I’ve been on TikTok for over six years. I get a LOT of repeat questions. If I referred you to this page, it’s because you, like hundreds before you, have asked the exact same question, which isn’t a bad thing! You’re all thinking the right way.

If you’re new to investing, bookmark this page and check back here every month or so, as I’ll be updating it periodically.

1. What do you think about Acorns/Robinhood/Fidelity/etc.

   • I have only ever used TD Ameritrade (now a part of Charles Schwab). I have no thoughts or opinions on any other brokerage. I use Schwab for investing and Think or Swim (through Schwab) for stock trading. I personally love it. All brokerages are basically the same these days. Don’t overcomplicate it.

2. Which S&P 500 ETF is better?

   • They are all exactly the same. I own SPLG, which has the exact same holdings and the exact same performance of VOO or SPY.

3. Why do SPLG, VOO, and SPY all have different prices?

   • This video explains it.

4. What does DCA mean?

   1. DCA = Dollar Cost Average. It’s an investing strategy that says you invest the same amount of money into the same investment every single month (or whatever period of time you choose). For example, you’d invest $583 per month (to hit your annual Roth IRA max of $7,000) into FTEC on the first of every month AND you’d invest $200 into your S&P 500 ETF.

5. Which is better? Lump Sum or DCA?

   • Lump Sum means you invest one large amount. It’s better if you can afford it because you’re starting from the earliest point with the largest amount, allowing you to compound and earn more money from dividends faster. But most people can’t afford to lump sum, so DCA is perfectly fine. I also personally prefer to do a hybrid during volatile markets, like during recessions. So I start a position, but I don’t spend 100% so I can add even more money when markets drop lower.

6. I’m up X% - when should I take the profit?

   • Why did you invest in the company? What kind of investment is it? Did you invest to hold it for 10-30 years? Then who cares if you’re up 35%. Imagine you bought stock in NVDA 10 years ago and sold it when it went up 35% only to miss out on the 19,500% rally that came after that. Don’t be shortsighted with your profits, especially if it’s meant to be a long term investment. If you bought a high risk speculative stock, technical analysis is your friend (I use the RSI to know when to sell - or buy). You can also watch this video on when to sell a speculative investment and this video on when to sell long term investments.

     If you REALLY want to lock in some gains, remember you never have to sell your entire position, you could always sell a quarter of the shares or half - totally your call. There is no one size fits all answer.

     One last option is to consider moving some funds from the profitable stock into a NEW position. Perhaps you’re overweight one stock (that means your holding in one company is disproportionately oversized). You could rebalance your portfolio. Generally, if ONE company makes up more than 10% of your portfolio, it’s a good idea to consider a rebalance, depending on YOUR risk tolerance.

     When you have such an oversized position in one company it increases your risk - you’re depending largely on that company to perform for you. If you’re comfortable with higher risk, 10 or 15% might not be a problem. Maybe if it grows to 20% OR MORE you’d consider a rebalance. So how much should you sell? Depends again on your risk tolerance. You might want that position to be 5% or 10%.