometimes thought and reason leave us and we begin down the path to addiction.If you find yourself checking hourly on your stock or the prices of gold or any other investment that you currently have money invested in then you might have a problem. You might try to rationalize this by saying that you’re keeping an eye on your investments but you probably already have sell orders and stops in place to take care of the need to keep an eye on your position every minute of the day. Obsessing about a stock or investment shows that you’re emotionally involved and a good investor removes all emotion from the investment decision.Do you find yourself constantly looking for an edge or tips for hot stocks? This kind of behavior is similar to what goes on at a race track, wouldn’t you agree? While searching for an good investment and being an educated investor is wise, looking for underground news or tips on what is going to happen in your chosen market are signs that something is wrong. That feverish feeling overcomes you and you simply must find a winner. You are willing to do anything. You subscribe to clubs and mailing lists to find that sure thing and you chase that rush.Most of us have one or two investment types that we prefer. We all have a knack for picking stocks, a feel for a certain currency pair or we enjoy investing in companies that we know a little bit about. If you find yourself chasing after profit and trying many different types of investments because someone told you that they know this particular investment is going to pay off then you might have a problem. Stick to investments that you enjoy learning about. Venturing off into uncharted territory when money is at stake is an unwise investment no matter where your information came from.Lastly, if you find yourself using money that is earmarked to pay bills or that is put aside for savings or your child’s education then there is a real problem. Stealing money from savings accounts or other investments because you lost some money on your last investment or because you feel a need to make money is a sign that there is a problem. Lying or not telling a spouse or partner about your investments and thinking that you can return the money as soon as you cash out is your investment addiction talking and no common sense.If any of these points strike home for you then you are encouraged to take a closer look at what you are doing with your investment activity. While it is a pleasant experience to make money through investing, it should never be something that is addictive or that you chase after. There are plenty of opportunities out there in investment vehicles that you are interested in. Learning about investing can be fun but chasing after money is always a bad move in investing.

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