To the many people that have never tried it, the idea of placing their money in the stock market is a little scary and overwhelming. This is a warranted feeling, as there are many different processes and strategies involved in successfully investing the stock market. First time traders have to be especially careful that they don't allow their emotions and excitement to get the better of them, putting them at risk for big losses instead of profits. If you're interested in learning how to become a smart, successful investor, here are some tips for getting started.

One of the first things that you have to know about investing the stock market is that you can't get started if you don't have money. It is a terrible idea to think that you can borrow money, either from someone you know or a bank, to invest in the stock market. Money that you consider for investing should be savings that you are completely comfortable living without, and should never come from retirement funds or college savings accounts. Although it might be difficult, save up the money you want to invest separately, just in case something goes wrong.

Thanks to the increased access and convenience of the internet, many people are investing the stock market through online brokerage companies, instead of the traditional means of hiring a broker or trader on your own. Although these professionals most likely have years of experience working in their favor, they are also going to charge you a high commission for their services. If you've only got a small amount of money to invest, it's probably smarter to do the research and the investing on your own. There is more of a risk, yes, but you'll be happy you chose this method when the profits all come back to you.

Once you've set up and funded your online brokerage account, you're ready to start evaluating the market, and making decisions about which stocks you're going to purchase. It's good for all new investors to have a basic grasp of technical analysis, which uses charts and patterns to make informed predictions about whether a certain stock is likely to increase or decrease in value. This knowledge can help you to evaluate the history of a stock's performance, and decide whether it is stable enough to be your first investment. Online communities of investors can provide support for this process, if you're still unsure of making your first trade.