Wednesday 18 May 2011

How to Invest Money Smartly: Investing Tips for New Investors

As with the majority of money-making ventures, monetary investments work best if investors have managed to come up with some plans or strategies. You aren't sure on how to invest money wisely? Well, here are some investing tips that you can look into before parting with your hard earned money. In this article, I will share with you some tips on how to invest your money in the stock market.

Diversify Investments


Not every investment product performs in the same manner. Some may perform exceptionally well, while others may have dismal performances in the same economic climate. This is why it is important for investors to diversify their investments well. Ideally, you should try to spread the risk by having fixed interest investments for a modest return over the short term as well as investing some of your money in shares and real estate for higher returns in the long run.

Investors can also further diversify their investments by opting for different investments for each asset class. For example, investors can choose to buy shares from various companies across different sectors or even international stocks.

Invest for the Long Term


The best way to learn how to invest money in stock market is to plan your investment for the long term. It's the time and duration of exposure in the market that really matters. In other words, you should not be investing your money by following some hot tips given by your neighbor's aunty who made a profit recently by following her brother-in-law's hot tips. Rather, you should develop a sound investment plan and stick to it. The longer an investor keeps his investments, the more likely he/she will be able to ride out any market highs and lows.

A good investment strategy is by practicing dollar-cost averaging, which is basically a technique of buying a fixed dollar amount of a particular investment on a regular basis regardless of the share price. This means that more shares are purchased when prices are down while fewer shares are bought when prices are up, thus giving the investor a lower overall cost for buying shares over a specified time frame. When possible, you should try setting up an automatic investment plan to fully utilize the concept of dollar-cost averaging.

Resist Stock Speculations


Many inexperienced investors aim to make quick profits through stock speculations. However, this usually turns out to be a costly mistake. A better strategy will be to invest in quality assets which appreciate in value over time. It is better for you to invest your money in well-established blue chip stocks rather than risky hot speculative stocks which are highly volatile. Also, you should try to invest in assets that have a track record of doing well even when there is an economic downturn.

Know that Investment Markets Run in a Cycle


You should always bear in mind that investment markets run in cycles. A financial boom that has lasted for a few years will inevitably end with a downturn. When things are bad, they can only get better. The economy will gradually recover, eventually peak again only to be followed by another downturn. This is pretty much an endless cycle. The trick is to be prepared for the bad times and then be ready to actively participate in investment plans when the next boom period begins.

When you learn how to invest money smartly, it is always recommended that you seek to diversify your investments across different market sectors and different asset classes. Also, you should aim to invest for the long haul and understand that all investment markets operate in a cycle.

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