I want to start investing in stocks from home with little money. Where and how do I get started?

Answer 1

Don't.

Buy mutual funds.

The best advice you will ever get is to only invest money you would otherwise burn.

Don't get me wrong here, but you don't have the training or skill to competently trade stocks. You might as well go to Vegas with the cash. I am not saying you are dumb or cannot learn, you don't have the training and knowledge to do so.

If you want to learn, contact your local college and sign up for Investing 101. Most colleges will let you audit the class for a small fee.

Again, not trying to be condescending but helpful. For instance, if you can't cough up the simple formula for optimizing a portfolio of X number risky assets and risk free assets...go to school.

Answer 2

I would open an online brokerage account (Scottrade and tradeking are inexpensive and I believe don't charge you a yearly service fee, which is important if you're only investing a few hundred or few thousand dollars.)

I would recommend buying exchange traded funds, which are essentially mutual funds that are traded on stock exchanges like stocks. They allow you to own a small amount of stock in a lot of companies easily which reduces risk and eliminates the need to research individual stocks. Examples that track the S&P 500 are the SPDR fund (SPY) and the iShares fund (IVV).

Once you buy them, just hold them. Over the long term the market has historically gone up about 10%/yr.

Good luck.

Answer 3

First issues first..... Pay any credit card off..right this is why. maximum individuals pay around 15-24% pastime fee. in the experience that your investment does 10% each year then your are nonetheless loosing money (paying greater fee, than you're earning). in case you dont have dept, then by way of all skill make investments. particularly is you're youthful, you have time on your edge (compounding is nice sized). when you consider that your dont recognize plenty a pair of inventory that's quite helpful to purchase a mutual fund. some companies are not any load (skill no value) and you'd be able to establish a scientific investment. that's make investments $one hundred according to month (or greater). this type you purchase greater shares while the mutual fund is way less costly and much less while costly. As you get greater comforatble with investments then start up finding at shares. in case you opt for to start with inventory remember right here... what do human beings actual choose (those shares will in all probability do properly alll the time) What do human beings quite need (those shares will in all probability do properly in Christmas or while economic device recovers)

Answer 4

Open an online account with one of the online trading sites like AmeriTrade, Charles Schwab, ETrade, or any of the other dozens. Some have minimum amounts to open an account. If you are planning on holding the stocks long term, the trade fees may not be a big deal, but if you want to get in and out of the stocks short term, look for one that has low fees. Sometimes higher fees mean more features, but not always. Do your homework on the trading sites just like you should before buying a stock.

Answer 5

You might want to start by practicing 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 read posts on investing from the best traders, as well as share your own investing ideas. There is a charting feature, so you can see how your portfolio performs compared to the S&P 500. Also, you can create your own "group" so that you can see how you are doing compared to your friends.

Here are this month's best traders:

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

Good luck.

Answer 6

Before you go and invest money in mutual funds, I advise you to check out ETFs. They share many characteristics of mutual funds, but can offer fewer drawbacks if you use them correctly. For a short introduction to ETFs, including how to build a sample portfolio with them, read http://www.valuestockreports.com/021907.htm

If you want to buy your own stocks and not rely on an index or mutual fund manager, its going to require considerably more time, effort, and possibly money to learn how to do things right. If you have any questions, my advice is free - email [e-mail]

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

Answer 7

don't buy stocks now. 5% in an online bank account will look great compared to where the market is heading. And buy your house 2 years from now, after prices come down another 10%....

Answer 8

- first watch CNBC and make sure to watch jim cramer at 6 or 11

- go to your local library and get all of jim cramers books and also investing for dummies and trading for dummies

- after you have gleamed all the info you can from those sources open an oline brockerage account and get started make sure commisons are 10 and under and get direct deposit into it

Answer 9

read tips on investing, stocks and mutual funds to help you more on this site

Answer 10

goto computershare.com and buy thru the company your interested in. You will only have a selection of a few hundred companies, but you can save money on commissions and get your dividends reinvested.

Tom