Jake Tuff 
Stock market investing can be an excellent way to build wealth over time, yet stock prices can be unpredictable, so it is essential that you gain an understanding of its foundational principles prior to investing.
A basic approach to investing in the stock market is buying and holding onto shares for long term. This approach provides a simple method to grow wealth.
Basics
Investing is an opportunity to put your money to work, in the hopes that its value will rise over time. Investing can help you achieve financial goals such as purchasing a home or funding retirement. However, understanding risks and rewards is crucial; diversifying your portfolio reduces its short-term volatility for optimum returns.
Companies raise capital through the stock market by selling ownership stakes known as shares of stock to investors. As businesses expand, their shares increase in value resulting in capital gains for shareholders; some even pay out dividends to those same shareholders based on profits earned.
Investors should make it a habit of reviewing their investments regularly in order to stay aligned with their risk tolerance and financial goals, making incremental trades when necessary – for instance, younger investors might wish to keep more stocks than those approaching retirement in their portfolios.
Taxes
Investments can be an excellent way to increase the returns on your savings, but they also come with risk. There are four basic categories of investments: stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
When investing in stocks, you own shares or ownership stakes in a company. When it succeeds financially, companies will usually pay out dividends as part of its profits to shareholders; you must report these earnings as income but may be eligible to reduce taxes by investing in companies offering qualified dividends.
No matter where you are on your financial journey, investing should always be part of your long-term plan. Talk with one of Synovus Financial’s advisors today about your goals and tolerance for risk to find suitable investment strategies tailored specifically to you.
Regulations
Stock markets are carefully regulated to provide investors with accurate information about companies listed on them. As part of these regulations, public companies are required to file regular financial statements which provide details regarding debt, earnings, salaries of top executives and other information relevant to investing in publicly held firms. Such disclosures serve to reduce risks when investing in publicly held firms.
Investment in the stock market can be made either through formal exchanges or over-the-counter marketplaces, and can include both shares of public corporations as well as derivatives derived from these stocks, such as single stock options, equity swaps and futures contracts.
Investment in the stock market can be an effective way of building wealth over time. But investing in short-term needs like medical care or college tuition should be avoided due to short-term price volatility and potential short-term losses. According to behavioral economist Vissing-Jorgensen, participation rates between different wealth and income groups may be explained by higher costs associated with investing in stocks for lower income households.
Trading
Trading stocks involves purchasing and selling pieces of ownership in public companies on either a stock exchange or in private markets. Traders can also choose mutual funds as an alternative, which are bundles of assets traded similarly but have reduced risk due to being more diversified.
Before investing or trading, it’s essential to carefully consider your goals and risk tolerance. Investors typically focus on market fundamentals while traders capitalize on current trends.
Price fluctuations of stocks depend on numerous factors, such as earnings reports, interest rate changes, global events and foreign policy decisions. Such market instability can make or break your portfolio. It is wise to avoid investing with money you will need within three years as investing can lead to losses; an experienced broker can assist in mitigating this risk.
