Anyone here buy shares?

[Platypus]

All excellent advice! Thanks.

if you're interested in US shares, bear in mind that you'll get shafted on the exchange rates via most online platforms and you'll also need to complete a W8-BEN so that the IRS can withhold taxes on your gains in the US.

Urgh. Yet more stuff I didn't know.

Well, I've decided against this little adventure now

I'll carry on investing in the local pub, where my investments certainly do go down and sometimes up again

[Scratch It]

Yahoo certainly used to offer a virtual offering just for fun. I 'lost' a fortune on jessops.

[woohoo]

I've closed the account

Why don't you buy a share or two in a pair of balls, big hairy ones. A couple of well informed comments and your doing the sensible thing.

My advice, invest in companies that have nice looking logo's, blue ones are good. In my experience shares in companies that use Sean Bean in adverts are crap.

[woohoo]

Yahoo certainly used to offer a virtual offering just for fun. I 'lost' a fortune on jessops.

That's because your a thick "twat".

[Doggy Styles]

That's because your a thick "twat".

you're

[Gittins Gal]

So I've just opened an account with an online platform. I had a fancy to buy some Apple shares.

Now I have a window open full of terminology and stuff I just don't understand. Upon reflection, are these online accounts suitable for the occasional investor, what with quarterly fees?

If you wanted to invest a small sum such as £1000 in shares, how would you do it?

I'm now thinking I should get the hell out before I wade into this minefield. I never envisaged being a regular trader.

Any views / thoughts ?

Hmm...inneresting.

Thanks to the derisory rates of innerest on offer from cash ISAs, I decided to open an account with Hargreaves Lansdowne. And there it has been sat ever since, not earning a bean.

I just ended up not being able to see the wood from the trees with it all, coupled with a feeling that the global stock markets are at a peak and due for a tumble (no tracker funds for me then), even bonds are questionable with innerest rate increases in the pipeline.

Think I may just take it all out and spend some. Probably gonna need it to help me get through what looks like a lengthy spell on the bench.

[woohoo]

you're

Ta.

[CheeseSlice]

Hmm...inneresting.

Thanks to the derisory rates of innerest on offer from cash ISAs, I decided to open an account with Hargreaves Lansdowne. And there it has been sat ever since, not earning a bean.

I just ended up not being able to see the wood from the trees with it all, coupled with a feeling that the global stock markets are at a peak and due for a tumble (no tracker funds for me then), even bonds are questionable with innerest rate increases in the pipeline.

Think I may just take it all out and spend some. Probably gonna need it to help me get through what looks like a lengthy spell on the bench.

BINGO! (chart of S&P 500)

[jamesbrown]

BINGO! (chart of S&P 500)

I know it's a cliche, but you learn pretty quickly that history isn't a guide to the future. The boring reality of investing is that these bubbles really don't matter (i.e. even when buying at a local peak) providing you take a long-term (20+ year) perspective, invest in a diversified set of shares and reinvest the dividends. It's the boring, mathematical, reality. However, as with everything else in life, most people aren't satisfied with boring and they listen to their inner chancer, preferring the big win. And, obviously, it's a great feeling to double your money on a punt. Myself, I bet small money on individual stocks for fun, but invest the bigger wedge via the boring route.

[mudskipper]

Is it wrong to buy shares because you like the acronym thingy? (I'm sure it's got a proper name)

I just bought shares in BLT. Nom.

I've been playing with a few grand in shares since the post office thingy. It's kinda fun watching them go up and down. It's fair to say that the funds I've bought are generally doing better than the shares.