Chances are you are investor and don’t really realize it. You are an investor if you have an IRA, a 401k plan at work, a government retirement plan, and yes, even a savings account.

If you have any of these why not take control of your own future? Why let some stranger control your money, your future?

Almost every day someone asks me if they can really invest in the markets themselves, or if they can really manage their existing accounts. They tell me they don’t have an MBA, they may not even be a college graduate or else they have a degree in English Literature. So what. Today to be a successful investor you only need three things: a bit of common sense, a computer and a willingness to spend an hour a week at managing your own money (the first few months will likely take more time).

If you have a retirement plan at work or an IRA that you established yourself, you can take control of your own destiny rather than let someone sitting in an office or cubicle who doesn’t know you decide what is best for you…and maybe lose chunks of your hard earned cash. In many respects it is easier for you to make investment decisions that move you in or out of different holdings rather than a money manager who is limited because he has to be able to sell millions of shares of XYZ rather than just fifty or a hundred or even thousands. A buyer can usually be found in a tenth of a second for a hundred or even five thousand shares, but for millions that are being managed by your 401k manager, not hardly. And this is but one reason you are more likely to preserve your investments, your hard earned cash, than a manager of a retirement plan.

So how do you do it?

Start by asking questions.

Can I pick the funds my 401k invests in and how often can I change them? 
Can I pick stocks or ETFs or mutual funds for my IRA? 
Can I switch part of my savings into an investment account? 
Are there easy to use software apps for deciding when to buy and sell my investments? Where do I find them?