Has owning some of a company always been your desire? If the answer is yes, the stock market is a good place to invest. Before you go crazy, however, and pull all your money out of the bank, you need to learn some of the ins-and-outs of stock market investing. You can find that information here.

Before handing any money to an investment broker, you need to make sure that they have a good reputation. You can investigate the reputation of various brokers by using free online resources. Knowing their background will help you avoid being the victim of fraud.

Set yourself up with realistic expectations when investing in common stocks. Contrary to those myths that you may have heard of, the vast majority of people are not becoming rich overnight in the stock market. You need to be involved in low-risk, manageable stocks that you can easily control. You can avoid many expensive investment mistakes by remembering this.

Watch the stock market closely prior to jumping in. Prior to laying any money down, it’s always smart to research the company behind any stock and to be aware of current market conditions. Ideally, you’d like to have watched the market for at least three years. This will give you more market knowledge and increase the likelihood that you will make money.

Exercise your voting rights for any common stocks that you own. Your vote can impact leadership of the company, or decisions regarding big changes like mergers. Voting happens either through the mail or in an annual shareholders’ meeting.

A good rule of thumb is to invest a maximum of 10% of your total earnings. This way if the stock does go into rapid decline at a later date, the amount of risk that you have been exposed gets greatly reduced.

Earnings Growth Rate

Aim for stocks that can net you better returns than the historical market average of 10% annually, as you could just get that from an index fund. If you want to estimate your likely return from an individual stock, find the projected earnings growth rate and the dividend yield and add them. Stocks yielding 4% and which have a 10% earnings growth rate may produce a return of 14%.

Did this article motivate or scare you away from the stock market? If you are, then get for what the stock market holds. Remember that the information provided above will help you start investing with ease in no time.

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