How And Why To Invest In The Stock Market?

​The act of saving and investing money regularly will significantly change the way you live your life in the future.

        Without faith in the future, no one would ever invest at all. To be an investor, you must be a believer in a better tomorrow.

Benjamin Graham

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.

When you hear the word “stocks” or “stock market” what comes into your mind?

What you may be thinking is that the stock market is only for the rich. Or the stock market is a gamble. You are not alone because many have already told me that.

Well, let’s discuss first, what is a stock?

What is a Stock?

Stock is a type of security that signifies share/ownership in a corporation. There are (2) two main types of stock: the first one is "Common Stock", which entitles the owner to vote a shareholders' meetings and to receive dividends. The second is "Preferred Stock" which generally does not have voting rights but has a higher claim on earnings and assets.​ Owners of preferred receive dividends before common shareholders and have priority in the event that a company goes bankrupt and is liquidated.

Maybe you’re still confused? 

A simplified explanation would be a pizza, when you and nine of your friends contribute equally to buy a pizza. The pizza arrives, so everyone has a piece of the pizza — say the pizza has 10 parts. That is the same way stocks are, the more shares of a corporation you buy, the more of the corporation you own.

So, what is the Stock Market?

Basically, the Stock Market is a place where stocks are bought and sold. Here in the Philippines, we have The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE), the national stock exchange of the Philippines.

Why do most companies sell shares of stock? What is Initial Public Offering or IPO?

An Initial Public Offering or IPO is a process in which a company sells its shares of ownership to the public for the first time. It is also known as, “Market Debut.”
 
Through an IPO, a company shifts from being privately owned to publicly traded and owned by institutional and retail investors. Hence, when a company files an IPO, it is also called “going public.”
 
Companies sell shares in their business to raise money. They then use that money for various initiatives: A company might use the money raised from a stock offering to fund new products or product lines, to invest in growth, to expand their operations, or to pay off debt.

Why invest in a Stock Market?

There are many different securities that you can invest your money but based on history, it was proven that investing in quality stocks can provide greater returns than most investment instruments.
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This offers you the best chance in achieving your financial goals and gives you the ability to later enjoy the benefits of your money working for you.

How to make money in Stocks?

Price Appreciation​

A company's growth and success usually drive its stock price higher.

Dividends

​Companies also give out a portion of their profits to shareholders, called dividends.

How Can I Start Investing In The Philippine Stock Market?
​
You need a Stockbroker to invest! A stockbroker or trading participant is an individual or company accredited by the Philippine Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission to place buy and sell orders on behalf of investors.

There are two types of stockbrokers: traditional and online. Traditional stockbrokers provide a licensed salesperson who takes orders through phone calls or email. Online stockbrokers enable their clients to make buy or sell placements through their web-based trading platform.

Did you know that for only PHP 1,000 to PHP 5,000 you can now open a stock trading account? With the help of an accredited online trading broker, you can start to participate in the Philippine Stock Market. For the complete list of stockbrokers,visit https://www.pse.com.ph/ ​​

      Diversification is protection against ignorance.
It makes little sense if you know what you are doing. 

Warren Buffett

Before this article end, I would like to share, 

The 4 Golden Rules of Investment

Remember these golden rules of investment in order to achieve your financial goals and freedom.

• Invest Early

​            - take advantage of compounding over the period of time. The earlier the better.

• Invest Regularly

​            - be consistent by making it a hobby. Investing is a good thing.

• Invest Long-term

​            - rich people think long-term. Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and
              what you want most. 

• Invest using Diversification

​            - As the saying goes, "Do not put all your eggs in one basket." 

​Study first before you invest in something. Make sure you have a piece of knowledge in every investment instrument that you are going to choose, especially the risk and other basic concepts.

I hope you learn from this article, thank you and God bless!