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Your piggy bank guards your penny stock

Penny Stock Investments: What Not to Do

Investing in penny stocks involves a lot of risk, so you definitely want to do everything in your power to be successful. While there's no way to eliminate the risk completely, there are some things you can avoid doing to limit the risk. Here are few things you should do when it comes to penny stock investments.

Don’t Invest Your Fortune

The number one "don't" of investing in penny stocks is don't risk a huge sum of money. No matter what you do, penny stocks are risky and you are always liable to lose money. Therefore, you should never invest money that you simply can't afford to lose, no matter how confident you are in a stock. Of course, the definition of a "large sum of money" depends on a person's financial situation.

Don’t Rely On Others

Overall, you should trust yourself the most when it comes to investing in penny stocks. Don't act on rumors you happen to hear in the street, spam emails that arrive in your inbox, or "free recommendations." Even if the info comes from experts and professionals, don't trust it completely. In the world of investing, everyone is in it for themselves, so it will benefit you dearly to consider the tips of others, yet rely on yourself to make the ultimate decision.

Don’t Sidestep Research

Nothing will cause you to fail faster than not researching potential penny stocks. Since penny stock investments are so risky, it pays to be as informed as possible about a stock you want to invest in. Make sure you educate yourself on penny stocks, as well as investing in general, before you get started. Read information available on the Internet, newsletters, and in books. This will allow you to feel comfortable making decisions on your own.

Not only should you become educated on investing, but you should also learn about the actual stocks themselves. Don't rely on chart behaviors alone to make your decisions. Background info about the actual penny stock is just as important when it comes to making decisions and predictions.

Don’t Skip Paper Trading

If you're new to investing in penny stocks, you will likely suffer dearly if you don't start by paper trading, especially if you happen to be new to investing in general. Create a paper portfolio and maintain it as if it were actually real. This will allow you to gain a good feel for investing without having to risk tons of money from the start. That way, once you start risking more money, you'll have some experience.

Losing some money is pretty much inevitable when it comes to investing in penny stocks. In fact, even the rich gurus have lost money along the way. While you can't avoid losing money completely, you can reduce your chance by avoiding these mistakes.

Last Updated: April 23, 2015