“You need to be a disciple of Buffett.” Dan Hampton.
Mr. Hampton, a man who got in at the right time. Mr. Hampton is from Cedar Rapids Iowa, where he graduated from a high school class of 800. After high school, he went to the University of Wisconsin Stout to earn his BA in psychology. After graduation, he decided to broaden his horizon even more and went to Illinois to attend grad school where he earned a social work and statistics master’s degrees.
After his education, Mr. Hampton had offers to teach at several schools, and the one he chose was St. Theresa here in Winona (now Cotter). After teaching for four years at St. Theresa, Mr. Hampton has several options. He could go get his Ph.D., he could go teach at a different school, or he could work for a securities investment firm. The year was 1986, and a new stock was about to get the market, Fastenal. At the time, Fastenal had 47 stores. Now they have over 2000 locations around the world. Mr. Hampton rode the Fastenal ride and it has brought him great success in the stock market. While Mr. Hampton is here at Winona State he has dedicated himself to teach a class, Independent Studies in Finance: Intro to Stock Options, as well as assisting other professors in their classes regarding finances.
When asked what he suggests young people do with their finances, Mr. Hampton said to focus on small cap stocks and keep your risk low. Whatever you plan to invest, invest 100% of it in the S and P 500 and make sure to max out your 401K if it is offered at your workplace. Avoid penny stock and the high-risk stocks, remember, it is not a race, but a marathon. When considering specific stocks, “do not be in a race to zero.” Meaning, look for businesses who can raise their price, not businesses who are trying to get their rates as low as possible. Over time your money will multiply more if you keep it in a safe stock that won’t be going bankrupt anytime soon. You can never be too safe with your finances.