Well, you say youre ready to being investing, on your own. No stockbrokers, no financial advisers, just you and the open market. What a thrilling prospect. Wait, are you seriously considering this proposition?
Please allow me to give some advice: Dont do it. I speak with some experience, having lost my fair share in the open market as a do-it-yourself investor. The odds of success in this kind of investing are comparable to the odds of wining the lottery. Its a crap shoot. Unless you are willing to take the time to investigate, investigate, and then do some investigation. Successful investing is not a privilege of the stock broker and the financial analyst, alone. It is an area open to voluntary participation from any walk to life. The catch here is that you must be knowledgeable, or you will lose.
Take the time to understand all the components of the investing arena, before you risk losing your nice little nest egg in ten minutes or less. What you have spent a lifetime saving can be gone in as little as ten minutes. Now, that should be a scary thought for any sane, rational, investor.
If you still intend to invest alone, here are a few tips and guidelines...