Hey all, I'm new

Jimmy Tango said: "Yeah, as the title says - I'm new. I've always been really interested in the stock market, and figure it'd be time to pave my way towards being a day trader. I won't be buying any stock anytime soon - I plan on taking some courses before dedicating myself to trading full time. I'd really hate to invest in something I don't understand. :D I just have some quick questions to ask to give myself an idea of what I'm in for: 1. What kind of gains can I expect from investing $150,000? Would they be enough to live off of? How much more could I invest if I got a margain account? 2. If you buy stocks online, are the trades executed fairly quickly? Like, if I purchased a stock - could I sell it an hour later instantly? I've noticed that certain stocks tend to go up in certain timeframes, and wonder if there would be any possible delays."

theryno said: "you need to study more"

mdiamant said: "Yes, those questions are somewhat general and show you have made no attempt to study investing. I recommend reading Investopedia.com and reading books about investing. It would also aid you to watch CNBC and Jim Cramer's Mad Money TV show on CNBC. After you do that, we can help you. Good luck!"

dumaman said: "[QUOTE=Jimmy Tango]Yeah, as the title says - I'm new. I've always been really interested in the stock market, and figure it'd be time to pave my way towards being a day trader. I won't be buying any stock anytime soon - I plan on taking some courses before dedicating myself to trading full time. I'd really hate to invest in something I don't understand. :D I just have some quick questions to ask to give myself an idea of what I'm in for: 1. What kind of gains can I expect from investing $150,000? Would they be enough to live off of? How much more could I invest if I got a margain account? 2. If you buy stocks online, are the trades executed fairly quickly? Like, if I purchased a stock - could I sell it an hour later instantly? I've noticed that certain stocks tend to go up in certain timeframes, and wonder if there would be any possible delays.[/QUOTE] Your in for a swift Azz kicking in the market you can expect your hard earned money to go into the red preety fast you could live off of 150k if you new what you were doing maybe.. if you margin trade you can trade 300k with that amount invested.. GOOOOOD LUCK!!!! :) I thought the same way when i got into the market just a few months ago boy was I wrong, and glad i only had limited capital too invest.. plzz listen to these guys.. read, learn, and paper trade for along time before you plunk down that kinda money!!"

Harry said: "Jimmy...put the 15K into CDs or something safe while you study the investment world. Investing yourself will cause you to lose your shirt... The big investment firms would just luv to suck large fees off of you while proving scant returns. Read the Jim Cramer Book about investing. It's VERY enlightening to see what goes on behind the scenes of the markets. Your cash can get scuked right out of your wallet."

Jimmy Tango said: "[QUOTE=Harry]Jimmy...put the 15K into CDs or something safe while you study the investment world. Investing yourself will cause you to lose your shirt... The big investment firms would just luv to suck large fees off of you while proving scant returns. Read the Jim Cramer Book about investing. It's VERY enlightening to see what goes on behind the scenes of the markets. Your cash can get scuked right out of your wallet.[/QUOTE] I'll have to grab that the next time I'm at the bookstore. I've also been looking into some finance classes at colleges around the city, and am thinking about getting a degree of sorts to better manage the 150k. I think I have the potential to become a good daytrader - especially considering I already work from home and can dedicate a large chunk of time into research/trading."

thezster said: "[QUOTE=Jimmy Tango]Yeah, as the title says - I'm new. I've always been really interested in the stock market, and figure it'd be time to pave my way towards being a day trader. I won't be buying any stock anytime soon - I plan on taking some courses before dedicating myself to trading full time. I'd really hate to invest in something I don't understand. :D I just have some quick questions to ask to give myself an idea of what I'm in for: 1. What kind of gains can I expect from investing $150,000? Would they be enough to live off of? How much more could I invest if I got a margain account? 2. If you buy stocks online, are the trades executed fairly quickly? Like, if I purchased a stock - could I sell it an hour later instantly? I've noticed that certain stocks tend to go up in certain timeframes, and wonder if there would be any possible delays.[/QUOTE] Sounds like you've experienced a windfall (win the lottery?) - and want to retire young! Also sounds like you've got a lot to learn (not a dig - simple truth). I've been daytrading for about 8 years now - and live off the proceeds of my base of around $300K. I've had good years (35%) and I've had bad years (less than 10%). I've lost up to $15K in a half hour (wife will never let me forget that one) - and have developed a cast iron stomach. As a SEC classified day trader - my brokerage firm allows me to trade 4X my base - so I can buy over a Million dollars worth of equities at a time (sounds impressive - but it's nerve wracking as I have to clear the books within 3 days of using that extra margin). Can it be done - sure - but it takes lots of experience, willpower, and most importantly, luck! Start small - set aside a small portion of your $$ - and get a taste for the market. Once you can honestly make a consistent profit (over at least a year or three) - then you can decide if it makes sense to invest more of your $$. The tales of "get rich quick" and trading in your pajamas are more frequently overridden by the truth of "lost my shirt" - but am to proud to let anyone know."