You don't have to be rich to learn how to invest in stocks.
Only 55% of Americans invest in the stock market in 2019. That’s down from 63% of Americans who were invested in stocks directly (through equities), or indirectly (ETFs, mutual funds or retirement savings accounts) in 2004. Of those who invest, some people enlist the help of a financial advisor who makes a lot of the necessary investment decisions for them. But not everyone has the time, money and faith needed to use a financial advisor. The good news? Investing in the stock market has a lower barrier to entry than ever before. Here’s a brief breakdown of how to invest in stocks for beginners.
Make sure you're ready and able to invest.
Just as one walks before they run, so too does one save before they invest. That seems obvious, but this might not be: the rule of thumb is to have at least six months' worth of living expenses saved up should catastrophe strike before you can start buying stocks. On top of that, all credit card debt should be paid off before you set off to become Gordon Gekko 2.0. The interest you pay on credit card balances is typically 15% to 25%. Paying that down is the easiest way to guarantee yourself a return that high on your money. With free trading apps like Robinhood, there's no amount too small to start with – although starting with $1,000 to $2,000 makes things much easier.
Define goals.
Saving up for a car? House? School? Retirement? Do you want to get rich quick, or are you content to earn market returns on whatever extra money you can? These are all very different objectives, and honestly defining your goal is the first step to successful stock market investing – for beginners and veterans alike. If you know exactly how much money you want and when, you can calculate what you’ll need to regularly invest, assuming certain rates of return. Investors “should have realistic goals and make sure they are also using realistic rates of returns on their projections. Using a 12% rate of return is very different than using a 7% or 8% rate of return,” says Ryan Marshall, certified financial planner and partner at Ela Financial Group.
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