It's written by Russian propaganda experts for US conservative readers. They know exactly how to speak like someone from the United States. It is their job and they are very, very good at it. Arguably, our discourse is the way it is because of these people.
Are you interested in Buddhism as a philosophy or a religion? If you want to be religious, I can't be much help. I think that the most fruitful aspects of Buddhism are the philosophy of the self and mindfulness mediation.
Why don't you try calling or emailing your nearest Buddhist temple? I honestly think the average temple would be quite happy to hear from a person who wants to be more active in the religion. Buddhist people tend to be very welcoming and accepting, because they're Buddhists.
There are tons of mutual funds, worth doing research there. I like Vanguard Growth index fund myself.
I think the idea that a clever young man can beat the market by making clever individual stock trades is a myth perpetuated by wall street to keep folks throwing money into the market. Casino owners want people to think that they can hit it big if they try their luck.
If your car needed a new engine, would you do this yourself or hire a professional? If your house had a gas leak, would you fix it yourself or hire a professional? Why then would you manage your own investments if you're not a financial advisor?
If you're interested in it as a hobby, put 90% of your money in a mutual fund and play slot machines with other 10%. But don't presume that playing slot machines with 100% of your savings is a sound investment strategy.
Trading individual stocks is free. Mutual funds have a minimum buy in. Your local high school theater is free to attend. Hamilton tickets are $500 minimum. This is because one of these things is worth attending.
Are you planning on day trading? Do you have access to information that other day traders do not? If not, I would put everything into a mutual fund and forget about it. Until you have more money, then I would put that money into the same mutual fund and forget about it.
Or, try buying individual stocks for a year, and see if your layman's picks outperformed a normal mutual fund. If you did not beat the mutual fund, then you have discovered why you should put everything in a mutual fund and forget about it.
I don't think I can be your guide but I would be happy to discuss Buddhism with you. I studied Buddhism as a philosophy in college and during my study abroad year in China.
What next steps are you talking about? What makes you nervous?
I work in this sector. I think part of the reason is that it sometimes behooves these programs to be a bit under the radar. If the average conservative found out that the government was spending their tax dollars on touchy feely environmental nature stuff they would have a huge fit about wanting to cut government spending. They are ironically the party of small government. Sometimes the best course of action is to quietly support hunting, fishing, and farming, so that the useful conservatives understand the value of the program without alerting the average faux-libertarian and MAGA idiot that someone is using their taxes to make the land a better place to live in for their children.
@Boinkage
@lemmy.world