EXPECTATION
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| Say my name. |
“Wow nagsa-stocks ka? Yamanin!” Coupled with slight bulging of the eyes, or head nodding in approval or shoulder shrugging imperceptibly. I guess most people who go into trading have had this statement (or anything similar to it) thrown at them at least once one way or the other. The reaction is to be expected in a country where less than 1% of the population invests in the stock market—only 640,665 Filipinos in 2014 to be exact. It’s no wonder why the stock market created an illusion that it’s only for the elite few. I was under that illusion for quite some time as well, until I’m not.
REALITY
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| Obligatory Starbucks selfie |
Anyone who has the ability to put a small percentage of their wages in the bank also has the ability to invest in the market. Gone are the days when traditional brokers would only accept clients investing at least 7 digits in their portfolios. Now, thanks to the advent of online brokers, for the price of three skinny Uniqlo jeans plus about three venti-sized Starbucks Frappuccinos, you can be a part of the 1%. But before anything else, a little caveat: invest only the money that you could afford to lose. Hindi ‘yung pang-matrikula ng anak mo, pambayad mo ng kuryente o pang-hulog sa bago mong sasakyan.
EXPECTATION
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| On becoming filthy rich, you're halfway there. You're already filthy. |
There is a certain mindset that the once you dive into the
stock market, your money will work for you and you will get rich quickly. We’ve
all heard of the “lucky” investor who became a millionaire overnight. And at
one point in every trader’s journey, s/he dreamed to be one. So day in and day
out, they look for the elusive “jackpot trade”.
REALITY
There are no shortcuts, only scams. And trust me, you wouldn't want to be involved in one. Let’s face it; it’s
easier to lose money in the market than it is to gain. One of the most
important lessons that I’ve learned in the ZFT course so far is that
consistency is key. What you do every single day matters more than what you do once
in a while. Hindi uubra ‘yung tsamba sa
trading. Katulad nga ng sinabi ni
Kap, yung may systematic approach ang totoong hokage.
EXPECTATION
I’ve always thought that getting into stocks was synonymous with burying yourself into companies’ financial records, or always being on the lookout for the latest disclosures, or giving a damn about what’s happening in the world market. For someone who barely knew anything about economics and financial thingamajig, everything seemed daunting and very much intimidating. And then I found out that that was just the tip of the iceberg. I was introduced to technical analysis. I was shown charts with candles and intersecting multi-colored lines and I swear I felt my brain melting into puddles. Na-lost ako! Para akong naligaw sa Kew Gardens ng Hacienda Binay.
REALITY
At the close of Season 5, Arya Stark lost her eyesight as a
punishment for stealing a face from The House of Black and White. On Season 6, Jaqen
H’ghar (or whoever wears his face) decided that it was time for Arya to get her
vision back. He gave her water from a poisoned pool and faster than you could
say Valar Morghulis, a girl could see again. Being taught under The House of Z
has been an entire Arya Stark moment. The experience has been a complete
eye-opener. You do not need to stay tuned for market news and announcements or
listen to pretend gurus to know which stocks to buy and which ones to get rid
of. Everything that you need is in the charts. Suddenly, the figures, candles
and intersecting multi-colored lines made perfect sense. Trading was not the
rocket science that we all thought it was. You just have to know where to look.
As Z would always say: Trading is easy. Trading is fun.
via GIPHY
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