Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Stock Market Takes Patience

By Sharon Demeter

Learning how to navigate the stock market might be intimidated to someone just starting out. Even though many of us have lost money, there are those that are becoming interested in the market for the very first time. With the Dow being the lowest it has been in a long time, these people are probably thinking that now might be a good time to get on board. Anyone new to stock investing should know though, that just because the market is low doesn't mean it can't go lower.

Anyone who is hoping to learn the market for the first time need not feel like it is too intimidating. If you want to learn how to buy stocks, it is easy to open an account online and you can do it all without even speaking to a real person. With Internet trading, there is never any reason to feel embarrassed by any of the market jargon either. You can learn at your own pace and find all the answers to your questions online.

When you open a stock account online, it is not much different from opening up any other type of account. You will need to supply all your information such as a user name, password, address, and in this case a social security number. After that, all you have to do is fund your account by sending money in and then you can start buying stock with the click of your mouse.

Before you open a real account, if you want to learn about buying stocks, one of the best ways is to join a fantasy online stock trading game. There are several of them where you can set up an account and trade stocks just like you would online only with virtual fake money. These games let you get used to all the nuances of the market and you will be managing your own portfolio. Of course nothing is ever like the real thing but this is a good way to learn about stocks and how to do the research. Some of these stock trading games are available for free and even give out prizes!

It is important to remember for beginners that they can lose money in the stock market. Once your first stock is purchased, it can go down just like we have seen in the last year and a half. That is perhaps why it is scary because you know that your money is in play and you can lose if your stock goes down. However, it should be noted that the stock market has been a historically good place to invest and beginners should remember that.

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