Tune Into the Markets and Become a Well Rounded Investor
The minute you purchase an investment, you are going to run out and get the first business magazine or financial newspaper and read all you can about your current investment and/or future investments. You may even subscribe to financial papers like The Wall Street Journal. If you've invested a small chunk of your life savings in a favorite company, a small blurb on the back page of The Wall Street Journal, which you wouldn't have noticed a week ago, is now going to capture your astute attention. This is because you are getting involved, as many do when they first start investing. Of course if you wanted to learn even more, there are many more financial resources out there, and some are reviewed below.
But be careful, and don't over indulge yourself. If you walk past a news stand, or stand inline for your cup of "java" in the morning, you'll understand. There is a plethora of information about the world of investing, and many "newbies" feel like they have to get every ounce of it by the next trading day. Just remember that you don't have to. Learning little by little is much more effective and before long, you'll be amazed at what you have learned.
You'll find below enough to get you started about researching investments and keeping up with the worlds financial times, but remember that Rome wasn't built in a day; your portfolio won't be either. You don't have to run out and start pursuing an MBA. Just becoming aware of the language of investing can give you the extra boost, and you'll find yourself doing this on your own soon.
1. Investor Magazines are a great source
Many investors' magazines are sold, but namely Forbes is most informative. You may soon have a differing opinion, but that is just what the financial markets are full of- opinions. Often a journalist's opinion on a particular company can be incredibly helpful, as this is exactly what you'll find in magazines like Baron's or Smart Money. There is definitely a variety of these resources, and they can be expensive. However, online research is often free such as with Google Finance, so do your homework.
2. Your local financial news paper
When you start to routinely search for information, you'll find yourself getting really interested in figures that once resembled a foreign language. Just don't fall for the media hype- there's a lot of financial fluff out there.
3. National Newspapers- namely the financial section
You will find that you watch the market with a fine tooth comb when you first invest. Keep in mind that you don't have to dissect the paper as a simple review of the highlights will do just fine. From the previous days performance to market trends, you can find it all in The Wall Street Journal.
Another good source is Investor's Business Daily or The Chicago Tribune. You might even try USA today or The Los Angeles Times. Eventually you will learn to weed out the good stuff from the fluff and retain what you need to to stay abreast of the current events. Many of the financial papers also have online outlets for their information as well, so you could also surf the web. The more you start to stay tuned with current events, market rallies, and financial reports, the more of an understanding you will have about the market in general and its cycles.
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