This is the last installment of the series on stock market investment principles. We discussed about the first seven principles in the past three articles. Now we will be discussing the last three principles. If you wish to view the article in its entirety please visit my blog.

8.) Take time to study- Investing in the stock market requires that you should take time to study what it’s all about. You can’t expect to succeed if think that you can just place in your money and hope that it will somehow grow by itself. Studying a lot of books and materials on the stock market will certainly help. When I first started investing I searched for materials in the internet regarding the stock market especially the Philippine stock market. I bought the “investor’s primer” from the Philippine stock exchange. This is a great material for those who are new to the Philippine stock market.

Attending seminars on how to trade in the stock market can further add to your knowledge. Some brokerage firms conduct free seminars for those who are new investors. Last year I attended a 2 day seminar by CITISEC Online. They are one of the most active, most innovative and well managed brokerage firms in the Philippines. The information that you learn in the seminar will certainly help you in your quest to succeed in the stock market. Continuous study is required if you want to be successful in investing in the stock market. Do not not stop learning.

Do the best you can to read all the materials out there and attend all the seminars if possible. Do not give up just because you encounter terms that you could not understand. For example when you went over this article you would probably scratch your head since there are terms that are difficult to understand. Terms such as “points”, Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi), “Blue Chips” or “Bull run” may sound foreign to you. Add to the fact that you don’t even understand what a stock is and how it works. So what ? When I first began I did not even know what these things are.

You can never learn these things in school. However I learned these things by reading a lot about the subject and through experience. In order that you might be inspired, I suggest you watch the movie “Pursuit of Happyness.” This inspired-by-a-true-story movie is about a man who overcame all odds to learn the stock market letting him make millions later on through stock market trading.For sure, you will be inspired by watching the film.

9.) You must know your current events – A lot of factors can affect the stock market. You should read the news paper as this may give you a clue on what direction the market may take. More importantly you should read the business news as this may give you an idea as to which stock you should buy. I read the Philippine Daily Inquirer everyday in order to have an idea where the market is headed.

10.) You must start now – The best way to learn is to experience it yourself. Start small if you wish but start now. Don’t procrastinate. However don’t rush immediately without studying how to go about it. After you have at least learned the basics of investments then you can start buying your first stock. There’s nothing more exciting when you have made your first sale at a profit.

Would you want to know more about investment strategies ? Visit the blog of Zigfred Diaz where he writes about several interesting topics such as investments, money management, business, making money online and Stock market investing