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© 2025 Investimenews, All rights reserved.
Market Insights, International News, Business Trends.
© 2025 Investimenews, All rights reserved.
When I first started investing, I was really excited. I imagined making a lot of money fast and thought I had to pick the perfect time to buy and sell stocks. Looking back now, I realize I made some big mistakes and worried myself for no reason. If I could talk to my younger self (or anyone just starting out), I would share a few simple lessons. These lessons would have saved me a lot of stress and confusion. Here’s what I wish I knew before I began my investing journey.
Figure: A chart illustrating how missing the best stock market days can hugely lower investment returns (a $10,000 investment grew to ~$224,000 when fully invested, but only ~$102,000 if the 10 best days were missed, and even less if more top days were missed). This shows that trying to jump in and out at perfect times can backfire. According to research, if you missed just the 10 best days in the stock market over the past 30 years, your overall returns could have been cut roughly in half. Missing the 30 best days would have reduced your returns by an astonishing 83%! I didn’t know this when I started. I tried to buy low and sell high at just the right moments, but that’s incredibly hard to do. In fact, trying to time the market by perfectly guessing the highs and lows is notoriously difficult. I eventually learned that no one can predict the market’s ups and downs consistently. Good and bad days often come unpredictably, and many of the best market days happen soon after the worst days. So instead of stressing over the “perfect time” to invest, I found it’s usually better to stay invested and be patient. In other words, time in the market (just being invested for the long run) often beats trying to time the market with lucky guesses. This realization took a lot of pressure off my shoulders.
When I first heard the word “investment,” I only thought about making money, not losing it. I wish I had known from the start that every investment has some risk – meaning there’s a chance you could lose money. Understanding risk is super important. It basically comes down to asking: “How much money could I stand to lose and still be okay?”. For example, if I’m going to need the money soon (like to buy a bike next year or for an emergency), I should choose a safer place for it, not something that swings wildly in price. If I won’t need the money for a long time (say, I’m investing for retirement decades from now), I can afford to take a bit more risk for a chance at higher rewards. I learned that if you’ll need your money back soon, consider low-risk investments (they don’t grow as fast but won’t drop too much). But if you have a long time and you’re young, you could invest in things like stocks, which go up and down more – you have time to recover from any downs.
Another part of understanding risk is knowing your own comfort level. Back then, I didn’t really know how I’d feel if I saw my investment drop in value. (Turns out, I felt pretty awful and panicky – which led to bad decisions!). Everyone’s different: some people can handle big ups and downs, and others prefer things to be more stable. I also learned the saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This means I shouldn’t put all my money into one single investment. If that one investment does poorly, I could lose a lot. Instead, it’s smarter to spread out money into different things (a bit in stocks, maybe some in bonds or savings). This way, if one investment goes down, it won’t sink everything. In short, know the risk before you jump in: think about how much you could lose, how soon you’ll need the money, and don’t bet it all on one thing.
I used to think you needed a lot of money to start investing or that I should go “all in” to make it worthwhile. Big mistake! One of the best pieces of advice I discovered later is to start small. You don’t need to buy 100 shares of something right away – even buying a single share or a very small amount is okay. In fact, experts say it’s best to begin with a small amount when you’re just starting to invest, and only use money that you’re prepared to lose. I wish I had known that earlier. By starting with a small investment, I could learn how investing works without risking too much. If I made a mistake (and I did make plenty at first), it wouldn’t cost me a fortune to learn that lesson.
Starting small also helped me manage my emotions better. When I invested a huge sum right away (which I later realized I shouldn’t have), every tiny market movement gave me a mini heart attack. But with a smaller investment, I was able to stay calmer and think more clearly. It’s kind of like learning to ride a bicycle with training wheels. You practice on a small bike or with support before you try to race downhill! Similarly, by investing small amounts, you get to practice, see how you feel about the ups and downs, and understand the process. As you gain confidence and knowledge, you can always invest more later on. I learned that investing is a marathon, not a sprint – there’s no rush to throw in all your money at once. In fact, pacing yourself can lead to better results in the long run. Now, whenever a friend asks for advice, I always say: “It’s okay to start with just a little. Starting is more important than starting big.”
In the beginning, I thought I was supposed to watch the market all day and react to every little thing. If prices went up, I got excited and bought more; if prices went down, I got scared and thought I should sell. This led to a roller coaster of emotions – excitement, fear, greed, panic – and guess what? It did not lead to good results. I learned (the hard way) that making investment decisions based on feelings is a bad idea. In fact, investing based on fear or hype is often a “recipe for disaster”. When we let fear take over, we might sell at the worst time (like selling stocks when their price is very low, which locks in a loss). And when we get too greedy or over-excited, we might buy something just because everyone else is talking about it, not because it’s a good investment. This is how people end up chasing fads or buying into bubbles that eventually pop.
I remember a time I invested in a company just because it was all over the news and everyone said it was “hot.” I didn’t want to miss out. But I didn’t really check what the company was worth or why it was popular. I was basically investing with emotions, not logic. That did not end well for me – I bought near the high price because of excitement, and then the price dropped and I felt terrible. Now I try to keep my cool. I remind myself that the stock market can go up and down in the short term, and that’s normal. If one day my investment drops a bit, it’s not fun to see, but it’s usually not a reason to panic-sell everything. The same way, if it jumps up, I shouldn’t immediately think I’m a genius and double down without thinking. A famous investor, Benjamin Graham, once said something like: in the short run the market is like a voting machine (driven by people’s feelings), but in the long run it’s like a weighing machine (driven by a company’s real value). What I take from that is: patience is key. I try to focus on the long term now. If I chose an investment carefully, I shouldn’t let a bad day scare me off. By avoiding emotional decisions, I make more reasonable choices and sleep better at night, too.
When I first started, I honestly did not know much about what I was investing in. I picked some stocks because I heard the names on TV or a friend told me it was a cool company. That’s not a great strategy! I wish I knew that you should always do a bit of homework before putting your money into something. One of the golden rules of investing is to invest in what you know and understand. If you are looking at a company’s stock, ask yourself: What does this company actually do? How do they make money? If you can’t answer those basic questions, that’s a sign you need to learn more before you buy. The risk of losing money is even higher when you invest in a company or an area that you know nothing about. I learned that the hard way. I once invested in a tech company that was doing something with complicated gadgets I didn’t really get. I didn’t read anything about their business; I just saw others online saying it was the next big thing. Unfortunately, that “next big thing” didn’t pan out – the company’s gadgets didn’t sell well, the stock fell, and I had no idea what to do because I never understood it in the first place.
Doing research doesn’t mean you have to become an expert overnight or read hundreds of pages. It just means get to know where you’re putting your money. For example, if you like video games and there’s a gaming company stock, start by learning what games they make, how popular those games are, and how the company has been doing lately. Even a little bit of reading or asking questions can go a long way. Sometimes, I write down in simple words why I want to invest in something (“I want to buy stock in Company X because they sell products I love and they’ve made profits for the last three years” – something like that). If I can’t come up with a good reason, then I know I shouldn’t invest in it yet.
It’s also okay to practice first. I discovered there are stock market simulators (demo accounts) where you can trade with pretend money to see how it works. You could try those to get a feel for the market without any risk. Experts actually suggest practicing and learning from reputable sources before jumping in for real. I admit, when I started, I skipped this step because I was too eager. But taking a bit of time to learn the basics – even just understanding words like stock, bond, index fund, etc. – made a huge difference later on. Think of it like this: you wouldn’t take a test without studying a little, or jump into a pool without knowing how to swim. Similarly, don’t jump into investing without at least doing a little research on what you’re investing in. Your future self will thank you!
These are the key things I wish someone had told me when I was just starting to invest. Investing might sound scary or complicated at first, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if you remember these simple lessons. To sum it up in plain terms:
I also learned that making mistakes is normal when investing. Even the best investors mess up sometimes. The important thing is to learn from each mistake and get better over time. Back then, I was upset with myself whenever I lost money or made a bad call. Now I know that each error taught me something valuable. Investing is a journey, and you get wiser as you go. I’m still learning new things all the time. If you’re just starting out, I hope my experiences help you avoid some of the common pitfalls I fell into. Remember, you don’t need to be a genius or have a crystal ball – sticking to basic good habits is often the best strategy. Stay patient, stay curious, and happy investing!
Sources:
Check this out:
How to Launch a Cleaning Business and Earn £500,000 Annually
Starting a Vending Machine Side Hustle: Steps to Achieve $900 Monthly Income
A Guide to Profitable Reselling Businesses: From Zero to $20,000 a Month
When I first started investing, I was really excited. I imagined making a lot of money fast and thought I had to pick the perfect time to buy and sell stocks. Looking back now, I realize I made some big mistakes and worried myself for no reason. If I could talk to my younger self (or anyone just starting out), I would share a few simple lessons. These lessons would have saved me a lot of stress and confusion. Here’s what I wish I knew before I began my investing journey.
Figure: A chart illustrating how missing the best stock market days can hugely lower investment returns (a $10,000 investment grew to ~$224,000 when fully invested, but only ~$102,000 if the 10 best days were missed, and even less if more top days were missed). This shows that trying to jump in and out at perfect times can backfire. According to research, if you missed just the 10 best days in the stock market over the past 30 years, your overall returns could have been cut roughly in half. Missing the 30 best days would have reduced your returns by an astonishing 83%! I didn’t know this when I started. I tried to buy low and sell high at just the right moments, but that’s incredibly hard to do. In fact, trying to time the market by perfectly guessing the highs and lows is notoriously difficult. I eventually learned that no one can predict the market’s ups and downs consistently. Good and bad days often come unpredictably, and many of the best market days happen soon after the worst days. So instead of stressing over the “perfect time” to invest, I found it’s usually better to stay invested and be patient. In other words, time in the market (just being invested for the long run) often beats trying to time the market with lucky guesses. This realization took a lot of pressure off my shoulders.
When I first heard the word “investment,” I only thought about making money, not losing it. I wish I had known from the start that every investment has some risk – meaning there’s a chance you could lose money. Understanding risk is super important. It basically comes down to asking: “How much money could I stand to lose and still be okay?”. For example, if I’m going to need the money soon (like to buy a bike next year or for an emergency), I should choose a safer place for it, not something that swings wildly in price. If I won’t need the money for a long time (say, I’m investing for retirement decades from now), I can afford to take a bit more risk for a chance at higher rewards. I learned that if you’ll need your money back soon, consider low-risk investments (they don’t grow as fast but won’t drop too much). But if you have a long time and you’re young, you could invest in things like stocks, which go up and down more – you have time to recover from any downs.
Another part of understanding risk is knowing your own comfort level. Back then, I didn’t really know how I’d feel if I saw my investment drop in value. (Turns out, I felt pretty awful and panicky – which led to bad decisions!). Everyone’s different: some people can handle big ups and downs, and others prefer things to be more stable. I also learned the saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This means I shouldn’t put all my money into one single investment. If that one investment does poorly, I could lose a lot. Instead, it’s smarter to spread out money into different things (a bit in stocks, maybe some in bonds or savings). This way, if one investment goes down, it won’t sink everything. In short, know the risk before you jump in: think about how much you could lose, how soon you’ll need the money, and don’t bet it all on one thing.
I used to think you needed a lot of money to start investing or that I should go “all in” to make it worthwhile. Big mistake! One of the best pieces of advice I discovered later is to start small. You don’t need to buy 100 shares of something right away – even buying a single share or a very small amount is okay. In fact, experts say it’s best to begin with a small amount when you’re just starting to invest, and only use money that you’re prepared to lose. I wish I had known that earlier. By starting with a small investment, I could learn how investing works without risking too much. If I made a mistake (and I did make plenty at first), it wouldn’t cost me a fortune to learn that lesson.
Starting small also helped me manage my emotions better. When I invested a huge sum right away (which I later realized I shouldn’t have), every tiny market movement gave me a mini heart attack. But with a smaller investment, I was able to stay calmer and think more clearly. It’s kind of like learning to ride a bicycle with training wheels. You practice on a small bike or with support before you try to race downhill! Similarly, by investing small amounts, you get to practice, see how you feel about the ups and downs, and understand the process. As you gain confidence and knowledge, you can always invest more later on. I learned that investing is a marathon, not a sprint – there’s no rush to throw in all your money at once. In fact, pacing yourself can lead to better results in the long run. Now, whenever a friend asks for advice, I always say: “It’s okay to start with just a little. Starting is more important than starting big.”
In the beginning, I thought I was supposed to watch the market all day and react to every little thing. If prices went up, I got excited and bought more; if prices went down, I got scared and thought I should sell. This led to a roller coaster of emotions – excitement, fear, greed, panic – and guess what? It did not lead to good results. I learned (the hard way) that making investment decisions based on feelings is a bad idea. In fact, investing based on fear or hype is often a “recipe for disaster”. When we let fear take over, we might sell at the worst time (like selling stocks when their price is very low, which locks in a loss). And when we get too greedy or over-excited, we might buy something just because everyone else is talking about it, not because it’s a good investment. This is how people end up chasing fads or buying into bubbles that eventually pop.
I remember a time I invested in a company just because it was all over the news and everyone said it was “hot.” I didn’t want to miss out. But I didn’t really check what the company was worth or why it was popular. I was basically investing with emotions, not logic. That did not end well for me – I bought near the high price because of excitement, and then the price dropped and I felt terrible. Now I try to keep my cool. I remind myself that the stock market can go up and down in the short term, and that’s normal. If one day my investment drops a bit, it’s not fun to see, but it’s usually not a reason to panic-sell everything. The same way, if it jumps up, I shouldn’t immediately think I’m a genius and double down without thinking. A famous investor, Benjamin Graham, once said something like: in the short run the market is like a voting machine (driven by people’s feelings), but in the long run it’s like a weighing machine (driven by a company’s real value). What I take from that is: patience is key. I try to focus on the long term now. If I chose an investment carefully, I shouldn’t let a bad day scare me off. By avoiding emotional decisions, I make more reasonable choices and sleep better at night, too.
When I first started, I honestly did not know much about what I was investing in. I picked some stocks because I heard the names on TV or a friend told me it was a cool company. That’s not a great strategy! I wish I knew that you should always do a bit of homework before putting your money into something. One of the golden rules of investing is to invest in what you know and understand. If you are looking at a company’s stock, ask yourself: What does this company actually do? How do they make money? If you can’t answer those basic questions, that’s a sign you need to learn more before you buy. The risk of losing money is even higher when you invest in a company or an area that you know nothing about. I learned that the hard way. I once invested in a tech company that was doing something with complicated gadgets I didn’t really get. I didn’t read anything about their business; I just saw others online saying it was the next big thing. Unfortunately, that “next big thing” didn’t pan out – the company’s gadgets didn’t sell well, the stock fell, and I had no idea what to do because I never understood it in the first place.
Doing research doesn’t mean you have to become an expert overnight or read hundreds of pages. It just means get to know where you’re putting your money. For example, if you like video games and there’s a gaming company stock, start by learning what games they make, how popular those games are, and how the company has been doing lately. Even a little bit of reading or asking questions can go a long way. Sometimes, I write down in simple words why I want to invest in something (“I want to buy stock in Company X because they sell products I love and they’ve made profits for the last three years” – something like that). If I can’t come up with a good reason, then I know I shouldn’t invest in it yet.
It’s also okay to practice first. I discovered there are stock market simulators (demo accounts) where you can trade with pretend money to see how it works. You could try those to get a feel for the market without any risk. Experts actually suggest practicing and learning from reputable sources before jumping in for real. I admit, when I started, I skipped this step because I was too eager. But taking a bit of time to learn the basics – even just understanding words like stock, bond, index fund, etc. – made a huge difference later on. Think of it like this: you wouldn’t take a test without studying a little, or jump into a pool without knowing how to swim. Similarly, don’t jump into investing without at least doing a little research on what you’re investing in. Your future self will thank you!
These are the key things I wish someone had told me when I was just starting to invest. Investing might sound scary or complicated at first, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if you remember these simple lessons. To sum it up in plain terms:
I also learned that making mistakes is normal when investing. Even the best investors mess up sometimes. The important thing is to learn from each mistake and get better over time. Back then, I was upset with myself whenever I lost money or made a bad call. Now I know that each error taught me something valuable. Investing is a journey, and you get wiser as you go. I’m still learning new things all the time. If you’re just starting out, I hope my experiences help you avoid some of the common pitfalls I fell into. Remember, you don’t need to be a genius or have a crystal ball – sticking to basic good habits is often the best strategy. Stay patient, stay curious, and happy investing!
Sources:
Check this out:
How to Launch a Cleaning Business and Earn £500,000 Annually
Starting a Vending Machine Side Hustle: Steps to Achieve $900 Monthly Income
A Guide to Profitable Reselling Businesses: From Zero to $20,000 a Month
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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