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Deciding Which Stocks To Invest In

When looking into which stocks to invest in, it is important to decide whether you want to pursue a high-risk or low-risk strategy of investing for beginners. High-risk investments are typically stocks that are not well-founded and may dramatically change in just a short period of time. Low-risk investments would be buying stocks in companies that typically show only small increases or decreases in their stocks over a long period of time, therefore maintaining more security in protecting your investment. In this article, we will focus on the high-risk investment strategy, in which it would be possible for one who buys and sells stocks to make a considerable gain in a short amount of time.

While it is possible when investing to make profit quickly, investors should always remember that high-risk strategies usually come with a similar chance of loss as they do gain. It is most commonly advised not to invest a large sum of money into these stocks without prior investment experience or consulting with an financial advisor. If starting on your own taking an “investing for beginners” outlook, begin with a small sum of money to test the waters and see how well your choices perform. There are many ways to go about selecting stocks that have a high quick-gain potential.

It could be a company that offers a product or service that is currently not utilized, but will be heavily utilized in the future. For example, stem-cell companies may shoot up in value if the use of stem-cells becomes more widespread and legalized throughout the country. Medical companies offering vaccines, such as GeoVax Labs, could also see a significant increase in their stocks if the current vaccine trials prove successful and they begin marketing the vaccine to distributors and the general public.

Also look for technology that may be pertinent in the future. These new devices or machines (if the companies making them prove successful) could soar once widespread use is common. In additional to looking at products that could go mainstream, you can also check on companies that may be rebounding from a serious fall. Many financial companies fell severely during the beginning of the recent downfall of the economy, and now some have been able to regain a respectable value for their stock again. Though these companies were high-risk because of the potential of the companies collapsing (going bankrupt), those who have made a strong rebound have certainly made an amazing return for those who invested when the stocks would have been at an all time low. These opportunities come about consistently during a business scandal, E. Coli scare, faulty equipment or product production, etc., and if you make a smart investment in a company that is able to pull itself out of a troubled time, you can find your wallet growing bigger and bigger by the day.

All in all, you must do your homework and weigh the options in order to decide an investment strategy that is right for you. Many people choose to buy a mixture of high-risk and low-risk stocks in order to take a chance for quick gain while still maintaining the security of their money in the safer stocks. Do not feel that you have to rush into an investment – you may wait for three or four months… or longer… until you find the right stock at the right price and make your move. Whatever you do, always make sure not to walk in to an investment without knowledge, as you will only be putting yourself in a position that would greatly increase your chance of failure.

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Buying Dividend Paying Stocks

The following is a guest post written by one of our readers and friends, Bryan Postern.

There are many advantages to investing in dividend stocks. Most dividend paying stocks outperform those that do not pay dividends in both the short and the long term. Besides the obvious advantage of getting better returns over time, there are several “hidden advantages” to investing in dividend paying companies.

An investor focused on putting his or her money into top dividend stocks needs to do a sufficient amount of research. They should make sure that the company is profitable, that the dividend yield is significant [over 2%], that the dividend has been increased over time, and that the company is poised to grow and become more profitable each and every year. After the initial purchase however, things should be on autopilot for the most part.

Dividend investing is not about trading and trying to make a quick buck; it is about buying and holding for as long as you can. You should still monitor your investments and make sure that the companies you are investing in are still doing well, but the work involved in dividend investing does not even compare to other types of investing. When you are investing in dividend paying companies and you plan on buying and holding for the long term, you only need to be correct once, in which company/companies you buy. When you are trading or at least more active in trading, you need to be right three different times to be profitable. You need to be correct in your assumptions of what company to buy, when to buy it, and when to sell it. I do not know about you but it is hard enough for me to be correct once, let alone three different times. If professionals have a hard time profiting from rapidly buying and selling companies with little rhyme or reason, what makes you think that you would be successful in doing so? Warren Buffet did not make 40+ billion dollars from investing in companies he knew little about and then quickly selling them. Buffet buys a stake in a company and expects to hold the company for decades, not days, weeks, months, or even years.

There are less low points in dividend investing. This is a documented fact. You will not completely avoid recessions, depressions, or simple downturns in the market by investing in dividend paying companies, but you will experience higher and less “lows”. Dividend paying companies are much more stable then companies that do not pay out dividends for several reasons. Dividend paying companies tend to be profitable and they tend to trade at lower valuations. Also investors do not put their money into dividend paying companies with the intention of selling the next day, they buy and hold these companies for the most part.

There is simply much less risk involved in dividend investing. Not only will you get better returns in the long run, your portfolio will be more stable and you will not have to do nearly as much work. It’s a no brainer

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Buy Stocks Online: Scottrade

Please note: This is a review of the online brokerage firm, Scottrade and their website. It was written by B. Wayland, one of our new readers.

Scottrade is one of the many available companies through which individual investors can invest in the stock market online. The Scottrade platform offers a number of advantages for investors including the opportunity to invest not just in stocks but also, mutual funds, options, bonds, and certificates of deposit. Additionally, their research tools offer comprehensive reviews of the stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, CDs, and bonds. Furthermore, their $7 flat fee for all trades presents a low entry fee compared to other investment fees.

Upon login, the investor’s homepage shows a summary of buying power depending on whether your account is a margin or non-margin account. This is followed by the total money balance available, equivalent to cash that can be withdrawn and the total account value, equivalent to the value of stocks and cash combined. Other available information include open and completed orders, positions, and a watchlist. Across the top of the homepage are tabs which allow the investor to quickly switch to trading, account details, quotes and research, and Scottrade’s Knowledge Center. The Knowledge Center provides investment education, information about Scottrade live events, and even a dictionary of investment terms.

Actually buying stocks is a simple process with additional options as to the type of order, including market, limit, stop, stop limit, and trailing stop orders. International investors also have access to a number of foreign markets. For newer investors, Scottrade offers links to investment basics based on the type of security to be invested in. Furthermore, a quick stock quote and an overview of the three US indices is always available no matter which page the investor is on. Scottrade’s stock research platform provides comprehensive information on any publicly listed company. An initial search for a stock will pull up a summary of the stock, including price to earnings ratios, earnings per share, volatility, and betas. More detailed information is further divided into additional tabs that include the most recent news, charts, options being traded for that stock, fundamentals such as profitability, valuation, and financial strength, trades made by company insiders, earnings, financial reports, and any SEC filings the company makes.

For those who are unsure of where to start when it comes to choosing stocks to buy, the stock screener provides matches based on market segment, price performance, fundamentals, and earnings and dividends. One of Scottrade’s strong points is its low price point for trading. With a flat fee of $7 for each trade, the cost of trading is greatly reduced. This is particularly beneficial for those investors looking to diversify without a ton of money to invest. The minimum initial deposit of $500 also offers cash poor investors a chance to get their feet wet.

Depositing money into a Scottrade account can be done easily through the Money Direct option in which an ACH transfer can be made directly from a bank account. Withdrawing the money is simple enough as well. By calling one of Scottrade’s 483 local offices, a withdrawal can be made with a check sent out in the mail within one business day.

Overall, Scottrade is an excellent trading platform for new and experienced investors. It provides a simple interface with detailed information when necessary. All research can be done in one location with a tremendous amount of investment information available to the investor. Scottrade’s low cost point offers an attractive investment portal for any current or would-be investor.

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