Deciding that you're going to invest in the stock market for the first time is a big decision, and it takes a little courage and many hours of research before most people are ready to take the plunge. While successful stock market investing takes a sold understanding of market processes and a firm grasp of the characteristics that make one stock a good choice for the future, while another is a riskier selection, there are some trading tips that all investors can keep in mind to help them avoid situations that are likely to lose them money in the long run.

One of the best trading tips that new investors can keep in mind is that, like many things in life, practice with investing in a safe environment will usually leave you better prepared to respond correctly when it comes time to make a trade in the real market. These days, many of the best online brokerage sites offer market simulation programs where you can practice looking for trends, making trades, and getting a chance to see if they pan out in the way that you thought they would. If a simulator isn't convenient, it's also a good idea to simply study industry charts from past years, and practice spotting trends and predicting movements.

Another one of the most important trading tips that investors can think about when looking for a new stock to get involved with is that stocks that have a significant gap at the open, as they are likely to indicate a good opportunity for profitable trading. No matter whether the gap has occurred in a positive or negative direction, a gap indicates volume and rapid fluctuations in price, which are usually good trading opportunities for the savvy investor. If you're unfamiliar with gaps, they are the term used to describe a situation in which a stock's price closes at one level and opens the next day at another level, despite the lack of market trading.

Lastly, no discussion of trading tips would be complete without a mention of creating strict exit points and sticking to them. Too often, people get involved in the market without a firm understanding of just how much they can and should lose before cutting their losses and trying again on another day. Never stick with a losing stock just because you hope that it will make a turn for the better. Listen to the statistics, and cash in when the exit point has been reached.