5 Danger Signs That You’re an ‘Immature’ Investor

To make the most of your investments, you need to think about them in the right way. Investing immaturity can hold you back from reaching the next level with your finances.

A naughty boy makes a face.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Investing immaturity — a potentially costly condition that a surprising number of investors exhibit — is not easy to identify during the early stages of accumulating wealth when there is not much to lose. However, as time goes on and more wealth is built, immaturity can be spotted quickly in a conversation.

I want to be careful in using the term investing immaturity … I am not insinuating that someone is juvenile, what I am suggesting is that the way some investors think about their money and their investments can at times be immature.

In fact, what I have found in most people who are experiencing investing immaturity is that once they are provided more education about how to invest, they often move past this stage into more advanced wealth strategies.

The best way to look at this is that like anything: We only know what we know. In other words, the root cause of investing immaturity for most people is simply not knowing any different.

What follows are five signs of investor immaturity. For someone wanting to reach the next level of growing and protecting their wealth, these are behaviors to avoid.

Disclaimer

Securities offered through Kalos Capital Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB and investment advisory services offered through Kalos Management Inc., an SEC registered Investment Advisor, both located at 11525 Park Wood Circle, Alpharetta, GA 30005. Kalos Capital Inc. and Kalos Management Inc. do not provide tax or legal advice. Skrobonja Financial Group LLC and Skrobonja Insurance Services LLC are not an affiliate or subsidiary of Kalos Capital Inc. or Kalos Management Inc.

Disclaimer

Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management (“AEWM”), a registered investment adviser. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, AEWM and MAS are not affiliated entities. The article and opinions in this publication are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. We suggest that you consult your accountant, tax or legal adviser with regard to your individual situation.

Disclaimer

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

Brian Skrobonja, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
Founder & President, Skrobonja Financial Group LLC and Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC

Brian Skrobonja is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®), as well as an author, blogger, podcaster and speaker. He is the founder and president of a St. Louis, Mo.-based wealth management firm. His goal is to help his audience discover the root of their beliefs about money and challenge them to think differently to reach their goals. Brian is the author of three books, and his Common Sense podcast was named one of the Top 10 podcasts by Forbes. In 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, Brian was awarded Best Wealth Manager. In 2021, he received Best in Business and the Future 50 in 2018 from St. Louis Small Business.