My husband and I love trading stocks. We are both management consultants, and trading stocks is our hobby. Selling stocks at the right time is a little competition for us. We often buy interesting new stocks at the same time, and then the discussions begin: when to sell?

We like it a bit more speculative. So we're happy to sell after a year or two and use the proceeds to fund our next vacation. Of course, our portfolio also holds conservative stocks. But the thrill lies in seeing what we've achieved after a year. Is it off to Dubai, Australia, or will we rather stay a few days at Lake Tahoe? Our results determine our next vacation. So far we've always been able to afford great trips, extras included.

Last year we were able to fly to Dubai, on to Bali, and back to Dubai once more for shopping. It was fantastic. Selling stocks is so much fun when you can pay for your trip at the travel agency straight away.

Selling stocks at a profit!

There are many methods and market maxims for when the right time to sell stocks is!

  • Stop-loss price
  • Take out your stake, let the profit keep running
  • Save yourself from a total loss

We haven't really experienced shipwreck yet. But losses have occurred before. As we know, the market goes up and down. At the time, we decided to sell at a loss. We ultimately made it up with other stocks. I love trading, and for me the market news is a treat in the evening. Feet up, listening to what the trading day brought.

Sometimes it takes time! A stock can drift along for a long time and then suddenly good news arrives. A stock split or a big order, and the stock knows only one direction: up!

Growing money

We like to grow our money, mainly in stocks. We bought a condo together that we live in, and a small apartment that we rent out.

Of course we dream of hitting a jackpot, so to speak, with a single stock one day. Which stock trader doesn't? But as long as things keep going the way they are and one or two vacations a year come out of it, it's simply wonderful. I know you have to be careful. My father lost a lot of money during the dot-com bubble. The stocks shot into the sky, sometimes by 100% in a day, and then came the crash. Nobody really wanted to admit it. He lost $80,000. It was a hard blow.

I always keep this in mind and I'm careful. Never borrow money or take it from the bank to buy stocks!