GENERAL INFORMATION
What services do you offer?
We offer the Stock Investment Proposals (SIP) service, which provides you with the following:
– one or more stock investment proposal/s per month accompanied by our investment thesis report
– portfolio stocks ranking advice, showing our latest conviction on all our portfolio stocks
– action advice on main company events (mergers, spin-offs, etc.)
– ten solid foundation stocks for new investors
– five broad fund investment proposals for further diversification
– a dedicated research area where you can find financial data for all stocks traded in exchanges
– a comprehensive Beginner’s Investing Guide that will help you build a strong foundation for future investing success
– educational insights on various investing-related topics
Check out our Services.
How to start investing in stocks?
Determine your risk tolerance (how much risk do you feel comfortable with?) and risk capacity (how robust and resilient is your overall financial situation?), form an investment plan (goals and time horizon), decide your investment budget, open an investing account (in a bank or online), diversify your investments and continue investing systematically for the long run.
Do I need an investment account to start investing?
Stocks can only be purchased via a licensed brokerage account. You can consult an accredited professional stockbroker, a bank, or an online investing platform. Each has pros and cons but all end up more or less with the same outcome. Nowadays, setting up an investment account can be done in minutes. Before you begin, you may need to do some research on what kind of investments you wish to make. Investing firms differentiate themselves by offering different fee structures or services.
How do I open an investment account?
Determine the type of brokerage account you need, compare the costs and incentives, consider the services and conveniences offered, decide on a brokerage firm, and fill out the new account application.
Can I invest via any brokerage firm I like?
Yes, you are free to open your investiment account in the brokerage firm of your preference.
How to start investing with only a small amount of money?
It is quite easy nowadays. Decide how much money you will invest. Open an investing account online or at an investment bank (it only takes 15 minutes to create an online investing account!). Plan how often you should invest. As a general rule, try to allocate not more than 5% in one stock and invest incrementally.
How can the Stock Investment Proposals (SIP) service help me?
Stock Investment Proposals service can help you find which individual stocks and/or stock basket funds you should invest/divest. Apart from the proposals service element, what makes BFI unique is that we try to assist members in cultivating the proper investing mindset and endure any ‘rocky’ market.
Can I buy and sell whenever I like?
Yes, you can buy and sell whenever you like. Purchases and sales can be made at your own investing style and timing. We are not stock brokers (and will never be!); we are investment idea generators!
How do I sign up for your free newsletter?
We offer highly-respected and unique free-investing e-letters to all investors. You don’t have to be a BFI SIP member to sign up for our newsletter, and of course, it’s all free! You can subscribe to our newsletter here.
How much can I invest?
Contrary to conventional wisdom, you do not need to have a hefty fund or an ultradeep pocket to start investing. You can begin with as little as $100 and add to it as you earn and save more money. You can basically invest as little as your investment account allows. There are online investing firms that will enable trades starting from $1, but others have minimum trade sizes of, say, $20-$50. You can visit the compounding calculation here, and play with various scenarios to see what investing fits best your financial objectives.
How do I buy my first stock?
Once your investment account is set up and funded, you are all ready to buy your first share. This is where a lot of beginner investors get stuck. Technically you can purchase your first stock by instructing your investment firm or by pressing a button (if you choose the online investing way). The critical thing to remember here is that investing is a life-long pursuit. Your first stock does not have to be the perfect investment, backed by hundreds of hours of in-depth research. Getting started is what is most important here. Through our service, we offer ten Solid Foundation stock proposals. This list consists of ten companies that, in our belief, are an excellent place for beginners to start.
Do I need a large amount of capital to become a successful investor?
If you cannot invest $1,000 wisely, then you will not be able to invest $100,000 wisely. More capital will not make you a better investor. It will just make your mistakes more expensive.
What is the risk involved with stock investing? Can I lose my money?
There is no such thing as returns without risk. Do not let anyone fool you into thinking you can get low or high returns bearing zero risks. If investing had no risk, it should have no return. It is the risk that makes us eligible for returns, so we generally embrace risk. We see two main risks in investing a) the risk of permanent loss of capital or b) the risk of inadequate return. We take all required measures to mitigate the risks involved by a) having a diversified portfolio approach to our investment proposals, b) doing our deep due diligence when proposing a company, c) monitoring our proposals regularly and d) investing for the long run!
Can I try out your strategy without putting any money at risk?
Of course. The majority of stockbrokers offer what is known as a virtual account. It is merely a fictional account with a predetermined amount of cash that you may use to follow trades in real time without ever risking real money. It is an excellent tool for someone who is just starting out in investing because it will show them how to follow our proposals without making a costly error. Until you feel comfortable, we urge doing this for a few trades to get familiarized.
Why should I trust your ability to propose great stocks?
We enjoy the benefits of both individual and institutional investors. We can think long-term (the majority of professional funds do not possess at the end of the year most of their stocks purchased at the start of the year). We have access to professional financial tools and have close communication with the top investing institutions (we have an international network of professional investors who assist us find new opportunities or gaining insights into our existing holdings). We have decades of personal and professional experience. We give unbiased and independent advice and have no conflict of interest in our proposals (our only source of income is our fully disclosed annual or monthly fee; we do not earn fees by your stock purchases or sales). We adhere to no benchmarks or rules and have no restrictions in buying (if a great opportunity presents itself and we are confident in our research, we do not miss it just because it does not fit). We have no hassle or bureaucracy (there is no slow-moving internal regulatory committee in our decision-making process.). We get evaluated for our past performance (our track record is open to our members and speaks for itself). Last but not least, we do it because we love it, rather than for living. All these different elements make us unique prominent ‘street’ investors!
Is there a BFI app for mobile/tablet use?
We do not currently have a mobile app. However, our website is mobile-friendly, and you can use it on any mobile device.
How can I contact you if I have more questions?
Just contact us here.
MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
How do I reset a new password?
At the bottom of My Account page, you will see a button labeled “Change Password”. Just click on the link and follow the instructions.
I have forgotten my email address. How can I log in?
Just contact us here.