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In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

What I learned on Wall Street

From a Reformed Broker

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Billy on Chacala beach, Nayrit, Mexico

Billy on Chacala Beach, Mexico

Everyone thinks that brokers know how to invest.

It's why we pay them, right?

Investment houses teach their brokers the rules of investing and the differences among stocks, bonds, annuities, and limited partnerships. We learned the rules of option trading, were told what an IPO is, and learned about the benefits of diversification. But this does not mean we were taught the skill or art of investing.

Remember, Wall Street firms are there to make money.

Serious money.

They trade their accounts just like you and I do. Sometimes their trading desks do well, and other times not so well. But brokerage firms always make money on the retail side from commissions, and the firm's idea of a good broker is one who generates income for the company, regardless of their clients' investment returns.

We were trained how to sell, and so long as you stay within the rules, a broker's behavior may or may not have anything to do with the client's best interest.

Lesson No. 1: Think twice before trading.

As a branch manager, my primary job was supervising my brokers.

I can remember many times where account executives made more money than their clients did in a year. It was up to me to be sure they were working within the proper regulations, both from our company and from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Therefore, I needed to monitor my brokers' trades, watching for excessive action in individual accounts.

At the end of the year, I would look at the commissions generated from certain accounts versus how much money that account increased during the past year.

Too many times I saw the broker making more than the clients did. The trades were fine -- they weren't examples of churning, and they were perfectly legal. Most of the time these accounts reflected unsolicited trades. This meant that a client heard of some investment from friends, coworkers, or the media, and then called his or her broker to place the trade. But in the end it was the broker who made the money.

So, one lesson of investing that I learned was not to trade, and hold steady during market downturns.

Each time you move money, it costs you.

This takes a toll on your portfolio's performance.

Lesson No. 2: Know what the expense ratio is for your fund.

Then I discovered no-load mutual funds.

Now remember, this was almost 35 years ago, and I was a loyal employee. At the time, it was impossible for me to place my clients' money into no-load funds. Both our computer system and our business model wouldn't allow it, and besides, I had bills to pay, too. But the fact that these funds were available interested me enough to do further research.

And research I did.

I tore apart their return numbers over and over, comparing them to my firm's.

One hundred percent of the time, the no-load funds won the competition.

This was difficult for me to accept, since I was a company man. But I also wanted to do right by my clients. This growing dichotomy began taking its toll on me as I realized that I was not doing what was best for the people who trusted me. This was one of the reasons I retired.

I also determined that expenses matter. If a broker is taking a commission on a mutual fund trade - which he is - that money is coming out of your investment. So keep fees to a minimum. Have someone else pay for your broker's house. Don't let it be you.

 

 

 

 

Lesson No. 3: Invest for the long term, and become your own expert.

Nothing can replace your personal involvement in your financial welfare.

During my time as a branch manager, my firm would regularly fly me to New York for education on financial products we offered. Even though I could find air-tickets far cheaper, they insisted I use "our" travel agency and stay in an upscale hotel at ridiculous prices. Cruises around Manhattan and lavish dinners and wines were used as incentives, and they spoiled us.

But where was this money coming from?

The customers' pockets.

Commissions, expenses, and trading all have a financial impact on your portfolio. This seems simple enough, yet many still use full service brokers and are paying the price.

I hope you're not foolish enough to be one of them.

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About the Authors

 
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.

 

contact Billy and Akaisha at theguide@retireearlylifestyle.com

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Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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