First, let me explain where the money I'm investing came from: my wife. More specifically it's money that had been sitting in one of those online investment site's accounts she set up. You know the sites, the type that you see on tv while watching the Super Bowl. The type that you ignore because you can't relate to the business-minded, middle-aged man talking about saving for retirement while hanging out near his fishing boat. My wife had put $9000 into the account during our first year of marrage, a little over three years ago. She put all but $2000 into three separate funds. The rest was simply in a money market account.
Now, my wife is a very smart and sensible woman, especially when it comes to money. The funds that she had invested in where making decent returns. The initial $9000 investment has grown to $12,800, which is great considering the low point the market hit a couple years ago. The fact that she had $9000 to invest before she was 30 years blew my mind. I only started to think seriously about saving money once we got married. And now that I'm in my thirties I have just begun thinking about saving in a more long term fashion.
Cut to a week ago, January 22nd. While having an adult, husband and wife conversation I mention that investing in GE would have been a good idea, and probably still is. That comment was based entirely on news blurbs I had heard over the past weeks, which for some reason made me think GE was doing well. I get the reply "if you think it's a good idea then let's do it". I did not expect that response, especially for a comment that was meant more to be in passing than generate a conversation. So, after a little conversation we decided to invest in GE stock using the $2000 that was available in the money market account, which is basically like a savings account from my understanding . We bought 90 shares at $19.98 a share. Thus starting my venture into to stock market.
Since buying the GE stock I have been told to do what ever I feel is best with the money in the online investment account. Should I feel it's best to sell shares from funds or invest in other stock, it doesn't matter. My wife is well aware of my knowledge of the stock market, and finances in general, which makes it hard for me to understand her trust in me with this sort of financial venture. Maybe she is impressed by the amount of research that I have been putting into this. Maybe I have wowed her with all of the thoughts, opinions, and logic I have been constantly spouting off with what to invest in next. Or, maybe she has the same unfounded confidence in me that I have in myself. What ever it is, I'm grateful to have the means, and excited to do this.
