It all began 3 years or so ago when my insurance and finance company, USAA, offered me 16 free trades with their brokerage.
It sounded like fun, although I knew absolutely nothing about the stock market, didn't even really know what a stock market was. So I took the bait, sent them $500, and I was a "trader". And I made sure everyone knew it, too. I researched companies to death, requested info packages in the mail, called public relation departments, all to purchase 5 or 10 shares of their stock. Great fun. Then I began reading books about investors. Warren Buffet, Peter Lynch ect. ect. and I was hooked. The 16 trades lasted me about 2 months and when it was over, I was almost $100 richer. Sweet. Just playing around, easy money! So they write me an e-mail telling me my free trades are up and from now and forward, that will be $20 a trade please. I'm not a genius mind you, but even that math didn't add up to me. That next $100 will cost me $320 leaving me with a $220 deficit. Nope, I'll have none of that. Way to smart to fall for their scheme. Now I'm looking around the Internet about stocks and trading. Good God, there is a whole universe out there. A whole nother world. Brokers and blogs and services and.....well, a lot of stuff. And it all looks so FUN!!!!!! Then, and then I see the "free 2 hour stock market class in your city". Well, if it's free, what have I got to lose?
