| Copyright (c) 2010 John Howell | | | | or as much as $2,500. |
| The stock market can be a great way to reach your | | | | Go back to your goals timeline and decide what sort |
| personal financial goals faster than traditional savings | | | | of risk reaching that timeline will demand. Consider |
| or money market accounts. | | | | thinking about and planning how much risk you can |
| Not sure where to begin? Read on! | | | | handle your first introduction to stock market. The |
| First, decide what your goals are. This is the best | | | | sooner you learn about it the better! |
| introduction to stock market because without it, you'll | | | | Finally, make investing a habit. This is the final step in |
| just be drifting with no real destination. This is different | | | | your introduction to stock market. Once you've |
| for everyone and no two people will have the same | | | | budgeted the amount you want to devote to investing |
| wants and needs. You might want to buy a house or | | | | each month, it's simply a matter of following through. |
| save for retirement or maybe even use the stock | | | | If you can't remember to pull that money out of your |
| market to set aside money for a dream vacation. | | | | account each month, set up a separate account that |
| Once you've decided on a goal, give it a timeline. | | | | automatically debits that amount from your main |
| Decide you want to retire in, let's say, 20 years, then | | | | account or takes it directly out of your paycheck. |
| decide how much you have to make each year. Tell | | | | Once you feel you're through your first introduction to |
| yourself you want to purchase that home in five | | | | stock market, you can increase the amount you want |
| years. As an introduction to stock market, you can't go | | | | to invest based on how you're doing. |
| wrong by spending your first few years of investing | | | | Even if things get tight one month, don't give up -- |
| directing your money (and your risks, see below) | | | | always remember that you're investing in your future |
| towards a goal. | | | | and yourself and that's a good habit to maintain year |
| Next, decide how much risk you can handle. Again, this | | | | after year. |
| is a purely personal decision but an essential part of | | | | If you're not sure where to get started, contact a local |
| introduction to stock market. If you don't already have | | | | broker or any of the online trading sites that will let you |
| one, set up a household budget. Then decide what | | | | get started for free. Either strategy will give you a |
| part of that budget can be devoted each month to | | | | further introduction to stock market and help you from |
| investing. For some people, this might be as little as $25 | | | | there. |