Everything You Need to Know about Stocks

Money doesn't grow on trees, but you can learn to invest and grow your wealth.

Stocks can seem intimidating to first-time investors, but they're really not all that bad. Stocks are actually rather simple to understand, once you know a few basics. And once you have those basics down, you can master the more advanced. To help convince you that Wall Street is much more friendly than you might think, we've created a MomVesting guide to stocks.

Here, we lay out the basics and build you up to the mastery; join us for answers to the most basic "What are stocks?" question and to the more advanced, which can include answers to questions about market capitalization, stock chart patterns and stock analysis. Don't worry; we start you off with the basics below!

Getting Started With the Basics of Stocks

• Just getting started? Here are the basics about stocks you should read first to understand the foundation of investing with stocks.
• Worried about investing? You're not alone. Find out how Christa overcame her fear of stocks and how you can do the same.
• When you're beginning, stock brokers can help you understand your options. But see how to find a good one before you get started.
• Now that you're dipping your toe into the world of the stock market, be sure you understand stock orders.
• One of the most important investment considerations is your stock allocation. Find out what it is and why you should care!
• What are stock earnings and how do you figure them out?
• While we're talking about stock earnings, let's look at how to determine a stock's growth. Hint: you can find out through historic and estimated earnings, but read more here to become an expert!

Learn About the Options Available When Investing

• What are stock market indices? These guides can help you figure out which way to go next.
• What is stock volatility? Find out how variability affects your stocks.
• Stock chart patterns can help you track the past performance of a particular stock. See how to use these tools.
• You don't have to be an expert or try to go it alone. You can get involved with an investment club for encouragement.
• When you are looking for a safe way to start investing, index funds and mutual funds might be a nice option.
• Find out what the price to earning ratios of stocks are and why that is important to understand.
• Ready to take your stock analysis to the next level? Learn about two options: fundamental vs traditional stock analysis.
• Wondering how to tell when to sell a stock? Here are a few things to keep in mind before pulling the trigger.
• What is the market capitalization of a stock? Find out how to measure a company's worth.
• Here's another advanced stock investment option to consider: find out about global stocks and how to invest.