New to stock market?

I wouldn't concentrate on stock picking until you know what you're looking for. Read the tutorials on investopedia.com

As for getting started in investing, I would tell you to wait until you are 18, but it would be ashame if you missed the beginning of the next bull market. I am not invested yet, I am waiting for confirmation (from the A/D indicators and McClellan Summation index, as well as a few other breadth indicators). My suggestion to you would be to buy a few exchange-traded funds or mutual funds to begin, and do your research in the process. Also note that, in order to buy the right exchange traded funds and mutual funds for you, it will take a lot of research. You can find funds through screeners such as yahoo, and I would suggest that you read the morningstar book for picking funds. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Even if you throw darts at stocks and diversify that way, you will make money. The problem is that you need at least twenty or so stocks to be safe from risk, which can be anywhere from 100 - 600 in commissions alone (I'm assuming your dad's account offers 5 or more dollars a trade, though there are some that are less). One ETF will cost one trade, and a mutual fund is usually 10 or 15 bucks to get into.

What I do is read the tutorials and books, etc., while keeping a handful of note pads with which I used to write down everything I need to remember and all ideas I have. I also have a document for everything I learned on yahoo answers (check out my questions, there is a lot).

Let me know if you have further questions.

Before you invest in any security, the first investment you should make is in yourself, and the best investment you can make is by educating yourself.

Start your education by learning why you should invest, and the importance of being able to make your own decisions.

Start by reading

What Works on Wall Street by James O'Shaunessey, Beating the Street by Peter Lynch

One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch

The Warren Buffett Way by Robert Hagstrom

Trading For A Living by Alexander Elder

Mastering the Trade” by John Caster

How to Make Money in Stocks” by William O’Neil

The Disciplined Trader by Mark Douglas

Get into the habit of making daily visits to some websites like MSN Money and Yahoo Finance.

While at MSN read following the strategy lab analysts to get a feel for what the pro’s are doing and why.

This site has some basic information for beginners. If any site offers free information, take it.

Other website that can provide instructions and help with procedures and terminology are Investopedia.com, Stock Charts.com, investorshub.com; and 1source4stocks.com

Visit some of the more professional websites like Zacks.com, Smart Money, Schaeffers.com, Trading Trend, Trading Markets, these website will have advertisers who are worth looking into also.

And remember, if they offer free information, get it.

After you have some education into the market and the various securities you will need the following items before you invest one dollar

1 - A written sound trading/investment plan with rules that will not only help you but more importantly protect you, mostly from yourself.

2 - Sufficient trading/investment capital. Use your own money, there’s no need to go into debt so that you trade/invest.

3 - A written money management program in place.

4 – A full and complete understanding of the rules & regulations of the industry.

You at least have made the right decision to start investing, this is the first big step and it won’t be your last. Keep taking those steps forward and along the way never take the advice from people that are not in the market or try to tell you not to invest. Good luck on your journey

What do you advise via " plenty envisioned and envisioned crash... of inventory marketplace". have been you the only awaiting this? have you ever invested interior the markets? if so, have you ever won plenty? i don't get the rational on your question! Mr. you're able to hold out a sprint analyze! i think of that on the instant advance into in simple terms yet another "down" day interior the markets led to via a protracted haul via the housing and credit disaster!

I have a slideshow on how to live an "economic life." But here is a jist of it.

This is how I would be investing my money in this order.

1 - High Interest Debt

2- Stocks and Mutual funds

3- Gold

4-Real estate

5-corporate / government bonds (low risk low return)

6- saving account (this won't increase your capital. the money you save that you could have bought a $30000 mustang with with will still be the the same amount of money you will buy a ford mustang in 10 years. (inflation)

7- any lame ideas your buddies have (this wont make you money most of the time)

*** Gold and bonds are really great when the economy goes bad. Because interest rates go down on bonds making your bond look better and people rush to buy safety gold when the economy is bad. Also, when the economy gets bad, people usually sell stocks, making it cheap. When the economy gets better, people usually buy stocks again. At this time, it will be to late for they have bought stocks when it was highly priced. History tells us that in the long run though 10+ years, the rate of return of a diversifed stock portfolio is 10-12%. That means 3 bad years. 4 Really good years (40-70% rate of return) and 3 okay years (2-15%). If you want to know more, contact me.

I would like to also add that Gold is NOT a capital growth investment. Gold is an investment for "insurance and emergencies". In the middle ages, what could a golden coin buy you? A really nice suit. In our current times, what can a golden coin buy you? A really nice suit. When all else goes bad, gold will stll rise with inflation. When all goes bad, gold prices will drive UP UP UP. If you want capital growth, stick with stocks.

For stocks, invest in at least 5 sectors of the economy with at least 20% of your investments in International markets. Also mix up your investments with big and small companies. For example, if you buy stocks in Ford, don't buy stocks in tires because when the market for automobiles go bad, chances are, tires will be a bad market too. If you diversify your investments, even if one market goes bad chances of having your entire portfolio down will be lowered. And don't forget, expect to lose money for 3 out of 10 years, gain big money for 4 years, and gain average money in 3 years out of 10 years.

And remember, there is always a bull market( a sector thats gaining money in stocks) even when the market is bad. You just have to do your research. Understand the economy.

Interesting fact, the world has only enough gold to fill a tennis court stacked together and up 100 feet. Thats why it cost so much.

There are 2 things to look for in investing:

Capital Presevation and Capital Growth.

Gold is great for capital preservation for prices of gold will always rise with inflation. Useful if you're a satisfied retired millionaire that just wants to keep the money stable.

Stocks are great for Capital Growth. Higher risk but also way way way higher return.

With this said, investing in stocks is not for everybody. If you do not have time to do research, you'll probably lose money. Get a professional to help you, or buy a mutual fund. When you get a professional, don't look at his/her performance the entire market was doing good. Look at his/her performance when the market was doing bad. Ask him/her of their performance in 2001-2002.

When you choose a mutual fund, the fund's performance is based on the captain of the mutual fund. Again, look at this person's performance in the down times. When the captain leaves the fund, its also time to sell the fund.

Advice for you:

Since you are 17, this is the time to be aggressive and take big risk because you can ride the market until you're 65. Of course with only a couple thousand you want to grow your capital, not to preserve it.

CGMFX is a great mutual fund with big risk and big reward. I believe Heeber ( the mutual fund's maneger has great knowledge about the stock market.)

If you want to try and build your own portfolio, make sure its diversified. One stock from each sector, with at least 5 different sectors of the economy with at least 20% of your portfolio in international stocks.

Some good stocks are: Proctor and Gamble, Catepillar, Mcdonalds, Johnson and Johnson Boeing, Conocophillips.

Of course, these are all large cap big companies. You want to mix your stocks up with big companies and also companies that are small and not as known too.

Morningstar.com

finance.yahoo.com

finance.google.com

are some good places to research stocks.

Of course I cannot tell you everything in this little space.

Read some books on stocks.

I'd recommend:

Microeconomics by Hubbard to get a sence of how the economy works. (it's a college text)

Some people do not like Jim Cramer but he WINS in the stock market, so I'd recommend all 3-4 of his books.

Jim Cramer:

- Stay Mad Life

-Real Money: Sane Investing for the Real World

- Confessions of a street addict (his personal true story of how he started out as an investor and how he became sucessful)

Also, to retire a millionaire:

Automatic Millionaire by Richard Bach

These books are very interesting and are fast reads. They do not give you gimmick systems but show you the fundamentals of handling your economic life that leads you to financial freedom.

Ask your father about an IRA, i'd recommend that over a brokerage firm. But an IRA is for retirement. Its good to start at your age, but its up to you.

make use of search engines like yahoo, google