Responsibilities of Investment Club
Members
Have you been invited to join an
investment club? This is wonderful news! Not only
are investment clubs a fun and exciting way to learn about the
stock markets and investing in general, but you stand to, while
pooling your funds with the other members, gain an appreciable
amount of money. The responsibilities of investment club
members are varied, depending upon the individual group, but
we'll give you a general overview of what can be
expected. Don't worry, it shouldn't be bad!
Read and Sign the
Charter
The charter or operating agreement is a binding
contract between the officers and the members of the
investment club. The responsibilities of everyone
in the club - members, officers, and the president and so
on - are usually outlined in the bylaws of the group,
which also present a reasonable limit as to how much work
you have to do in order to remain a member of the
investment club.
Research Investment
Opportunities
Whether you have to read magazines or go out to
visit a local company, researching investment
opportunities is a key part of the responsibilities of an
investment club member. You should look in to
market trends, company strengths and weaknesses, and any
other variable that you think could affect the stock’s
performance. With this, you present ideas to the
club regarding which stocks or bonds into which money
should be put... Good research may mean the difference
between gaining and losing cold, hard cash!
Contribute Funds
Money, money, money...it makes the world go
'round -- and this is most especially the case in an
investment club, considering that’s what they are all
about. Members are required to contribute funds on
a regular basis. Whether this is weekly, monthly,
bi-weekly or bi-monthly depends upon the individual
charter involved. The amounts, too, vary depending
upon how many people are in the group, how much each
person earns, and how much each can spare in case of
sudden stock fluctuations. $25, $50 and $100 at a
time, per member, are amounts not unheard of.
Before you even join an investment club, you are
responsible for determining how much is too much for
you. Never invest more than you can afford to
lose!
Be Active
This is probably the core of any group: activity
from its members! This is especially true in an
investment club, because if not all of the members of the
club are participating in the group activities (the
meetings, the research, the contributions), then the club
is listed as a Security and must register with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), and be
governed by its laws.
Your group needs you...so be a part of the
fun!
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