Trading for a living is a lonely career and I believe most people are better off keeping their day job, earning a regular income and trading or investing on the side. You probably didn’t want to hear that if you have just told your boss where to go and followed the advice of an ‘investment guru’ who says you can not only trade for a living but you will be driving a Ferrari in 6 months’ time.
So, assuming you are still in your day job (wise move) let’s network your way to wealth.
Each year I head to different trading and investment conferences around Australia, generally as a presenter but I also get the opportunity to listen to other presenters and chat with investors. Why would I do this when there is an endless amount of information on the internet? Here are my top 5 reasons why you should attend trading and investment conferences:
- My top tip is networking with other delegates and the speakers. As I mentioned before, trading can be a lonely career so it is a great opportunity to share ideas, swap contact details and stay in touch. I’ve picked up some great tips at trading conferences, and I don’t mean stock tips! I was introduced to a group of investors who use stock trading software with a fundamental filter to improve on my technical strategies. Perfect! Something I would never have thought of and some new information I can share with my clients.
- Talking directly to a presenter or person selling a financial product will give you a much better feel for their honesty and integrity. Very quickly you will know if they are a regular sales person earning a commission or if they truly understand and use the product or advice they are sharing. You don’t get that feedback online – you can’t see where their eyes are focused or the tone of their voice.
- Conferences are a great place to gather information, work out what looks and sounds good and then go away and do further research online. I would never suggest buying or signing up for a product or service whilst at a conference. Take a card or brochure and step away from the booth.
- If you are attending a large conference with multiple presentations at any one time use the conference program to plan which presentations are most relevant to you. If you are in a talk and you realise it is not what you expected quietly leave and change rooms. Don’t make a scene. No one cares that you are leaving but you will interrupt the speaker and everyone else if you trip and drop your gear as you exit.
- Finally, make sure you make the most of the conference by getting out of your comfort zone and introducing yourself to people you haven’t met before. It’s hard but very rewarding. It is a waste of time to go to these events and hang around with the same group of people. You won’t learn anything. Instead, if you see someone at the buffet table on their own walk up, introduce yourself and say “I’m here to learn more about short term trading, what about you? What are you hoping to learn?”
If you are in Australia or want to come to Australia for a holiday (and a tax deductible one!) then here are a few trading and investment conferences coming up that I highly recommend:
Australian Technical Analysts Annual Conference 15-17 May 2015, Gold Coast Queensland. Specifically for technical traders this is a great conference for the dedicated technical analyst and investor. Presentations are of a high caliber and are generally aimed at experienced traders but having said that, if you are new to technical analysis you will gather loads of valuable information you can take away and research further.
Noosapalooza™ 29-31 July 2015, Noosa Heads, Queensland. Hosted by myself and Trish Radge from The Chartist this is a trading and investing conference aimed at networking Noosa-style. What’s Noosa-style? Think beach resort town, beautiful location, cocktail party and gala dinner with live music – conference by day, party by night. Aimed at independent investors who like to make their own decisions and who are looking to expand on their current trading knowledge. Ideal for people who are want to retire wealthy or who are already retired and actively managing their wealth.
Australian Investors Association National Conference 2-5 August 2015, Surfers Paradise, Queensland. A comprehensive conference for all types of investing from property to stock market, SMSFs to estate planning. Many talks going on at the one time so you have tonnes of choice.
Why are these conferences all in Queensland? Mainly because people from southern states in Australia like to head north to warm up in winter so it is a great chance to have a holiday, attend a trading and investment conference and network your way to wealth.
Nick Radge is Head of Trading & Research at The Chartist. Nick has been trading and investing since 1985. He is an author, stock market adviser and a presenter at conferences and trading expos. Be sure to introduce yourself next time you see him at a conference. He likes that.