The stock market is a place where people can buy a small share of a company and hold on to it. The stock’s value will go up or down according to the value of a company. For example, the company “Zoom” was unheard of prior to this year, but after the Covid-19 outbreak, everyone began using it, and it’s value increased incredibly. This is one way a stock worth 10 dollars can become 1000 dollars or even more.

I interviewed people to see how they approach this market. Eric Lozad, is a 16-year-old high school student, and Fransico Britez, 30, is currently working a full time job.

Eric Lozado recently started Investing. He purchased $1000 dollars worth of Tesla shares. When first asked about his original process of buying his stock, Eric stated, “My friend’s father is a stock broker; I asked him for some advice, and he told me Tesla is going to be one of the big companies of the future, so I believed him and bought some stocks. He does make hundreds of thousands from the stock market, so I believe him.” When we look closer as to why his friend’s father said Tesla, we begin to see why.

Right now, Tesla is gaining some great publicity. They’ve released a new car model called the Cybertruck which is like nothing anyone’s ever seen. This new vehicle has the versatility of a truck but the efficiency of a car. The public loves it, and it’s been trending on all major social media platforms. Tesla also recently launched the space mission SpaceX, the first privately funded and manned space mission to the International Space Station. The CEO, Elon Musk, is widely loved and regarded as one of the geniuses of today. With great publicity, new advancements, and a trusted face of the company, it’s no wonder the company is doing so well. These major milestones also reflect in their stock prices, as one share is currently worth $439. In just 3 months, that stock is expected to climb to $503. Eric, however, plans to hold on to this stock for even longer. “If I need to hold it for 10 years, that’s fine,” he said. “Who knows how much it will be worth!”

When asked if he’d recommend investing to others, his response was to encourage me to go out and buy stock right now. So I’d take that as a “yes”!

When asked if he’d invest if his salary was higher, Fransico’s response was: “Perhaps, but I don’t feel like I have time or money right now, and I don’t really want to take risks.” Fransico also stated that he doesn’t know much about investing in stock and wasn’t really taught about it as a child. Up until recently, he’d never truly thought about it. He does, however, say that he did some Ecommerce. “I’m much more familiar with buying and selling: that’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid.” For Francisco, the unfamiliarity of the stock market is what turns him away.

These two individuals are a good representation of the American public having very different views on the stock market. Eric, although younger, had been encouraged by his parents as well as other adults in his life to buy stocks as a way to grow his money. While Francisco, who is much more unfamiliar with the stock market, has chosen security over risk. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Even with a busy schedule, you can always take 30 minutes to research some options. Your salary doesn’t need to be very high either. These are simple misconceptions that can throw people off. With just $500 dollars, you can begin growing little by little until you can invest even more. You don’t need to be rich and retired to invest: you can do it in safe small ways.