It’s never been easier to buy stocks. If you have a little money and a brokerage account, you can buy a piece of a publicly traded company.

Before buying your first stock, clarify your investing goals and timeline. Your time horizon dramatically affects what types of stocks make sense for your situation. Lack of diversification.

Stocks enable everyday people to invest in the success of a business. A share of stock represents a slice of ownership in a company and entitles the owner to benefit from its future profits.

Investing in stocks is a way for individuals to grow wealth by participating in the growth of companies over time. If you think you need thousands of Learning how to buy stocks is …

Consider starting with paper trading or using a stock market simulator to get your feet wet. With paper trading, you can learn how to buy and sell stocks using play money.