By Anita Curtis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

When it comes to questions about investing, Highland Springs resident Jack Blankenship has the answers. As a self-educated investment guru, he’s happy to share with others what has taken him 20 years to learn.

Join the club
Blankenship began the Highland Springs Investment Club as a way to help others gain confidence in their investment choices. “Residents who come to our meetings are interested in learning about investments,” says Blankenship, “so we stress the educational aspects of investing.”

At recent club meetings they have discussed ETFs (exchange trading funds), mutual funds, options, currency trading, risk analysis, and various other topics. Together the group chooses its top ten picks to consider investing in, with bogus money, of course, or “paper trades” as they call it. Blankenship says the Investment Club is “doing reasonably well on our portfolio and remaining profitable.” The group’s gain is $2,836 with a total average annual return of 20.58%. “Not bad for the first year,” he adds.

Gaining confidence
Club member Carole Marcum says she is feeling more confident, the more she learns. “Jack is very knowledgeable,” she explains, “and a good teacher. And even if I don’t understand everything, I’m going to hang in there and keep listening and learning.”

Marcum says she stays current through individual research, reading articles, and watching financial programs on TV, as well as consulting her own financial advisor. Although she has invested in several areas, she says the investment in her Highland Springs apartment home is one of the best investments she could ever make.