Start with the money, not the share. Decide an amount you will not need for at least five years, and that you could watch fall by a third without panicking. For many first time investors that is a small monthly sum from salary rather than a lump.
Open an account and fund it. With us that takes ten minutes online and a day for checks. You can fund it by card or bank transfer; the money sits in a client account in your name until you buy.
Choose a few companies you understand, in different sectors. A bank, a food company and a property trust behave differently in a bad year, which is the point. Read the company page and the latest note from our research desk.
Buy three or four companies you understand, rather than one you have heard a tip about.
Place the order. A limit order at a price you are happy with is safer on a quiet share than a market order. The order ticket shows the full cost, including commission and market charges.
Two working days later your shares settle in your name. Your contract note arrives on the trade day. From then on, the most useful habit is patience: check monthly, add regularly, and review once a year.
