Stock Market Questions from a Beginner

[CharlieB]

Hi

Over the summer i'd like to invest in shares. I'm 19 but ive got no experience or knowledge of shares on the FTSE. Im a complete beginner but im wondering if its wise to invest at the start of the summer and read around it as I do it.

Some questions I have are:

What is the best website for buying and selling shares?

Can I do it by myself or do I need a broker as well?

Could anyone recommend me some books to read, (cheap) software to use and any apps for iphone and advise me at what is best to do.

Many Thanks

Charlie

[IanFreeman]

easy to loose a lot of money quickly, you should use a virtual portfolio to try this out.

try virtualtrader or something like that to get the feel for it, you can do it all yourself with an online broker but it is not cheap if you make a lot of trades for small values.

[ChangeAroo]

Hey Charlie,

Let me just say now is a fantastic time to learn about investing, especially at such a young age. I would suggest you do the following things before you invest a single dollar in any security/stock.
1. Create an online portfolio: Yahoo, Google, CNBC. All of these sites you can select stocks your interested in and track your progess (gains/losses) for a period of time.
2. Write down a list of goals; What you would like to achieve from learning about the stock market and in what time frame.
3. Read the wsj online or in print every day, watch cnbc - watching the opening and closing bell.
4. Never risk something you can't afford to lose. Money you lose consider as the cost of your education, and learn from your mistakes.
5. Once you've learned about the market, learned your investment strategy, and what your goals are you are ready to invest!

Hope this helps!

- John

[mindful_investor]

Allow me to share to you our (my hubby and I) experienced with stock market investing.

Nakakahinayang kasi before na nasa bank lang yung savings namin even though na nasa time deposit (which promises higher interest rate than savings account) it is growing at a very slow rate (at hindi nakakasabay sa inflation rate yung growth nung savings namin) kaya we decided to do a different approach. We started investing in the stock market, that was last March 2011 and it has changed our financial perspective since then. At first mahirap kasi we have no idea on which stocks to buy kasi di naman kami knowledgeable sa stock market investing (alam lang kasi namin that time was out-off-town trips, nood ng sine at magfood trip kung saan-saan ). We lost 15% of our initial investment kaya nga ang sabi namin malaking "JUNGLE" to play around ang stock market. “Para sa mga taong accounting, financial at business management background lang siguro itong stock market investing” (Industrial Engineer kasi kami ni hubby at malayo sa educational background namin ang investing). Just to bounce back with our losses, we started browsing the internet and look for sites, forums etc. that will help us with our goal to increase our investment sa stock market. There is this one site that really caught our attention, Truly Rich Club by Bo Sanchez. At first hesitant kami but in the end ang sabi namin, Why not give it a try. Surely there are lessons to be learned naman in the end. So we decided to be a member and since then we just followed the top companies mentioned in his club. Medyo busy kasi kami sa work (I work at SM, as always sobrang busy lagi and si husband sa insurance company which is minsan nasa field work) kaya hindi na namin kayanin pang mag-analyze ng companies as to thier financial position, targets, plans, etc. Yung club ni Bo yung ginagamit namin na tool to advise us what various company are for good buy. Fast forward, sa investment namin last year sa ALI, NIKL at AP it has gained 26%, 15% at 31% respectively. Syempre naibenta na namin ito at na reinvest na namin sa iba pang companies na nasa list provided by the club (Iba na kasi yung money namin for investment at panggala … eheheh… .

As of today, nagdadagdag pa kami sa SMPH. Kahit lost kami ng 16.05% di kami bothered kasi sabi dun sa stock update report ni Bo (which we get every 2 weeks), may stock dividend kami na makukuha @ 25% of shares bought (as to time of cut-off period ) by June. Kaya biglang bumagsak yung market price ng SMPH nung isang araw kasi nag-prepare na si SMPH for the stock dividend sharing next month (as explained in the report). So dun sa nag-follow sa SMPH, continue to do so, kasi sobrang discounted yung price niya ngaun. Yung friend ko nga dito sa office pinilit ko kahapon (May 23, 2011) na bumili ng SMPH, nagulat siya kanina (May 24, 2011 - 11:25 AM) kasi up kagad ng almost 2% (I share my blessings to others kasi I believe that graces will come back in ten-folds kapag nagshare ka sa iba ). Sabi ko pa nga sa kanya na by the time na umabot siya ng 15.89 ako break even pa lang, siya malaki na ang leverage niya.

For those who have little or less time to spend analyzing the movements of the stock market, I encourage you to join the Truly Rich Club. May list dun ng companies na magandang bilhan ng stocks. Which also include buy below price at target price para di na kailangan mag second guess kung kelan dapat magsell or magbuy ng stocks. Aside sa stock market update, meron ding audio books, e-books at power talks ni Bo on finances, handling relationship with family and friends, growing rich at the same time going closer to God. Meron pang inspirational quotes that will make your day start right.

surely magiging eye opener ito sa syo:
bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=16619

God Bless at ituloy lang natin itong investment pattern natin and surely magiging financially free din tayo all in due time. ;D ;D

[Feraralive]

I think that's right!

[GMFS]

here's the best advice I can give you about the stock market:

RUN!

the market is rigged and unless you're on the inside then you would be better off taking your money to the casino