Stock Investing and Share Trading On Your Own

One of the big myths of the bull markets of the 1990s and early 2000s was that the stock market was essentially a savings account with high return rate. You picked a few copies of The Financial Times, watched a little Bloomberg, you opened an online account (regardless if it's financial spread betting, contracts for difference or just a normal share dealing account), and you were on the road to riches. Unfortunately, as many investors discovered when the bubble burst, things that looked so good in fact were not.

Picking individual stocks requires hard work, discipline, and an investment of time. Expecting to make a large amount of money overnight will only bring you pain and disappointment. There is no magic formula, and there's no guarantee of easy success.

Before you start make sure you read the biggest mistakes private investors make when they start out and what lessons they get over time:

• Seven mistakes to avoid
• The five rules for successful share investing

Remember choosing the cheapest share dealing, financial spread betting or CFD broker is not enough. Discipline, patience and knowledge will bring more success. There is no point in finding the cheapest stock broker if all you plan to do is to waste all your money on commission. Think of your future strategy and stick to it no mater what.

The more time you invest into your own education the more successful you will become. As your experience grows you will move to new investment vehicles like CFDs and options. Many people blame hedge fund managers and private equity firms for being greedy and inconsiderate. But don't forget those managers spent enormous amount of time and money on their education striving to get betting and eventually become the best. What's stopping you?