Buying and selling stocks is possible in real-time. All you need is an online custody account or brokerage account with a suitable stock provider, access the exchanges and their liquidity directly. In most cases, it only takes a few minutes to open an account.
Nowadays anyone over the age of 18 can buy stocks on their own. The possibilities are almost unlimited and you can access stock exchanges in your own country from home with a computer or smartphone app.
Why should you buy and invest in stocks?
Stocks are viewed as a retirement plan and savings method in many countries. In contrast to the storage of money in bank accounts or building society contracts, one can earn a high return with stocks. However, the risk is also higher than conventional investments. Due to the fact that the price development and dividend payments depend on the economic situation.
In the US, for example, stocks are the most widely used retirement savings investment. There are numerous pension funds, state pension funds and private investors. Investors benefit from the country’s economic development. At the same time, they have more motivation to work for their own country, because in the overall picture, the returns depend on the market environment.
The easiest way to invest your money in stocks is to invest in an ETF that tracks an index. There are so-called stock indices that contain the strongest stocks in the country. The index tracks the entire economic situation in the country and is a good method to diversify your portfolio.
But you can also fall back on individual stocks and invest according to your own analgesic strategy. Perhaps you find an entrepreneurial idea good and invest in the company directly through the share. Profits on stocks can be made through price increases and dividends. In the USA, for example, dividends are paid out more often because they are intended to improve pensions.
Reasons to invest in stocks
- Alternative to conventional saving methods
- Dividends are higher than interest on the account
- You can use dividends for passive income
- High profits are possible by increasing the price of stocks
In the long run, the global economy will grow in value, and so will your equity portfolio.