Whether you are looking to get started on the road to financial independence or want to accumulate wealth via a long-term investment, investing in stocks is a great start. Investing in stocks does not have to be as scary or complicated as it is made to look. Here are ten essential tips to keep in mind before you invest in stocks.
1. Be Clear About Your Risk Appetite
Before you put in any money into stocks, and before you start pulling out potential profits, make a thorough analysis as to what your overall risk appetite is. The markets are volatile, and it is important that you understand what this translates to in the stocks you invest in. Make sure to invest only surplus funds, and take risks according to your appetite.
2. Long Term Plan
Investing in stocks is a long-term game. Make sure you are not swayed by the daily fluctuations and have realistic expectations. Your stock is most likely not going to double in its value in one week. It takes time to get sizable returns, and you need to give the stock time to work. It is important to not time the markets and keep realistic expectations.
The average annual growth rate of the stock market is 7%, but this includes periods of extreme highs and extreme lows. It is essential to keep reminding yourself that this is an investment for the long term.
3. Understand the Company You Invest In
A good rule of thumb for investment in stocks is to understand the business before you invest your money in its stocks. Track the news, the number, and the dynamics of the stocks. Do a fair amount of fundamental analysis, look at the potential, the earning reports, assets and liabilities, and so on. Buying stocks without any analysis is nothing short of gambling, and it is not the way good investment decisions are made. Make sure to invest only in stocks you understand.
4. Diversify Your Portfolio
The best way to control your risks and maximize your returns is to diversify your portfolio. Every economy has its fair share of booming market contributors. Identify the key contributing industries and invest in stocks from the top picks of each industry. You can diversify across asset classes and instruments to better manage your risk and hit your financial milestones. This gives you the best results in the long term.
5. Keep Track of Investments
As an investor, you need to be aware of global events, as well as events related to your stocks. This includes anything that might affect the price of stocks on your watchlist. This gives you ample opportunity to invest at the right time or book your profits if necessary.
While you should definitely not keep track of your investments every hour, it is advisable to review the portfolio at constant intervals or take the help of a financial advisor to do so. This helps you invest in the right sectors and seize opportunities.
6. Don’t Chase Tips
The herd mentality is not all that great when it comes to investing in stocks. Never accept a tip as is. When investing in stocks, it is always a good idea to verify the information for yourself. This means doing your own analysis and not following random pieces of information from friends, family, or neighbors.
Remember that nothing is sure in the stock market, and no tip is 100% verified. It is always a better bet to invest in a fundamentally strong company for the long term than chase a tip for a week.
7. Control Your Emotions
Avoid panicking over the short-term movements of the stocks you have invested in. If you did your initial analysis right, you have confidence in the long-term trajectory of the stock. It does not make sense to keep tracking every tick of the stock’s movement and breaking a sweat over every cent lost.
Remember, investing is all about giving your stocks breathing space. Maintain a stop loss on your positions to cap your losses in case your view turns out wrong. Once this is in place, all you have to do is sit back and wait.
8. Avoid the Charm of Penny Stocks
Penny stocks tend to be less regulated and have much lower liquidity. This makes them a more risky investment, and you may easily fall prey to pump and dump on these stocks.
Although many believe that penny stocks investments have less to lose, it is important that even if it’s a 75 cent stock going to 0, you lose your initial investment completely. This is more likely to happen on penny stocks than regular stocks, and the chances of upside potential are quite limited. So avoid the lure of penny stocks, and stick to regular stocks.
9. Hidden Benefits
Many stocks come with a whole lot of additional benefits to investors. Investing in these stocks could give you dividends that add to your financial goals. Many companies also implement stock splits, where your holding doubles and profits remain unscathed. Another benefit you can get by investing in the right stocks is increased price per share when the company announces buy-backs.
Identifying stocks with these potentials, therefore, becomes important when you formulate a long-term plan. This is a great method to generate passive income and let your money do the work for you.
10. Keep an Eye Out For Opportunity
Successful investors like Warren Buffet maintain that it is best to stay “fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”
Identify key opportunities and be a part of them after you analyze the risk and reward. This is the single most important thing you can do to pick out the stocks you want to invest in.
With these steps in mind, you can definitely reach your investment goals and get started on the road to financial independence. Be sure to spot opportunities, do your analysis, and take risks for great rewards!
