Playing Follow the Leader

In attempting to keep losses to the lowest levels, Samore has set certain parameters for his investments. For one, he limits his investment universe to three market indexes, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the S&P Mid-Cap 400. Like most investors he aims to "buy low, sell high," and within those three indexes, invests only in stocks that pay dividends.

Then, he shares via e-mail what he bought, at what price, on which date and at what time.

"I'm not buying hundreds of thousands of shares, I am growing at my own pace," he says. "I take a bit of profit, I leave a little cash in and when the stock hits my target, I will send my subscribers an alert that tells them what I sold, the number of shares, and when, as well as an individual profit calculation that I made for the stock."

According to Samore, for the first nine months of 2006, GrowYourRetirement.com produced returns of 11.57%, exceeding all three of its benchmarks. At the same time, though, he is the first to caution people against coveting super-size returns, particularly when looking at the stock market as a place to make money for retirement. "Be smart, not greedy," is his motto.

For those who are looking to maximize growth and returns for the future with no immediate income tax implications, but have limited time to research every equity security available for investment, GrowYourRetirement.com can be another source of information and service. Clients manage their own accounts with a discount broker, and young professionals who are shifting jobs every couple of years, have built their base 401(k) and perhaps have rolled over funds into an IRA can benefit the most, Samore says, as the e-mail alerts don't require them to take time out of their busy work schedules to pore over chunky equity research reports.