i want to start investing in stocks. I know little to nothing about it how can i learn a bout it?

Question

i really know nothing about it.

Answer 1

Read financial journals/magazines; watch CNBC or Bloomberg; check out some financial sites.

I recommend using http://finance.yahoo.com and http://cnbc.com for researching stocks for free. If you have a broker, their sites are going to be very useful to you as well.

If you really konw absolutely nothing though, maybe you shouldn't start off in stocks, but rather in mutual funds, ETFs, or maybe Closed-End Funds. If you don't have a broker, look for one who also offers advice and has someone available to talk to you about some of your options, so you can find the right investements for you -- something that meets your objectives and risk tolerances, as well as something that may work better for you given a particular tax situation.

Answer 2

Congratulations on getting started. It’ll help you more than you know!

Your first dollars should be spent on getting educated on investing. You don't have to train to trade them professionally, but we are talking about your future here. So the more you learn, the more it'll help you! So let's start there.

You ask a very broad question, so be prepared for a pretty long answer. Just take it in chunks!


How to invest depends on what you already know. We'll assume that you're beginning since you say you've got no clue!

A good primer is How to Make Money in Stocks by William O'Neil. You can get it cheap just about anywhere. It’s widely available new or used.

Another good one is one of Jim Cramer's books like Real Money (he’s got a few).

But books will only get you so far. At some point, you'll also want to get at least a little training. There are some great education companies if you want to make the investment. Investools.com or optionetics.com are both very good companies as is tmitchell.com

For free, you can start by visiting thestreet.com and investopedia.com. That'll get you a pretty good primer so at least you'll understand what the markets are and what a stock is, etc.

If you get a chance, watch Mad Money on CNBC. Don't trade any of his picks until you track many of them over time. Just use the show to get you to understand some basics and get a feel for the market itself.

Next, subscribe to something like Investorsbusiness daily or something like that that can help you identify good stocks.

Once you understand stocks, go to 888options.com. It's a website that'll help you understand options (what they do, how they work, etc). You don't need to trade them, but the more you know, the more you'll see how options can really be the safest way to invest (once you're educated).

For discipline (which is crucial to successful trading), probably Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas or Mastering the Trade by John Carter

I know that’s a LOT to absorb. Just take it one step at a time for now. Start with a book or two to give you an idea of where to begin. Take your time, and let it seep in.

As you get up to speed, you should papertrade to practice (highly recommended). This should help reduce your losses in the beginning as you get used to buying/selling.

You can practice for free on almost any reputable broker site (optionsxpress, scottrade, thinkorswim, etc). And yes, you can definitely deal easily online.

Start slow, then as you figure things out, you can buy more shares.

Congrats again on getting started. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I think the best way to learn about the stock market is to first see what the best traders are buying and selling and why. You can find this information at http://www.top10traders.com - this is a free site that lets you create a portfolio of stocks with $100,000 in "play" money. Each day the site ranks the best performing portfolios, so you can see how your picks perform compared to other investors. You can also read posts on investing from the best traders, as well as share your own investing ideas. There is also a charting feature , so you can see how your portfolio performs compared to the S&P 500.

Here are this month's best traders:

http://www.top10traders.com/Top10Standings.aspx

Also, pick up the book "The Little Book that Beats the Market" - it is short and very informative, but still a fun read.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Start with books from the library on how the stock market works as well as ones on how other markets work.

It is not useful in the long run to use the short articles on the Web to learn about the extremely complex topic of stock market investing in a short period of time if you are serious about investing your money in individual stocks.

If you want to invest without too much work, do as others have suggested and invest in SEC registered mutual funds (almost all funds available in the US to the public are registered but you should check). Such mutual funds allow you to pool your money with others for the benefit of professional stock management.

The lowest cost funds are at Vanguard. They are at Vanguard.com. The most widely known fund company if probably Fidelity. One point to remember is that in the long run, most mutual funds regress to the mean (i.e., they'll all return about the same, on average). The funds with the lowest costs will do best therefore since they will have reinvested more of your money instead of taking it out in fees.

Answer 5

parent out how a lot you go with to make investments in stocks each and each month. commence gazing organizations you want or have heard of like Ebay, Yhoo, NOK, MOT, CHL, GOOG. commence interpreting some books on stocks like perfect stocks you should purchase 2007 through John Slatter. set up a Yahoo Portfolio tracker less than Yahoo Finance less than the portfolio tab. Set it as a lot as watch all indices and stocks you go with. it is free and a reachable gizmo. Open an account at TDAmeritrade. they're quite good. parent out how a lot (on a percentage foundation) you go with in stocks, bonds, mutual money. Then bounce in and income from the vacation to economic freedom!!!

Answer 6

Figure out how much you want to invest in stocks each month.

Start watching companies you like or have heard of like Ebay, Yhoo, NOK, MOT, CHL, GOOG. Start reading some books on stocks like Best Stocks You Can Buy 2007 by John Slatter.

Set up a Yahoo Portfolio tracker under Yahoo Finance under the portfolio tab. Set it up to watch all indices and stocks you want. It's free and a great tool.

Open an account at TDAmeritrade. They are pretty good.

Figure out how much (on a percentage basis) you want in stocks, bonds, mutual funds.

Then jump in and enjoy the ride to financial freedom!!!

Answer 7

There really is nothing to know. This mania for reading up hurts people as it delays thier start for no reason. Can buy an index fund without knowing anything. Invest - don't speculate. Only traders need to do heavy research. Go to schwab.com & open an acct. All the options will be clearly laid out for you at low cost. Books DO NOT help.

Answer 8

Read "Investing for Dummies" by Eric Tyson. On the web, www.vanguard.com then click on the "Go to the site" line. Click on Planning and Education tab, then Investing basics. Or www.investing.rutgers.edu.

Answer 9

I would suggest you to check the website below to learn more on shares and stock trading and how to select the best stocks.
Hope it helps

http://money-review-site.com/shares.html

Answer 10

Open a brokerage account at TD Ameritrade and then drop me a line.

Top 4 Answerer.