learn about stock markets

To learn about stock markets, you can use such educational resources as books, mentoring programs, classroom education, and stock market games.

Far too many enter the stock market without first learning how to value stocks, how to formulate stock market strategies, or how to manage risks.

Trial and error can be very costly method of getting education in the stock market, although there are no guarantees that any formal education or learning about the markets will improve results.

For many, one of the first destinations to learn about stock markets is to go to the marketplaces', exchanges' web sites.

These resources include:

• nasdaq.com
• nyse.com
• amex.com
• phlx.com
• bostonstock.com

From these sites, you may find information on educational resources, sponsored classes on learning how to invest in the market, regulations and rules, and many other types of information about the exchange and the stock market.

Learn About Stock Markets - Books

There's a lot that can be said about book learning.

It doesn't replace actual experience with investing in the stock market, but learning from books about formulating strategies and risk management techniques will provide a solid foundation.

Of all forms of investing, the stock market may be the one with most material on book format.

The available books include:

• The Stock Market by Richard J. Teweles, Edward S. Bradley
• The Stock Market Course by George A. Fontanills, Tom Gentile
• Stock Investing for Dummies by Paul Mladjenovic

Learn About Stock Markets - Mentoring Programs and Classes

Mentoring for trading purposes works much in similar fashion as mentoring programs in the business world usually do.

The mentor is an established trader of stocks and passes the market knowledge, which might include complete strategies and risk management, to pupils.

Choosing a mentor is a delicate matter, and the background of a mentor should include considerable success in investing to the stock market as well as enough experience in terms of time in the market.

Mentoring can take place in-person, through telephone, via internet, or as a mix of several approaches.

Stock market mentoring is expensive, so you should probably educate yourself on the basics before starting on a mentoring program (to get the most out of such a program).

Stock market mentoring program resources include:

• tradingacademy.com/mentoring.shtm
• realitytrader.com/mentoring.asp
• telementor.org

Some of these same resources also offer classroom education on the stock market.

For additional resources to learn about stock markets, you should look at the information available from brokerages.

Many brokerages have relationships with educational resources that help their clients become better educated stock market investors.

These relationships may result in lowered fees and discounted educational courses.

Learn About Stock Markets - Stock Market Games

Once you have formulated a strategy, including full risk management measures, a good way to test the strategy is to try out stock market games.

These games usually let you try out risk-free your investment skills.

The best games are ongoing, meaning you can invest with either short- or long-term perspective, as you would in real life.

There are limitations to these games, of course, with tactical issues, such as order size and liquidity in the marketplace playing possibly lesser roles.

Resources for these games include:

• smgww.org
• game.marketwatch.com (a CBS MarketWatch site)
• stocktrak.com
• citycomment.co.uk (UK based virtual stock market game)
  
  
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