The stock market might be the last place that people would like to put their money right now, considering the economic weather right now. Prices are sky high, bailouts of major institutions are in the works and the common man is beyond worried. The hand wringing and ominous clouds of doom have started for many, and they are considering stashing their remaining cash under the mattress until things take a turn for the better.
That being said, there are investments that are not as risky as others, and they actually can be well worth the effort of finding them. If you are new to the stock market or even if you have traded before, it is wise to keep a few things in mind for your own financial protection. Educate yourself before undertaking any investment plan, even the least risky options do carry risks, none are zero risk. Know what your tolerance and loss cap are before proceeding. Speak to your financial planner about your budget and your projected profits for the coming fiscal year. Know what you can risk and be comfortable with losing that amount so there are no horrible surprises down the road.
Working with a broker can make your trading activity easier- they can guide you to a block of stocks that are giving fair returns for a minimum investment, which is exactly what you want to start with. Nobody dives into the stock market and makes a killing on their first trade, what you want to aim for is slow and steady, consistent performance. Stocks that blow up all of a sudden also have the potential to tank just as fast.
Brokers can also guide you to the right trade analysis software so that you can track your own stocks. Once you become proficient at tracking these trades, you can start selecting some of your own. Use the profits from positive performance stocks to re-invest, and do not use any of your own ready cash to further extend yourself in the market. Start pulling some of these profits back out of the market and putting into interest bearing accounts, while using the rest to invest in more diversified stocks and other financial products. A diversified portfolio is an absolute must, if one of your stocks trends downward, you will still have others to keep your head above water for the time being.
Do not work with a stock broker that pressures you into stocks or other tools that sound risky, no matter how unqualified you think that you are. If you just heard mention of trouble with a stock or a company and that is what you are being pushed to buy, that is a serious problem. Do not get tied into thinking that you have to work with just this broker. If the partnership is not working out for you, move on and find someone else to handle your investments.
You can find lower risk investments by reading the financial pages and logging on to financial websites. If you can understand the charts and analysis, you will have a leg up. Education is key to solid investing; so do not accept the words of a broker as law. Know a little bit about the types of trades that you would like to see made on your behalf and what kind of companies that you would like to invest in. There are some that will be solid performers no matter what the economy looks like, and there are those that are folding left and right. Keep your head up and do not be afraid to put your foot down if you feel uncomfortable with a recommendation.
Understand that the stock market is changing every day and that trading stocks can be very risky, as well as having the potential to be very rewarding and very interesting. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the go, go world and do something you are not ready to do, nor financially capable of handling. The money that you invest in the market can be gone in the click of a computer mouse, and the number of businesses that are failing at this moment is frightening. Remain well under you limit and never risk anything you could not bear to lose.
In the end, you are the person that you have to face in the mirror everyday. Do you want to look yourself in the eye and know that you have blown your life’s savings on a stock that failed to perform because you did not do the necessary legwork before hand? Of course not. Look before you leap- do your research and know what the trends are for the stock you are buying and what the indicators say for its future. It cannot be said often enough, educate yourself, track the stocks and never risk more than you can afford to lose.
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