Investing for beginners…..?

By Sammy · February 21, 2010 · Filed in Investing for Beginners

This Christmas i received around $400, among other things. Instead of blowing this money straight away i was thinking about investing it, but i really don’t know where to begin. I’m interested in business, understand basic economics, and keep up to date with current events but i really don’t know where or how to put my money out there.

Would you advise i do it through Etrade or Scottrade or a different interenet one, or a different way?

And if so, can you explain how i get set up and what i do first?

Thanks, all responses appreciated!

the Hodges Fund symbol HDPMX. With the small sum of 250 dollars you can open an account with Hodges. This fund has a solid performance record.
Contact mutual fund company and set up an account. They will be happy to help you.

You do not have enough money for Etrade or Scottrade so their fees will eat you alive.

Comments

I think E trade will want more than 400 to open an account.

Tradeking.com is pretty good, and I think 400 is their minimum.

Tradeking also has decent commissions, and all the insurance and that stuff.

Sounds to me like you’d be interested in ETFs. An ETF trades the same as a stock, but covers an industry or sector instead of one single company. You can find a complete list of ETFs at:

spdrs.com
proshares.com
powershares.com
direxion.com

To buy the ETF or ETFs you want, just log into your on line brokerage, type in the ticker, and buy it. Easy as pie. Alternatively you could also walk into a brokerage and buy it.
References :

the Hodges Fund symbol HDPMX. With the small sum of 250 dollars you can open an account with Hodges. This fund has a solid performance record.
Contact mutual fund company and set up an account. They will be happy to help you.

You do not have enough money for Etrade or Scottrade so their fees will eat you alive.
References :
http://hubpages.com/hub/Invest-in-mutual-funds-simple

Most places are going to require more money than that initially, and then charge you $50-$100/mo for a data feed.

If you want to try Forex, the data feed and software are free at NinjaTrader, and you’ll be trading through Forex.com.

Most people start by reading and learning the terms, developing a strategy and trading plan, then practice trading a simulator for sixl months before using real money. The NinjaTrader platform has its own simulator, and you can open a 30-day free trial to try it (they are known to extend the free trial more than once, before you have to actually open an account and deposit money).

But be aware, Forex is for traders, not investors. It’s a whole different ball game.

useful e books:
http://www.rapidforex.com/
http://www.traderssecretcode.com...
http://www.1forextrading.com/

Forex simulator:
http://www.expertworx.com/pm/Forex%20Market%20Educational%20Game.htm

Free Charts
http://www.dailyfx.com

Blogs
http://the-forex-trading.blogspot.com/
http://www.forexpeacearmy.com/

Economic Calendar
http://forexfactory.com/
http://briefing.com/Investor/Public/Calendars/EconomicCalendar.htm

List of Forex Platforms and software

NinjaTrader platform
http://ampfutures.com/
References :

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