Money

Investing Basics

By Joshua Kennon, About.com Guide

Do you want to take control of your financial life but have no idea where to start looking for information? These resources will help you discover everything from how to choose a broker, why the stock market fluctuates, why dividends are important, and how you can buy stock directly from a company to lower your expenses to tips to beating the market, investing in businesses you understand, how to think like an owner, and rules for building your wealth.

Guides for New Investors
Investing in Stocks
Investing in Bonds
Investing in Mutual Funds
Investing in Real Estate

Investing Structures and Entities
Investing in a Bad Economy
Ways to Improve Your Results
Investing Terms You Need to Know

Guides for New Investors

Here, we've put together some of the best guides for new investors that will point you in the direction of the most useful articles, resources, and tools for certain topics. Think of them as handy, easy-to-use guides to get you started in an area that you want to study and understand.

Investing in Stocks

Without a doubt, owning stocks has been the best way historically to build wealth. Before you can get started buying shares of your favorite company, there are some things you should know. Here are some overviews of the topics that you are likely to encounter or hear about as you begin to wade into the investment industry. Knowledge is power and we want to make sure you are armed and ready!

Investing in Bonds

For more than a century, investing in bonds has been considered one of the safest ways to make money. When you buy a bond, you are lending money to the company or institution that issued it - in the case of a school bond, for instance, you are lending money to the school district to build a new high school or improve classroom conditions. These resources will help you understand the process of investing in bonds better, what they are, the risks that they can pose, and other things to consider.

Investing in Mutual Funds

Finance News on Mutual Funds with Pen Glasses and Coffee

One of the most popular ways to own stocks is through mutual funds. In fact, most people are statistically less likely to own individual investments than they are shares of companies through mutual funds held in their 401(k) or Roth IRA. Although offering many benefits, there are a few serious drawbacks and possible tax implications for investing through mutual funds. These resources have been put together to help you understand what you might want to consider as you enter the world of mutual fund investing.

Investing in Real Estate

The world is full of men and women who are convinced that real estate is the only investment that makes sense. Whether you subscribe to that philosophy or not, there are more ways than ever to add real estate to your portfolio including a security called the real estate investment trust that combines the benefits of stocks with the tangible property of land, shopping malls, apartment buildings, or almost anything else you can imagine.

Investing Structures and Entities

Millions of people will never own a share of stock or a bond but instead invest their money in a family business such a restaurant, retail shop, or rental property. More experienced investors likely will invest in hedge funds or private equity funds at some point in their life, while others will buy shares of publicly traded limited partnerships through their broker. These special legal structures can have big tax implications for you and it is important you understand how investing through them can both benefit, and potentially harm, your pocketbook.

Investing in a Bad Economy

It's the nature of the world that sometimes bad things happen. When they happen to your investments or savings, you don't need to panic. We've put together a collection of content that will help you navigate the choppy waters so that you arrive safely at your destination.

Ways to Improve Your Results

Whether it's in kickball, college, the job market, or life in general, no one wants to rank below average. This is especially true in the stock market. These tips are full of practical wisdom to help you improve your investment returns, helping to keep more money in your pocket.

Investing Terms You Need to Know

United States Currency on Financial Times Newspaper

Don't even know what a stock is? How about the Dow Jones? If you need a quick and to-the-point rundown of investing terminology to get you started, these links will do the trick.

Investing for Beginners