INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS » Investing Money

You want to diversify your portfolio and get involved in your own financial future. But after hearing horror stories of Ponzi schemes and unethical traders, you really do not have faith in the professionals who work in the industry.

There are many benefits to trading online which may prompt you to become your own money manager.

Benefit 1: You're in control

By trading online, you have full control over your financial future. You do not have to risk trusting a stranger and their impulses.

As your own online trading advocate, you do the research, buying and selling and are really in the driver's seat for your financial future.

Benefit 2: You're saving money

Commissions are incredibly low for those who opt into signing up to use a brokerages online trade system platform. That means you can buy or sell thousands of stocks and get charged one, small flat rate for the transaction.

Additionally, many brokerages want your business so may offer you $100 buck for choosing them over their competitors and may waive maintenance charges so even more of your money will stay in your pocket.

Benefit 3: Online trading sites make it easy

Trading online provides investors with one stop shopping for researching and making their online trades. Commonly online trading specialists provide their clients with access to real time quotes, charts, futures news, technical analysis programs and additional research.

Beware the dangers

There are also dangers lurking around the corners for novices of trading online. It is important to remember that despite the sleek packaging and convenience, trading online involves real money. When you buy stocks, it is not a game, it is real life and thousands of dollars can be lost.

There are no mentors to help you along and you will be on your own in cyberspace. However, by taking your time, researching your decisions and trusting your gut instinct, you can indeed enjoy the many benefits associated with trading online.

If you're thinking about making an investment, and you've never done it before, you might be wondering if there's a minimum amount of money you need in order to do so. The answer to that question is, in general, not really.

Investing in the stock market

Take the stock market, for example. If you've got $15 you'd like to invest, you can use your money to buy penny stocks. Penny stocks refer to corporate shares that sell for a very low amount. The generally accepted threshold for what constitutes a penny stock is under $5. Clearly, many companies offer very cheap shares lower than $5 -- some company shares even trade at half a penny -- so you could invest in plenty of penny stocks if that's what you want to do. Be advised, however, that penny stocks are unregulated and are therefore riskier investments.

If you'd like to buy shares of a "blue-chip" company, one of the biggest and best-known companies that are very profitable, you can buy a single share if you'd like. Company X might be charging $35 per share. That cost, plus the transaction fee, will be your minimum needed to invest.

Other investment options

Other kinds of investments require minimum amounts of money, often quite high. If you're thinking you'd like to put your money into a certificate of deposit, or CD as they're usually called, you will want to shop for the best rates available. When you do that, you will discover that the best rates offered almost invariably require a significant dollar minimum -- say, $10,000 or more. Other CDs require minimums of $100,000 or more in order to get their strong rates of return.

If you've got some money you'd like to invest, and you're wondering how to go about doing it, be sure to consult with a financial adviser. He or she can walk you through the details of investing so that your money ends up where you want it to go -- a profitable investment.

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