Your first dollars should be spent on getting educated on investing. You don't have to train to trade them professionally, but we are talking about your future here. So the more you learn, the more it'll help you! So let's start there.
You ask a very broad question, so be prepared for a pretty long answer. Just take it in chunks!
How to invest depends on what you already know. We'll assume that you're beginning since you say you want some books for beginners!
A good primer is How to Make Money in Stocks by William O'Neil. You can get it cheap just about anywhere. It’s widely available new or used.
Another good one is one of Jim Cramer's books (he’s got a few).
Once you finish those, read Mastering the Trade, by John Carter
But books will only get you so far. At some point, you'll also want to get at least a little training. There are some great education companies if you want to make the investment. Investools.com or optionetics.com are both very good companies as is tmitchell.com
For free, you can start by visiting thestreet.com and investopedia.com. That'll get you a pretty good primer so at least you'll understand what the markets are and what a stock is, etc.
If you get a chance, watch Mad Money on CNBC. Don't trade any of his picks until you track many of them over time. Just use the show to get you to understand some basics and get a feel for the market itself.
Next, subscribe to something like Investorsbusiness daily or something like that that can help you identify good stocks.
Once you understand stocks, go to 888options.com. It's a website that'll help you understand options (what they do, how they work, etc). You don't need to trade them, but the more you know, the more you'll see how options can really be the safest way to invest (once you're educated).
For discipline (which is crucial to successful trading), probably Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas or Mastering the Trade by John Carter
I know that’s a LOT to absorb. Just take it one step at a time for now. Start with a book or two to give you an idea of where to begin. Take your time, and let it seep in.
As you get up to speed, you should papertrade to practice (highly recommended). This should help reduce your losses in the beginning as you get used to buying/selling.
You can practice for free on almost any reputable broker site (optionsxpress, scottrade, thinkorswim, etc).
Start slow, then as you figure things out, you can buy more shares.
Congrats again on getting started. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Hope this helps!
is it a smart way to start of
http://www.stockmarketresources.blogspot.com
http://www.picktherightbroker.blogspot.com
I have been studying the market for about 2-3 hours a day for maybe 5 months now, and I have developed some guidelines. Just so you know, a few weeks is considered swing trading. But there is no "quick money" and here's why:
Investing in mutual funds should require about 20 hours of research
Investing in stocks – 100 hours
Trading – 250 specialized hours
What I mean by specialized is that if you trade stocks, you need to be studying stock price movement and trading strategies EXCLUSIVELY for 250 hours. Personally, I have, at the least, around 350, and I have spread my knowledge around to stocks, options, general education and investing, futures, financial info — everything. I haven't even started paper trading my strategy, and I expect to be another 150 hours from trading, which I expect to start in July.
The smartest way to start off is to sit on the sidelines and educate yourself until you feel you're ready for whatever you decide to take on. I hate it sometimes, but I know the profits from my learning will be more than worth it. Best of Luck!
Btw, if you cut corners, you will regret it! There are plenty of people who either give up or cut corners and fail. It takes a special kind of person in this field. Email me with any questions if you like.
you need to have enough knowledge of how to proceed in day trade so you don't get burned.
i'd suggest you learn all the foundamentals of stock market before you throwing money into stock market.
learn what cause stock price change and how market conditions and news affect stocks in each sector.
i'd highly recommend you get Jim Cramer's Mad Money AUDIO book so you can listen to the CD while driving it's very helpful for beginners.
and watch CNBC Fast Money to get every major market event and news to stay on top of the game.
also.. at least learn stock evaluation techniques and calculate net present value of underlying stock.
Does anyone have any suggestions on which market would be have the least complex learning curve?
