Buying Stocks for Beginners: A Guide

Published on: 26 April 2018 Last Updated on: 30 October 2024
buying stocks

Investing your money wisely is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your future. It’s never too early to start investing your money so that it will grow.

Buying stocks for beginners can be scary, but there is plenty of guidance available. This is especially true if you are looking to buy US stocks outside of the United States, in which case you´ll need the help of a broker to access those markets.

If you are new to the world of stocks and investing, you will undoubtedly have lots of questions and will need to take the time to learn some basic concepts.

Buying Stocks for Beginners: A Guide

Check out this guide to buying stocks for beginners.

Why Invest?

Investing is a way to make your money work for you. Rather than sitting idly in the bank, investing your money in stocks is one way to help achieve your financial goals.

Though the stock market may have its ups and downs, it has historically averaged a 9% return on investments.

How Much Should You Invest?

How much to invest depends on your goals. This is something to discuss with your financial advisor or brokerage firm, but a good rule of thumb is to contribute about 10% of your income to your investment portfolio.

Basic Types of Investments:

There are many options to invest in, but the basic types of investments include Stocks, Bonds, Cash, Mutual Funds and ETFs.

We recommend you consult with a reputable financial advisor for suggestions on how best to distribute your funds.

How you choose to invest will boil down to how conservative or aggressive you feel most comfortable regarding your finances.

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Investing Actively or Passively:

Active investing means selecting investments that are actively managed by professionals, with a goal of beating the market and achieving greater returns. Whereas passive investing is to simply try to match the market’s performance.

The choice of whether to invest actively or passively essentially boils down to how much time you want to spend studying the market. Active investing typically requires a potential investor to do extensive research into individual stocks.

Choosing the Right Stocks to Invest In:

For a beginner, it might be wise to consider certain types of stocks that are good long-term investments. It’s important to take your time, learn the basics, and to research into the ways stocks are valued.

Another thing to educate yourself on is the difference between investing and speculating. While investing is typically designed for sustained returns over the long haul, speculating is a dangerous way of chasing fast money.

Getting Started:

Once you understand the basics of buying stocks, you’ll want to open a brokerage account. Shop around and study the various brokerages to learn about their services and fees.

As a beginner, you will want to find a brokerage with features to guide you through the stock selection process.

Buying stocks for beginners can be an exciting process, and watching the return on investment as your money begins to grow can be a source of great satisfaction.

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ExpertOption, a binary options broker launched in 2015 and based in St Vincent and the Grenadines is a relatively new broker within the binary options arena. In their 2018 review of ExpertOption, BinaryOptionsExpert.net praise their ability to cater to both more and less experienced investors, giving an overall rating of 4.8 stars, with ExpertOption scoring between 4.6-5.0 stars throughout the categories of Accounts, Bonuses, Features, Trades, Mobile, Banking and Support. What’s Good About It? ExpertOption offers four account types, each with varying benefits and deposits: the Mini Account with a $50 deposit, alongside the Silver, Gold and the VIP Account, which requires a $2,500 deposit. BinaryOptionsExpert.net award ExpertOption’s Account Types 5.0 stars, identifying them as a great beginner broker, with a minimum trade of just $1. ExpertOption offer over 50 assets, with gold, oil, stocks, currency pairs, and Forex pairs, earning them 4.6 for Trade Types and Payouts. Moreover, ExpertOption offers two trade types: 60-second options: an extreme option in terms of expiry times, which is great for traders with limited time. The second trade type, High/Low Options has a 15-minute expiry time, offering greater flexibility. ExpertOption also claims to offer bigger payouts than other brokers, with up to 95% of profits being rewarded. Bonuses and Promotions are one of the expert options strengths, earning a perfect 5.0 stars, thanks to their sliding scale bonuses based on account types. A 50% bonus is available with a Mini Account, increasing to 80% with the Silver Account, 100% with Gold and 125% with a VIP Account. ExpertOption accepts debit, credit cards and alternative payment methods including Skrill and Neteller. Commission-free withdrawals and the speed and ease with which deposits can be made earns their Banking capabilities 4.7 stars. Following the $50 deposit required to open a Mini Account, the minimum deposit required thereafter is $10, with priority withdrawal for Gold and VIP Accounts. When it comes to Customer Support (4.9 stars), BinaryOptionsExpert.net noted ExpertOption’s 5 different contact options and languages: English, Russian, Chinese, Thai and Hindi, each with a phone number and email address. Inexperienced traders can get accustomed to the platform without risking real money, thanks to the $10,000 demo account, whilst an informative education center covers everything from trading strategies to jargon, earning ExpertOption’s Special Features 4.6 stars. What Could Be Improved? Despite an impressive 4.8 star rating thanks to apps for iOS and Android devices and a mobile site, BinaryOptionsExpert.net note the difficulty in navigating ExpertOption’s mobile site, with a lack of responsiveness and certain aspects not being optimized for mobile usage. Although ExpertOption claims to offer a quick withdrawal turnaround time, exact time is not stated, with some traders experiencing more long waiting times. Equally, whilst ExpertOption’s English helpline is available 24/7, helplines in other languages are only available at specific times Monday-Friday. Overall: Ultimately, BinaryOptionsExpert.net highlight ExpertOption’s suitability for new and experienced traders alike. A useful demo account and extensive educational resources facilitate risk-free trading for inexperienced users, whilst the mobile app is ideal for trading on the go. With accounts ranging from Basic to VIP and the ability to open an account with just $50, this review reaffirms how traders of all levels can try ExpertOption. Read Also : The Best Stocks To Buy Now That Will Pay Big Later Buying Stocks For Beginners: A Guide How To Start Trading On The Stock Market And Profit?

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