Smart invesment ideas please!!!?

Question

I am 19 and am wanting some ideas for smart investments. Could also someone tell me how I go about investing my money and how much money is a good amount to start out with. Thank you so much...I am very confused when it comes to the fundamentals of investing. Thank you in advance for the help

Answer 1

First off no matter what you decide to get into, you need much more of a financial education that traditional school gives you because over a period of years even getting 3 percent more from your investments year over year doubles your money and more (depending on time frame) especially since your only 19. If you dont want to spend the time learning at all I might recommend getting one of the Fidelity Freedom Funds which is based on your age as far as where assests investing in the fund are allocated. The Fidelity Freedom 2050 fund symbol is FFFXX. If you want to be much more conservative you can contact a Fidelity broker and him/her about other funds. Go to some other broker if you wish but I just used them as an example because I have some of my 401k money with them in varied funds.

If you care to learn about some mutual funds and basic investing you can start by reading some of the For Dummies or Idiots Guide books which are very clear cut and simple for the novice investor to follow.

Investopedia.com is a great beginners website too with a wealth of information. After learning some basics a motivational sort of show you might like is Jim Cramers Mad Money on CNBC ( he also owns thestreet.com). I do recommend his books as not only motivational but also as a way to cut through a lot of the B.S. and have a clear precise method of doing your own research on individual stocks which you should do even when buying into a mutual fund (researching the top 10 invested companies within the fund itself).

If your that interested you can start learning about different types of investing strategies-- value investing, growth investing, using technical analysis or fundamental analysis or a combination of the two. After you have that down you can even learn about options trading if you wished to and get the necessary books. You may wish to open your own trading account at some point at a discount broker and learn about the differences between brokers to balance what you need vs. fees and what types of products are being offered, customer service,etc.

Anyway you need to start learning as much as possible before you just open up an account somewhere and plop your hard earned money into something or chances are sooner or later something WILL happen and you wont know what to do--like hold on, sell and where to switch your funds to when needed with the least risk to your capital when the market starts turning bearish.

I'm an active investor who trades quite often (usually one to four times a week) and believe that 30 years from now the people who only have a job in America for the most part are going to be screwed. The people who utilize their money in the capitalistic system by investing are the ones that wont be left behind.The widening gap between rich and poor will start destroying the middle classes and totally leave the lower classes behind. With that thought happy trails to you--lol.

Answer 2

Learn about investing in the stock market. It's really easy to do online. You can sign up for a trading account with www.tdameritrade.com or www.etrade.com. I would say $1000 is a good amount to start out with. Think about industries that you would like to invest in then find public companies in that industry. Do some research on them. I invested $1000 in the stock market when I was 19, now it's worth $4000

Answer 3

Let me suggest three ideas that have worked for me and my friends.
--- Join a credit union. I get the best rates on my savings and they have been really good when I needed a loan. When I buy a car they not only give me a loan but tell me what the best deals offered by the dealers are.
--- Direct Investment. Companies like Disney let you buy stock shares directly from them. It is an easy and economical way to save.
--- Stock Club. Find some co-workers or fellow students and organize a group. People put in $100 at a time. Members share ideas and vote on investments.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

I commend you on the very responsible approach you are taking in life. Investment is very important to secure us a comfortable life & retirement.

I suggest that you go to your local libray, and borrow books on investment fundamentals. Try books like "Investment for Dummies", or similar. Then go onto the more complex books as you begin to grasp the ideas in the simple books.

Many websites, like Fidelity, have self-paced tutorials where you can learn online at your own pace and convenience. Take advantage of it.

Answer 5

I'm pretty new in the investment world, too. But I have been checking it out and I also reccommend mutual funds if you are looking for a solid, low-risk investment. Mutual funds use your money in a big pool and invest in lots of different companies for you. They are usually much safer than trying to pick winning stocks yourself!

If you are feeling a little riskier and prefer to invest in actual companies (which tend to have higher returns or bigger losses), check out companies involved in alternative energy. Many economic signs point to that industry taking off soon.

I reccommend Tradeking.com for your online broker. They don't have a bunch of hidden fees and their customer service is seriously fantastic.

Remember my opinion is not professional or experienced. Before you put your money into something, be sure to check it out yourself and get a knowledgeable second opinion.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

The best thing you can do t your age is open a Roth IRA. Go to a bank and talk to them about it they can tell it to you very simpliy how it works.

It is great to see some one young wnating to invest as it is the most important time to think about your retirment.

Answer 7

the stock market is a great place to start especially if you dont have much mto begin with,i was in the same boat not long ago and a friend put me onto http://goldenbullpicks.com
they make it very easy for you and they are fantastic!
you wont regret it

Answer 8

Just put it in a mutual fund. You can usually make 10 percent on it a year.

Answer 9

Learn from the pros in the trenches:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TradingZoom/

Answer 10

Start with a 401K, because there will be no social Security
left when you go to retire. :-})