Guidelines for a Successful Investment Club

For an investment club to be successful there are some guidelines which need to be in place so that the club runs and functions smoothly. When a group of people come together with similar interests they need to have certain conditions that are met and basic rules that are followed. Each member of the investment club needs to be certain of the expectations and needs to have some simple attributes that are met.  If the members are not disciplined, then the likelihood of having a successful investment club will be slim.

Some of these investment club guidelines are:

1.     Investment goals

Each member of the investment club needs to have the same goal in mind and the same methods of achieving that goal. If some members of the group are only interested in making a profit, instead of learning more about investing and the details involved, there will be a divided set of goals. All members of the club should have the same philosophy about investing.   
 
2.     Long term goals

Members of the stock investment club should be clear on what the long term goals of the club are all about. There should be an understanding established of what amount of the profits that are realized from investments are going to be held and which amount is going to be reinvested immediately back into the stock market.  There should be an equal amount of growth and stability that is agreed upon.
 
3.     Organized communication

Club members should communicate on a regular basis. Part of the experience of starting an investment club is getting together to enjoy similar interests and goals. 

 4.     Mandatory meetings  

It’s important that members of the group are able to attend all meetings. When there are decisions that need to be made about ongoing investments and future investments it’s important that all members are part of the decision process. If the group decision is held up because some members don’t attend regularly the endeavors of the investment group are jeopardized.
 
5.     Stock decisions   

Before any stock is purchased or sold it will be required that all members of the investment club are part of the study of these stocks and part of the final decision.
 
6.     Internet access  

Members of the investment club will want to have computers with Internet access so that they can keep track of the market from their homes and so that they can communicate with other members on a frequent basis. The importance of good communication between members of the group can’t be stressed enough.
 
7.        Accountability checkpoints 

It will be very important that the investment club have checkpoints in place that account for all investments, profits, losses, and other money issues. These checkpoints should be readily available for all members of the club to read at point in time.

A successful investment club needs to run smoothly with a great amount of reliability and confidence among its members. This is why investment club guidelines are so important.  When all members of the club expect and meet the same requirements everyone works together in a way that induces success and, hopefully, some profitability.