According to a Gallup poll, approximately 56% of Americans own stock and invest in the stock market as a way to make some extra money. While you don’t have to be an expert to get involved in investments, the process is definitely harder for those with limited financial knowledge. Here are some quick tips for amateurs interested in growing their stock market portfolios.
Sign Up For A Free Portfolio Tracker
One of the most important things you can do as an amateur investor is to keep your stock portfolio organized. Your stock portfolio refers to all of your financial investments, which include stocks, bonds and cash. Knowing the current status of your stocks helps you keep track of your finances and make better choices for future investments.
One of the easiest ways to watch your stock portfolio is by signing up for a free portfolio tracker. Not only do these applications provide detailed information about your stock holdings, but they also offer real-time updates. You can review the number of shares you hold, the price you bought them at and the current value of your shares. Here are some of the best free portfolio trackers:
- Personal Capital: This site lists your assets in one place and lets you track your financial progress.
- Yahoo Finance Portfolio Tracker: In addition to portfolio management resources, this application offers up-to-date news on the international market.
- Google Finance: Over one million people use Google Finance each month to manage and make investments.
- Sharesight: Sharesight uses automatic updates and comprehensive performance reporting to save you time and money.
- Status Money: Status Money lets you compare your finances with others and provides advice on investments.
All of these applications are customizable, giving you control over how you manage your money.
Keep An Eye On Market Trends
Using a tracker to watch your stock market portfolio is just the first step to improving your investment skills. If you want to actually make money off of those stocks, you’ll have to buy and sell them at the right times. To do this, keep a watchful eye on current market trends.
Every week, take the time to visit a financial news site and get an overview of the current state of the stock market. For instance, if you discover that interest rates are at a low, then you might want to invest in some new stocks. You should also stay updated on current events — things that happen in real life can easily influence the market.
Don’t Invest More Than You Can Lose
As you start to build your portfolio, keep in mind that the market can be unpredictable. Stock values can change quickly and unexpectedly — for instance, an alarming event might cause people to panic and sell their stocks, which might make the stock market crash.
Because you can never be 100% certain of what will happen to your investments, it’s essential that you never invest more than you can afford to lose. Invest smartly and safely, and you can expect your portfolio to grow in the future!