Investing Basics
By Joshua Kennon, About.com Guide to Investing for Beginners
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.
- Investing in a Bad Economy
- Ways to Improve Your Results
- Investing Terms You Need to Know
- Guides for New Investors
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!
- How Can I Start Investing in Stocks?
- How Do I Actually Make Money from Buying Stocks?
- Why Do Stock Prices Fluctuate?
- Why Do Stocks Become Over or Under Valued?
- What Are Dividends & How Do They Work?
- The Biggest Rip-Off Fees to Avoid When You Start Investing
- What Does Buying Stock on Margin Mean?
- What Is a Brokerage Account?
- What Happens If My Stock Goes Bankrupt?
- How Do I Buy Stocks Through a Brokerage Account?
- Is a Full Service Broker Right For Me?
- Can I Buy Stock Without a Broker?
- If My Broker Goes Bankrupt, Do I Lose All My Stocks?
- What are Blue Chip Stocks? Should I Buy Them?
- Why Don't All Stocks Pay Dividends?
- How Is Preferred Stock Different from Regular Stock?
- Are Asset Management Accounts a Better Choice Than Brokerage Accounts?
- I Don't Want to Pick Stocks. Can I Just Buy a Basket of Blue Chips?
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.
- What is a Bond?
- Bonds 101 - A Guide for the Total Beginner
- How to Invest in Bonds
- Are Municipal Bonds Really Tax-Free?
- Should I Buy a Bond Fund or Invest in Individual Bonds?
- Are Foreign Bonds Good or Dangerous?
- What Percentage of My Portfolio Should Be Invested In Bonds?
- Bond Duration - The Biggest Danger Bond Investors Face (and Probably Don't Know)
- How Do I Know If a Municipal Bond is Safe?
- What are Junk Bonds?
- What Is a Bond Coupon? Why Should I Care?
- How Hidden Bond Spreads Can Cost New Investors Thousands of Dollars
Investing in Mutual Funds
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.
- Mutual Funds 101 for Beginners
- How Do I Pick a Good Mutual Fund?
- What Are iShares? Why are People So Excited About Them?
- If I Can Only Pick One Fund, Should It Be an Index Fund?
- What are ETFs?
- Do HOLDRs Let Me Buy a Basket of Stock All at Once?
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.
- Should I Rush to Pay Off My Mortgage?
- Best Place to Invest Down Payment Savings
- Real Estate vs. Stocks - Which Is Better?
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.
- Is It Better or Worse to Invest During a Recession?
- How Should I Manage My Investments During a Recession?
- Recession 411 - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
- Recession Handbook for New Investors
- Is It Wise to Invest In a Bad Economy?
- What Are the Best Stocks to Own in a Recession?
- Why Do Dividend Stocks Fall Less in a Market Crash?
- What's the #1 Secret to Making Up for Big Investment Losses?
- What's a Bear Market and What Causes Them?
- Which Types of Companies Prosper in a Recession?
- Quick Ways to Raise Cash in a Crisis
- 5 Ways To Avoid Getting Creamed by a Falling Market
- How Can I Survive a Terrifying Market Like This?
- Can I Actually Make Money During a Crash?
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.
- How Dollar Cost Averaging Can Lower Your Risk and Give You Higher Returns
- How Much Should I Invest in Stocks vs. Bonds vs. Real Estate, etc.?
- How Can I Get Better Investment Results?
- Invest Only in What You Know (and Understand)
- As a New Investor, How Do I Know What an "Excellent" Business Is?
- How New Investors Can Remain Rational and Avoid Mistakes
- Why Boring Stocks Almost Always Make You More Money
- Charlie Munger's #1 Advice for New Investors: Know Your Opportunity Cost
- What's the Easiest Way to Track My Investments?
Investing Terms You Need to Know
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.
- Intro to the Stock Market
- What is Stock?
- What is a Ticker Symbol?
- Why Stock Prices Fluctuate
- What is the Dow Jones?
- What is the Nasdaq?
- What is the S&P 500
- What is a Brokerage Account?
- What are Money Market Accounts?
- What is a Dividend?
- What is a Blue Chip Stock?
- What is a Stock Split?
- What is a Reverse Stock Split?
- What are Penny Stocks?
- What is a Certificate of Deposit?
- What are the Summer Doldrums?
- What is Market Capitalization and Why is It Important?
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.
