How do I invest smartly? I'm a complete newbie at this stuff - please help.?

[Liquid Gold]

I've collected about 167 dollars and to be honest I'd like to invest my money into something. I know that it isn't wise to invest all of my money at once, so how much should I invest from the current amount I have? Or does it depend on how much they'll actually accept, depending on where I invest?

I'm still in university and since I can't find a well paying job related to what I'm learning (studying education) I'd like to find other means to try and provide myself with some form of an income. Plus, I want to show my parents I can be independent and that I am not some clueless little child.

Still I know nothing about investment. I have no idea how to deal with the market and so on. Is there anybody out there who can help me and point me in the right direction?

I'm a complete idiot at this stuff so I'm really just looking for a moron's guide to investing my money smartly, how investment actually works, and how do I know what companies/industries are worth investing in. What is my smartest move? What do you all recommend best?

Thank you so much

 

[Stephen T]

With only 167 dollars it wouldn't be wise to make more than one investment because the cost to invest that money will be too much. If you pay $9.99 per investment that's already 5% of your total money one just one investment. Most financial advisers will say not to spend more than 1% on transaction costs. Check out Vanguard, Fidelity, or TD Ameritrade for their costs.

I would put that money into a savings account, Ally Bank has the best interest rate right now at 1.5%/year which is only $2.50 per year. I applaud your thoughts to get started on investing and again I would put it into a savings account or buy a very risky stock that has may have a good return next year.

 

[shags1_23]

Put the money into a savings account with a bank.

If you want to learn more about investing, I would suggest getting "Standard and Poor's Guide to Money and Investing". It is an easy to read and understand guide that explains all the basics of investing.

 

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[muncie birder]

You really do not have enough yet to invest. Brokerage commissions will take too much of a bite out of your money to be worth it. Keep saving until you get a little more. American Funds has some much much better than average mutual funds with a $250 minimum investment. You can then add a minimum of $50. There is a catch though. The fund is sold only through stock brokers and there is a 5.75% sales charge off the top, so if you invest $250 you receive only $236.25 worth of stock. But their funds are some of the very best managed funds available. However, if you do not plan on keeping them and adding to them annually for at least 10 years, it would be a mistake to think about it now. Edward Jones brokerage will sell them to you. They have at least one broker in just about ever town in the US.

https://www.americanfunds.com/funds/returns/alphabetically.htm

An interesting note is that all of their funds have a positive 10 year return even with the sales charge. Fidelity can not claim that. Vanguard can not claim that. American Century can not claim that. Royce Funds can claim that but they have a $2000 minimum investment.

 

[Daddy Paul]

Save up until you have 250 dollars.
An alternative to the Royce fund mentioned above is the Hodges Fund symbol HDPMX. With the small sum of 250 dollars you can open an account with Hodges. This fund has a solid performance record. With a $250 dollar minimum you really do not have a lot of excuses not to invest.

Make regular contributions to your account. This technique is called dollar cost averaging.

Take some time to learn about investing. The more you learn the more you can earn. This should not be the only fund you should ever own. As your money grows you will need to diversify.

Good asset allocation and solid mutual fund selection are the keys to great returns on your investment. By choosing your investments wisely you can significantly increase your returns.

As you get comfortable with investing and accrue more money you will want to invest in other methods and diversify. Taking the first step is often the hardest. I was afraid of mutual funds for years. Investing this way is very easy.