Hello everybody,
I wanted to get some input in regards to the beginning
educational learning of an investment club. I'm getting an
investment club started with several friends and family
members and I am pretty much the only one with general
experience with investing and the stock market. I wanted to
get some input on how to introduce the basics without
getting the too lost at the same time. Maybe you can give me
some educational pointers that would be helpful for my group
to get off to a good start.
Thanks
Luis

Hello Luis,

My name is Lynn and I'm an instructor and chapter director for the National
Association of Investors Corp. My forte is club start-ups, club education,
club organization and club conflict resolution. There's a start-up article
on my club's website under Newcomers called "So, You Want To Start an
Investment Club?" It's a check list that may help you fill in the blanks.
Find it at www.bivio.com/crowriver.

Here is my #1 recommendation to all new clubs right now. Require every club
member to become a member of StockCentral.com Here's my reasoning. First
off, it has stock analysis, stock screening, data files, online education
and a community to get help--all on one website for $39/year. The new
annual report analyzer and the other new products that are on the way will
be icing on the cake.

The stock analysis software is called Take Stock. It is very well received
among NAIC investors. The StockCentral version is a beginner's version that
doesn't require judgments, but rather, automatically provides judgments that
are very conservative. There is a book by the same title written by Ellis
Traub. It's out of print (4th edition coming out shortly) but can be
purchased on Amazon or Ebay for under $10 if you get the version without the
software (which you don't need!). This is the best beginning book and
analysis software program on the market today, in my opinion. While there
are other programs through NAIC, you would each have to pay $79/year to have
access to them. This is a much better deal.

All clubs have to have a strategy. This is the best way to get it. By the
time you outgrow Take Stock, they should have the next version (an
interactive version) up and running. By the way, successful clubs share
several traits. One is that all members have access to the same tools.
This ensures that everyone pulls their weight.

If you all join StockCentral, the book and software will give you a minimum
of one year of education! Probably much more! <G> After that, you can
review all the past and current online education workshops that have begun
to pop up. The article I recommended above will have other sources for
education.

Now, all that said! StockCentral.com is owned by IClub.com which operates
the only real competing club accounting software to bivio. I've used both
and I cannot speak more highly about the virtues of bivio software, support
staff and cost. You don't have to use the other company's software to take
part in their StockCentral site.

Write back if you have questions.

Lynn Ostrem, Vice President and Education Chair
Crow River Investment Club
garbagecop@gmail.com
www.bivio.com/crowriver

Hello Lynn,
Thanks for the great information regarding getting our club
up and running. I also had some questions regarding the
Stockcentral website you recommended us using. Is this
software similar to Investor Toolkit 4 & 5, but just a
little more user friendly? I've been reading up on different
software packages that are offered and was unsure of which
would be a great place to start.
  I also had a question in regards to the Stock Selection
  Guide. There is going to be a SSG workshop for the NAIC
  Chapter coming up soon, and was thinking about taking
  several of our members to the workshop. None of our other
  members know any of the SSG principles and procedures, and
  wasnt sure if the workshop required any basic knowledge of
  the SSG to be more effective learning tool. If you've had
  any experiences with any of these workshop any information
  would help. Thanks again.
Luis









Lynn Ostrem wrote:
> Hello Luis,
>
> My name is Lynn and I'm an instructor and chapter director for the National
> Association of Investors Corp. My forte is club start-ups, club education,
> club organization and club conflict resolution. There's a start-up article
> on my club's website under Newcomers called "So, You Want To Start an
> Investment Club?" It's a check list that may help you fill in the blanks.
> Find it at www.bivio.com/crowriver.
>
> Here is my #1 recommendation to all new clubs right now. Require every club
> member to become a member of StockCentral.com Here's my reasoning. First
> off, it has stock analysis, stock screening, data files, online education
> and a community to get help--all on one website for $39/year. The new
> annual report analyzer and the other new products that are on the way will
> be icing on the cake.
>
> The stock analysis software is called Take Stock. It is very well received
> among NAIC investors. The StockCentral version is a beginner's version that
> doesn't require judgments, but rather, automatically provides judgments that
> are very conservative. There is a book by the same title written by Ellis
> Traub. It's out of print (4th edition coming out shortly) but can be
> purchased on Amazon or Ebay for under $10 if you get the version without the
> software (which you don't need!). This is the best beginning book and
> analysis software program on the market today, in my opinion. While there
> are other programs through NAIC, you would each have to pay $79/year to have
> access to them. This is a much better deal.
>
> All clubs have to have a strategy. This is the best way to get it. By the
> time you outgrow Take Stock, they should have the next version (an
> interactive version) up and running. By the way, successful clubs share
> several traits. One is that all members have access to the same tools.
> This ensures that everyone pulls their weight.
>
> If you all join StockCentral, the book and software will give you a minimum
> of one year of education! Probably much more! <G> After that, you can
> review all the past and current online education workshops that have begun
> to pop up. The article I recommended above will have other sources for
> education.
>
> Now, all that said! StockCentral.com is owned by IClub.com which operates
> the only real competing club accounting software to bivio. I've used both
> and I cannot speak more highly about the virtues of bivio software, support
> staff and cost. You don't have to use the other company's software to take
> part in their StockCentral site.
>
> Write back if you have questions.
>
> Lynn Ostrem, Vice President and Education Chair
> Crow River Investment Club
> garbagecop@gmail.com
> www.bivio.com/crowriver

Hello Luis,

I have taught those SSG classes for several years. If your club decides to
join NAIC/BetterInvesting, each member will pay $79 per year to belong.
This includes online software similar to StockCentral, and membership allows
EACH member to purchase Toolkit 5 for $169. Did I say EACH? If you don't
join NAIC/BetterInvesting, each member will pay $224 EACH for the Toolkit 5
software.

And then, I do believe a newer version of Toolkit is due out in the near
future.

An alternative would be to join StockCentral for $39.95 EACH, after the 90
day free trial. The Take Stock Stock Analysis software is included in this
price. You cannot manipulate the software with your own judgments. They
automatically provide conservative judgments for you. On top of that,
there's a book (we call it our manual!) by the same name, Take Stock by
Ellis Traub, that is a wonderful investing primer for new members! The book
and the online program go together like meat and potatoes!

By the time you advance to the point where your members want to make their
own judgments, the nexr version of Toolkit will probably be released and you
and your members will be in a better position to re-evaluate your options.
Did I mention it's only $39.95 a year!?? <G>

It's not that the SSG classes won't be interesting. But they will be really
difficult if you don't have the software. There are other ways to educate
yourself. I'd start with the book.


Lynn Ostrem, Vice President and Education Chair
Crow River Investment Club
garbagecop@gmail.com
www.bivio.com/crowriver