Lux Investing - I am looking to invest some money, perhaps in stocks?

I am looking to invest some money, perhaps in stocks?

I am looking to invest 1,500 dollars. I am only 18 and I am looking for it to be about a 5 year investment. I would like to put more and more into it every so often so I am assuming my only option is stock. I think Apple stock would be good, but I only could afford like 13 shares. I would like it to be a safe investment. any help would be nice

Public Comments

There are no safe investments. Investing is always a risk but not investing is a sure way to stay poor. I would look into mutual funds some will allow you to open an account and they will draw from your checking account a little a month to help you build your position. Check major no load families like Fidelity or Vanguard. Put it in a ROTH IRA if you have earned income.
May I suggest a DRIP plan to implement your strategy. They are inexpensive to implement and maintain. They are seldom talked about because brokers make very little money when they suggest them. Yet, they have proven to be one of the best, if not the best, long-term strategy on Wall Street. The best part is you get solid annual returns from well-known, safe Blue Chip companies like: McDonalds, General Electric, Pfizer, Walmart, US Bancorp.......etc........ They are perfect for small investors, as well as big investors. They are safe and allow you to not care about whether the market is going up or down.
I think it is wonderful that you are already thinking this way, at 18. Before you do anything with your money, you need to read and research different investments. Among your options are CD's, precious metals, stocks, stock options, drips, mutual funds, and etf's. If you think you may be able to leave the money in an investment for 5 years, that is a short time frame. So, consider something like a gold CD. Try www.everbank.com. Also, start reading and researching. Yahoo is a great website- their Finance section. So is Bloomberg, and Schwab. You may want to read Investment Business Daily. Open a paper trading account ( not real money), track some investments, and see how you respond when the market whipsaws. learn about charting, and analyzing entry and exit points. It's your money, learn to manage it before you commit it to a particular investment that has risk. Lastly, don't take stock tips from a forum like this. How do you know you can trust the investment advice you will get here? You can't. You may also want to enroll in some free email services. Go on thestreet.com, and start reading about stock sectors, seasonality, etf's mutual funds, etc.. There is lots of information available to you. Best of luck! You are really smart --it's the perfect time in your life to get started!!! Even a good stock like Apple whipsaws around.But you have to be prepared for unpleasant surprises, too...
i think in your situation it is best for you to invest in mutual funds rather than any stocks in the market...it has a lower risk compare to investing in a stocks...your investment term will guarantee you that you will double your investment in 5 years...
Open a DRIP Plan. The large majority of mutual funds under perform the market as a whole. All of them have management fees, and some have sales loads. Atleast in DRIP's you get to choose which Blue Chip company you want in your portfolio.
Get jim cramer's book Real Money. You can purchase this book very cheap at the website Half.com Good luck
There are no SAFE stock investments..all have earnings reports and competition.so all have prices that go up and down......... CD's are safe....................... you might want to use part of that money to buy a book on investing........you will be rewarded by reading the book.........
If you want to look at a solid stock, look into either Baxter or Abbott. They are both pharmaceutical companies that have routinely returned 12+% over the past however many years. They are solid and are good buys at the moment.
If you want a quick return on your money then trading in cfd,s is the way to go. You dont actually buy shares as such but buy a contract on the assets. You then earn or lose money on the opening and closing price of the asset. Many people have got rich very quick from cfd's but there is also the risk of losing money quickly. Finding a broker will help as they can advice you on stops that sell when the asset falls below a certain amount you can afford to lose. you can find more information at http://www.cfd-to-cfd-trading.co.uk