The first thing you should do is identify your financial goals, your risk profile, and how long you are planning to invest. Then, you should open a brokerage account (javascript:void(0))which will allow you to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Choosing your own stocks and trying to beat the market is definitely riskier than investing in more passive vehicles such as mutual funds or ETFs. It sounds attractive but the more you trade stocks the more fees you will incur. We recommend owning some individual stocks in addition to a mix of mutual funds, ETFs, bonds, and international stock.

We recommend that you start by taking a risk quiz. There is a great one provided HERE (https://www.schwab.com/public/file/P-778947/InvestorProfileQuestionnaire.pdf)by Charles Schwab. Then, assess the results and choose an investment strategy from the ones that best fit your financial goals!

We recommend that you should not obsessively monitor your portfolio, but it is perfectly fine to check in every once in a while to monitor your portfolio's diversification and performance. The market has its ups and down which will cause your investments to lose value sometimes, but do not let that discourage you. This could be an opportunity to buy more at a lower price, but do not make the mistake of selling your investments just because the price drops. The odds are that it will regain value over time.