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Stocks, Shares & Securities: The Basics
Stocks represent ownership in a company; each share entitles the investor to a proportional claim on assets, earnings, and, in many cases, dividends. Public companies list their securities on markets like the NYSE or NASDAQ, allowing people to buy and sell at transparent stock prices. Before an initial public offering (IPO), shares are sold to raise funds and expand the business. Fact: every IPO must file a prospectus detailing risks, fees, and other critical information.
Value, Growth & Income: Strategies for Every Investor
Value Stocks & Price / Earnings
Value stocks trade below intrinsic value based on metrics like earnings, cash flow, and book value. The goal is to buy at a lower price and benefit as the market corrects mispricing.
Growth & High-Performance Companies
Growth investing targets companies poised to increase revenue, earnings, and customer base faster than averages. While the potential returns are high, so is the risk, requiring disciplined analysis of market conditions, rates, and competitive factors.
Income & Dividend Strategies
By selecting dividend-paying stocks, shareholders receive regular cash income. You can reinvest those payments through dividend plans to compound your principal—a proven way to boost long-term performance.
ETFs, REITs, Bonds & Other Securities
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and REITs offer diversified exposure at lower fees than actively managed funds. Many investors blend equity, bonds, and cash to match specific goals, circumstances, and risk tolerances.
Research, Tools & Decisions
Effective research combines fundamental reports, market news, and technical analysis. Use free tools like Yahoo Finance, TradingView, and EDGAR to evaluate data, statements, and disclosures. Confirm broker history via BrokerCheck before opening a brokerage account with any broker.
For AI-driven insights on timing and allocation, explore our AI Consulting services, or learn to create automated trade alerts with our AI business task automation resources.
Essential Resources & Glossary
- Broker/Brokers: Intermediaries executing trades for accounts in exchange for commission or fees.
- Options, Futures, and OTC contracts are advanced investment products with higher risk and complexity.
- FDIC: Protects bank accounts (not securities). Brokerage assets are covered by SIPC up to certain amounts.
- IRS Tax forms and documents help track income, loss, and taxes.
- Site Map: Find every page—including Day Trading, Cryptocurrency, Contact, and more—on our site map in the footer.
Comprehensive Glossary of Key Terms
The list below covers additional investment vocabulary—assets, accounts, portfolio, market conditions, and beyond—to enhance your knowledge. Understanding these factors is vital before committing money:
accounts, advisors, advice, alerts, analysis, amounts, bank, banking, basics, benefits, bonds, brokerage, brokerage account, brokercheck, business, cds, characteristics, clients, commission, content, costs, data, debt, developments, disclosures, documents, equity, events, example, exchange, exchange-traded funds, fact, fee, firm, fund, funds, futures, guidance, income, insurance, investor, investors, ipo, ipos, investment, investment advice, investment products, investments, limitations, list, loss, market, market conditions, markets, member, number, performance, plan, portfolio, portfolios, potential, price, principal, products, prospectus, purposes, rate, rates, reits, reports, resources, response, results, rights, role, sectors, security, service, services, share, shareholder meetings, shares, site, site map, statements, strategy, taxes, tax forms, times, tools, trademarks, trade, traders, trading, u.s., value, ways, window, youtube.
Final Thoughts
Investing involves risk of loss, including possible loss of principal. Always review the prospectus, consider fees, and consult a qualified investment advisor before acting on any recommendation. For personalized help, explore our contact page or schedule a call with our advisors.