24/10/2021
Individual stocks
Buying stocks in individual companies is the riskiest investment option discussed here, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. But before you start making trades, you should consider whether buying a stock makes sense for you. Ask yourself if you are investing for the long-term, which generally means at least five years, and whether you understand the business you are investing in. Stocks are priced every second of the trading day and because of that, people often get drawn into the short-term trading mentality when they own individual stocks.
But a stock is a partial ownership stake in a real business and over time your fortune will rise with that of the underlying company you invested in. If you don’t feel you have the expertise or stomach to ride it out with individual stocks, consider taking the more diversified approach offered by mutual funds or ETFs instead.