For Those Interested in Joining CTCOLIC:
We have set our maximum club membership at 16 and currently have positions available.
If you're interested in becoming a member of CTCOLIC, read this page carefully and follow the suggestions in the checklist below. When you're sure that CTCOLIC is right for you, contact our Membership Committee for a club application. You will be evaluated by the club members and possibly be placed on our waiting list. When we're ready to add members, we check our list to find a Prospect that we feel is best suited to join the club.
Why an Investment Club?
We work in a club environment to enhance our investing capabilities and educational endeavors. By combining our time and talents we can cover more ground when researching new companies and following our existing holdings. And pooling our money makes it easier to invest in a wider variety of companies more quickly than each of us could individually.
For CTCOLIC to prosper, all of our members must participate actively in every aspect of the Club. Each of us is on a study team with another member (see Study Schedule), which presents written stock studies or portfolio analysis to the rest of the club on a regular basis. We expect each member to follow closely the teams' presentations and offer appropriate feedback. In addition, each member must attend our live online 4th Tuesday meeting, and participate in the Club's management by serving on various committees or as an officer.
While we make allowances for the level of a member's expertise, we expect a full commitment from each Partner to advance his or her own investing knowledge as well as that of the other Partners. CTCOLIC operates as a business partnership on a "one vote per member" basis, regardless of the amount of a Partner's capital account. In fairness to the other Partners, we expect willing participation from each of our members to the best of their abilities.
The time commitment varies with each Partner's expertise, but most of us spend a few hours each week on Club business -- more when it's your teams turn to present a study. In an online club, there is rarely a down time -- the discussions are always flowing.
Whether you join CTCOLIC or not, we would encourage you to get involved with (or start) an investment club. It is a fun way to learn a challenging subject, and build a nest egg for the future.
To Be or Not To Be...
To see if CTCOLIC meets your expectations of an investment club, please complete the following activities prior to applying for membership:
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Review our About Us and Stock Studies pages along with our Partnership Agreement, Bylaws, Guidelines and Goals to get a full understanding of how the Club operates.
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Check out the NAIC web site for more information about investment clubs, NAIC investing principles, and the I-Club-List. | ||||||||||
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Complete a hardware/software check:
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To become more familiar with investment clubs, check your local library for, or purchase through NAIC, a copy of the NAIC publication, Starting and Running a Profitable Investment Club, by Thomas E. O'Hara and Kenneth S. Janke, Sr. It is required that all Partners own a copy of this book. This book also explains the NAIC methods and study forms (SSG for one) that we use in analyzing companies. For an online tutorial for the SSG, check the links in Resources. |
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Follow our discussions and stock studies through our daily mailing lists for a month or two. It's a great way to learn our study methods. You may read the archives or subscribe to our lists on a read-only basis. Previous applicants say that this helps them get tuned in to the kind of discussions that we hold (see Club Communications). |
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Contact the Membership Committee and ask to attend our monthly business meeting on AIM -- we meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 8:30 p.m. ET. As a guest you won't be able to participate, but you can get a better idea of how we operate. |
Prospective Partners
When a position is available and you are accepted by the club, you will begin an internship as a Prospective Partner for a minimum of 3 months. This internship will give the Partners a chance to discover more about your skills, willingness to learn and participate, and ability to work in a team situation. And, you will learn first hand about the demands of an online club like CTCOLIC.We will become acquainted with each other, and both the Partners and you will have an opportunity to determine if your joining CTCOLIC will be mutually beneficial. During this time, you are expected to participate in all of the Club's activities except for making monthly contributions and voting. We will provide a mentor to help you get acclimated to the Club and our analysis methods, and to answer your questions.