And getting in has never been easier.
The stock market as of late has been nothing short of wild, all of course stemming back to March of 2020. The new and rapidly spreading pandemic left investors panicked, triggering the most incredible sell-off in recent history. This massive dip essentially created a brand new discount on all of our favorite companies, ranging from tech stocks like Apple, to automobile companies like Ford or Tesla. With the initial panic settling down and worldwide quarantine settling in, normal people began securing these stocks at prices lower than ever, resulting in a slow but stable increase lasting all the way up until December of 2021. Life was great for people who bought the dip, but history tends to repeat itself, especially when it comes to the stock market. After the most recent new year, stocks began to fall due to worries of inflation. The stock market is very much a mental game, and due to previous uncertainty from 2020, investors were quick to exit their positions in hopes of securing their profit. Luckily, stocks are beginning to form a new rally as general optimism increases towards the government’s ability to curb inflation, while investors get stocks at a better price than in previous weeks.
As market strength increases day by day, people who don’t jump on the train now will most likely be missing out. Investing as an individual has never been easier, with apps like Robinhood being available through smart phones, offering trading with no fees at all. There is more information available than ever before, with platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and TikTok to help out. The hardest part of the market is to get yourself in: mathematically speaking the longer you’re in, the better you perform. As previously mentioned, trading is just as mental as it is logical, and the hardest part about the market is taking that first step, whether that be joining a club, watching a video, or making your first investment.
For me, investing started out as a hobby with two of my friends during school, and slowly we began to understand the market more and more. Although researching was necessary, our favorite way to learn was through experience. My friends and I found out about paper trading, a super easy way to trade stocks using fake money, a means of getting involved for those under the age of 18. We traded day in and day out, learning something new every day. Through trial and error, we found out working strategies that resulted in consistent gains. At that point, I was just waiting to turn 18 for the real thing.
Because of how much we practiced and researched, the jump to the real market wasn’t the greatest leap. Finding time to trade while also staying on task with school wasn’t too bad, and it’s quickly become a part of my weekday.
Sharing your thoughts about the market with others is one of the best ways to gain the best insight, which is how I started with a few of my friends only two years ago. We decided to begin the Investment Club this year as a trial, where we go over everything you need to know in order to get into the world of the stock market.
Want in on our conversation? Just join us at Google Classroom: 6daewzq