How to buy stocks for dummies etc? What is the least amount of money that you can invest in?
338653
Get help from a big broker, like E.F. Hutton or Fidelity Investments.  They will hold your hand and help you set goals.
728089
Congratulations on getting started. It’ll help you more than you know!\n\nHow to invest depends on what you already know. We'll assume that you're beginning.\n\nA good primer is How to Make Money in Stocks by William O'Neil. You can get it cheap just about anywhere. It’s widely available new or used.\n\nAnother good one is one of Jim Cramer's books. \n\nBut books will only get you so far. At some point, you'll also want to get at least a little training. There are some great education companies if you want to make the investment. Investools.com or optionetics.com are both very good companies as is tmitchell.com\n\nFor free, you can start by visiting thestreet.com. That'll get you a pretty good primer so at least you'll understand what the markets are and what a stock is, etc. If you get a chance, watch Mad Money on CNBC. Don't trade any of his picks. Just use the show to get you to understand some basics and get a feel for the market itself.\n\nNext, subscribe to something like investorsbusiness daily or something like that that can help you identify good stocks.\n\nDo a quick search (at the top of the page) on ROTH IRAs. You’ll want to put some money in there.\n\nOnce you understand stocks, go to 888options.com. It's a website that'll help you understand options (what they do, how they work, etc). You don't need to trade them, but the more you know, the more you'll see how options can really be the safest way to invest (once you're educated).\n\nAs you get more advanced, you might want a technical analysis book like Murphy's Visual Investor or A Technical Analysis Course by Meyer.\n\nIf it's discipline (which is crucial to successful trading), probably Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas or Mastering the Trade by John Carter\n\nI know that’s a LOT to absorb. Just take it one step at a time for now. Start slow, then as you figure things out, move out of mutual funds into ETFs and/or stocks.\n\nCongrats again on getting started. If you have any questions, please let me know. \n\nHope this helps!
95993
First open an account at ameritrade.com and then contact me. If you invest on your own you could lose all your money.
129369
You need to open an account with any of online broker.\nI recommended Scottrade, it is good for small individual investor like myself.  Low commission, no extra charge for limit order, and no inactivity fees.\n\nhttp://scottrade.com/
517192
Buy a diversified series of mutual funds. Individual stocks are just way too risky in most cases, especially for novice investors, even if they look like a sure thing.  How are Enron and Worldcom doing right now?\n\nMake sure you hit all the assets classes, like Large cap stocks, small/mid cap stocks, international stocks, emerging markets stocks, government debt, corporate debt, hi-yield debt, foreign debt, emerging markets debt, real estate, commodities, and precious metals. That's 12 categories right there, so let's say you get started with with $1200, you're talking about $100 each. \n\nThen sit back and rebalance each year, back to your original percentages. This is called asset allocation. The thinking being, what's BEEN hot is more than likely not going to STAY hot. All markets, after all, are cyclical.  This is why people who invest their 401(k) by just putting in whatever's had the most recent best numbers never get anywhere--they're investig in something that DID will and IS probably NOT doing well.\n\nThis sort of portfolio should average 8-12% per year, so just split the difference and say 10%. Will it do 10% EVERY year? Of course not. I'd be surprised if it ever did EXACTLY 10%. That's an annual average. With that average, your money should double roughly every 7 years. \nSo, in 7 years you should have about $2,000\nin 14 years you should have about $4,000\nin 21 years you should have about $8,000\nin 28 years you should have about $16,000\nin 35 years you should have about $32,000\nin 42 years you should have about $64,000\nin 49 years you should have about $128,000\nin 56 years you should have about $256,000\nin 63 years you should have about $512,000\nin 70 years you should have about $1,024,000!\n\nOf course, if you keep adding money in, say $100 a month, you'll become a millionaire MUCH sooner. The key is discipline, and sticking in when markets are up OR down. Don't try to time the market--you'll NEVER get it right.\n\nHere's a handy formula:\n\n$100/month x 12% retutn x 20 years = $100,000.  \n\nSo if you invest $300 a month, you can expect to have $300,000 or so in 20 years, depending on what return you get.  And remember, even if you stop there, that money itself will double again in 7-10 years, depending.  Then double again.  Then double again.  You get the idea.\n\nIn short, you can make a HELL of a lot of money, with a small output on your part, if you do it right, and are patient.\n\nOh, and if you qualify, and do this all in a Roth IRA? Then every penny will be 100% TAX-FREE. That's a deal that's too good to pass up. That's why I tell all my under-30 clients--if you make under $90,000, and therefore qualify to do a Roth, you'd be a fool not to. Just having the power of youth (and therefore time) on your side is such an advantage, to squander it would be such a waste!\n\nHope this helps!\n--J.\n\nP.S. The previous answerer's advice about contacting Edward Jones is gold.  I would go to their website at www.edwardjones.com, enter your zip code, and find the closest office to you.  Chances are there's one within 10 miles.  They have 10,000 office in the US, UK, and Canada.  And they will take care of you right if you decide you don't want to go it alone.
131668
I started small, you might want to think about penny stocks, you can buy tons of shares, for hardly any money, but it is very risky. Make sure you have a comfortable amount saved first, then work on investing.
398114
There are lots of mutual funds that will take $100 to get you started.  So a search in Yahoo Finance or MSN for funds that start with a min investment of $100.  I have been an investment advisor for over 23 years.
188749
Everyone is different and as a result, different people look at different things before they purchase a stock.\n\nI suggest you get a book or five on stock market investing and start learning as much as you can if you want to become good at it.\n\nAnd by the way, companies that cater to people who invest in the stock market by selling them up-to-date information and analysis charge hefty fees for their services, so I wouldn't plan on doing this without a nice, big nest egg to begin with and a good job to back yourself up when things go against you and you lose some money.
589242
Your can invest in:\n\n- Stock market: get in touch with a stockbroker; but this is not a sure bet\n\n- Savings: low risk low return; if you want to invest look out for compound interest savings.\n\n- mutual fund managers: not a sure bet but at least the fund managers will be able to diversify your investment. Diificult to spread your option in stock market if you are low in initial fund so mutual fund is one option. Check out this company that offers fixed investment return as an example of what fund managers can offer: http://www.swisscash.biz/web/asc_company.aspx
512035
I would like to know myself but I've been watching \nCTE(cardiotech) for over 10 years & you should buy it below\n2 dollars. Just be careful with penny stocks because they \ncan get you bankrupt:)
910643
Hi Tajinder. Go and read some of the articles on investing at http://www.hammocksurvivalguide.com/\nYou will find a lot of useful advice there. Make sure you know what you are doing before you part with your money. Remember that when somebody makes money through an investment. Somebody else usually loses it.
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You don't say how old you are, what kind of resourses you have or your knowledge of finance in general, I.E. do you know how the market works, listed vs over the counter, options, etc.?  Before you invest a dime remember the cardinal rule of investing: the public finds out after the money's been made.  In other words, if a stock is at a high it's not the time to get in.  Also, the corolary: if it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true.  Finaly, don't invest money that you can't afford to lose, especially if you're speculating (which it sounds like you are).  Go to Morningstar.com and sign up.  It will be the best money you spend for ideas, research and analysis.  Read the Wall Street Journal and look for companies with a future.  You might want to put money in an index such as the S&P 500 especially if you think the market will keep going up (and it won't - it will correct).  Bottom line is that there is no easy answer to your question.  \n\nAvoid the following:\n\nemails with stock tips\nfax messages with stock tips\nany stock selling for under $5.00 a share (unless you're willing to lose all you invest in it\npenny stock\noptions\ncommodities\nfriends who say they "know a guy who knows a guy who said..."\n\nDo the following:\n\nUse a reputable broker either bricks and mortar (Merrill Lynch, Lehman Bros, etc, or a reputable on line broker like E*Trade, Scwabb, etc.\nPut half your money in a good mutual funds of either high or mid-cap companies - you'll have gains while you experiment\nPick a point at which you want to get out on the up side (on Wall Street the pigs get slaughtered) and stick to it\nIf a stock is falling, pick a point at which you want to cut your loss.  If it;s a good company you can always buy in at what you think the low is.\n\nGood luck.  If you find the secret let me know.  I stick to known companies with solid balance sheets and a track record.  Even so I've lost (Worldcom, GM and a few others).
318425
Money is good for beginners.  But I would recommend to use the library so you can read on other investing magazines.  Yahoo Finance is a good on-line resource.
565796
Only a very few people know the best form of investment, and regrettably I am not one of them. \n\nThere are however good forms and bad forms, and I do know something about them.\n\nLet's discuss bad forms first. That is a little easier. Speculative stocks. They are very bad forms. There has been a lot of money made on speculative stocks, but not by the average investor. The loss to gain ratio is about 50 to 1. So the odds are against you big time. \n\nOver priced stocks. Look what happened to all those investors that bought Microsoft at 60 a share, Intel at 80 a share, and so on. \n\nNow what about good investmets.\n\nThose are sound companies selling at a reasonable price with good prospects of earnings growth. \n\nSome examples: major companies in China. That economy is growing 3 times as fast as the U S economy. If you have no idea of what Chinese stock to invest in, pick a mutual fund that invests in Chinese stocks. \n\nPetroleum companies. Demand for petroleum will continue strong and supply is not keeping up.\n\nBlue chips that are out of favor. HD, MSFT, INTC, CSCO, C, BAC. WMT???
53924
Brokerage minimums vary...but Scottrade is $500 to open an account. Check out sharebuilder.com too if you want to buy small chunks..they have plans where you can invest X amount each month into a specific stock.\n\nAlso, some companies allow you to buy stock directly from them. Usually, it's a $250 or so min. Check out the website of a company you are thinking of investing in and look at their investors link. You can also go to www.equiserve.com (they manage direct stock purchase plans for hundreds of companies).\n\nAvoid cheap stocks < $10. They are cheap for a reason and usually of bad quality... Your money is better spent on high quality stocks....especially if it's your first purchase. "expensive" is relative.
533759
You can invest at least $10 a month to buy Microsoft at http://www.mystockfund.com/ or if you have at least $500 you can open a brokerage account at scottrade.com\n\nTop 10 Answerer in Business & Finance.
546035
Open an online brokerage account with Ameritrade, Scottrade, Tradeking etc and buy shares for say 2000 USD. Sell it after you have gained atleast twice of commission (say 10*2) by looking at ur balances every day. It may go down initially butdon't lose heart on that. It eventually will go up (2min, 2days, 2 years...). Stock investing is basically finding a safe stock which doesnot give you a loss after your waiting period and investing in it. \nTo a beginner like you a safe stock could be EWD