Films that teach you how to invest

Even feature films about the stock markets, the world of brokers and financial machinations have a moral that can come in handy.

Swindler (1999)

Nick Leeson is a young and quick-witted professional recruited by the respected Barings Bank. Nick is engaged in asset accounting and at the same time trades on the stock exchange. Nick is sent to Asia to get things done. Soon, Nika's employee closes the deal with a loss, and he decides to recoup using the funds of a large client - and cannot stop. But the client goes to another bank, and Nick is left with a huge hole in the budget.

Lies, black schemes and fake documents are what Nick will have to deal with.

What does it teach

Excitement is a dangerous thing. He can lead to where it will be very difficult to get out without loss: for example, behind bars. Keep your head in the cold, keep your finger on the pulse and do not give in to emotions.

Wall Street (1987)

Bud Fox is an ambitious and greedy broker who is willing to do anything for a profit. He wants to learn how to make money out of thin air with Maestro Gordon Gekko, but getting to know him is not easy. Fox shares inside information with Gekko, achieves his location - and begins to make money on fraud. Fox soon learns that Gekko is going bankrupt and sells the company his father works for. The idol becomes the enemy.

What does it teach

And again - excitement and greed will not lead to anything good. Choose respectable brokers as mentors or study yourself.

Financial Monster (2016)

Lee Gates is a renowned TV presenter who distributes financial advice on the air and is renowned as a Wall Street guru. One of the viewers of the show followed Gates' advice and put all his savings into a fund. And the fund suddenly went bankrupt. The deceived spectator came to take revenge. He takes the host hostage, but the show continues live under the direction of the film crew.

What does it teach

Investing all your money in one asset is a big mistake. Learn to diversify. Or contact professionals who will help you choose an investment strategy.

Pyrammmida (2011)

The film is dedicated to the history of Sergei Mavrodi - the largest financial pyramid in Russia. Cinema is not at all like "chernukha". It looks more like a philosophical reflection on what money is and who is Sergei Mavrodi - a cynical swindler or a noble robber, a sort of Robin Hood?

The main character is the mathematician Mamontov. He decides to issue his own mammoth banknotes and replace the ruble with them. Mamontov plays on human greed thanks to his charisma, and historical events contribute to this.

What does it teach

Greed will destroy you. Better a small, but regular income than the machinations of a cosmic scale and the same enchanting failure.

Risk Limit (2011)

2008, the eve of the crisis. Brothers Bank employee predicts falling stocks, bank collapse and market crash. Nobody believes him. Analysts carry out additional calculations and admit that the crisis cannot be avoided. What to do: sell a full package of securities at once for a penny, which will leave millions of investors with nothing, or wait for the development of events? You need to decide right now. At stake is a lot of money, everyone's future and a clear conscience.

What does it teach

If you understand that failure cannot be avoided, it is better to admit it before the situation escalates into a disaster. Sometimes it is better to quit the game than to continue using black schemes.

Liar, great and terrible (2017)

The film is based on the true story of Bernard Madoff, an American businessman who built one of the greatest pyramid schemes right in the money heart of New York - Wall Street. Bernard Madoff's company, under the guise of an investment fund, attracted billions of dollars in deposits, drawing up fake reports and fictitious contracts. In fact, a pyramid was hidden behind the fund, where the profits promised to investors were paid at the expense of new attracted investors.

The bubble bursts when depositors start withdrawing funds due to the 2008 crisis. Bernard Madoff loses a multibillion-dollar fortune, family and freedom: the court sentenced him to 150 years in prison. Having admitted his guilt in court, Bernard Madoff still (and he is still serving time) does not consider himself a cheat. According to him, people themselves are to blame for not checking the reliability of deposits.

What does it teach

Choose a broker carefully, and avoid dubious funds that promise quick profits. A reliable intermediary has a license, good ratings and statistics.

Boiler room (2000)

Seth Davis is nineteen and was kicked out of college for academic failure. Set wants a beautiful and rich life - and sooner. To make money quickly, he opens an underground casino in his own house. One day a certain Greg Wanstein comes to the casino. He likes Seth's quick wits - and soon Seth already works for Greg's brokerage company.

Money flows like a river, but Set is tormented by the question of where the profit comes from on such a cosmic scale. He investigates and finds out that Wanstein is selling shares in non-existent companies. It turns out that Seth steals money from wealthy people, promising a huge income. But within a week, the stock falls, customers are left with nothing, and the company makes a profit. And all would be fine, but the FBI intervenes in the matter.

What does it teach

Be prudent when choosing an intermediary. An honest broker will never promise you mountains of gold in a matter of days. He also will not put pressure on you, forcing you to make a decision.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

A sensational picture with Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role.

Jordan Belfort is a Wall Street stockbroker. At first, Jordan's plans were to earn honest commissions from trades with clients. But everything changes after meeting the unusually successful broker Mark Henna, who plunged young Belfort into a world of adventures and shenanigans. At the same time, the stock market crashes. Belfort finds a small office and starts trading penny stocks of unknown companies, presenting it to investors as a profitable investment.

Things are going on, incomes are growing, Belfort is balancing on the edge between astronomical earnings and the world of alcohol and drugs, and in the meantime, the FBI is slowly but surely investigating his machinations.

What does it teach

In order not to be an investor who buys stocks cheaply with the hope of high returns, study the specifics of the market and its instruments.

Shorting game (2015)

Another film dedicated to the 2008 crisis is a fruitful topic for thinking "who is to blame" and "who made money from it."

Investment fund manager Michael Berry discovers that the American real estate market is on the verge of total collapse and is only supported by bad loans. Berry is confident in his guesses, but no Wall Street financier listens to him. Berry decides to make money by offering banks an asset exchange: a deal that is accompanied by an agreement to buy / sell the asset back after a certain period of time. Banks agree to Berry's proposal without anticipating an imminent market crash. The news of this financial move is flying around New York, and there are several more financiers ready to play short.

What does it teach

If market participants massively invest in one asset, this does not mean its reliability. Don't fall for the hype and take a closer look at the market instruments.

Companion (1996)

The main character is a talented financial analyst Laurel Iris, a black woman. Circumstances make it difficult for her to move up the career ladder in the business world of white men.

Laurel decides to create an imaginary companion to Robert S. Cutty. A fictional white man is in charge, and Laurel pretends that she is just his assistant. Things start to go uphill, and everything would be fine, but her clients are increasingly attracted by the personality of a mysterious companion.

What does it teach

Trading is not for the privileged. You don't have to have a special education, be an economist and have millions. Enough basic knowledge, an initial capital of several tens of thousands and a sober head.

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