TRACYD.......If you're a newbie Commsec have an introductory...

TRACYD.......If you're a newbie Commsec have an introductory offer for $600 free brokerage that might help. IMO do your homework & pick a couple market sectors that have some growth potential then trawl thru those stocks till you get a short list of coys with something promising in the pipeline (imo avoid airlines). Watch them for a while to get an idea of the trading pattens & watch the charts to identify when they are oversold, pick an entry point & have a plan. I reckon you're better to get to know a few stocks well than to dabble everywhere. Have a % stop loss in mind & try to stick to it. If you've picked a dog get out sooner rather than later. The appealing part of the commsec deal is you dont have to commit all at once cos you won't be paying brokerage so put your toe in, see how it works out then buy some more. If you go miners you will have to watch commodity prices & their cash positions to avoid cap raisings which could see the sp get hammered. Personally, I never participate in a SPP. NEVER act on stock advice given on forums as ppl have their own agendas & don't take too much notice of Brokers or mkt analysts. Try to shut out the daily "noise" dished out by media re economic dramas & doom & gloom cos they will endlessly contradict themselves & it will do your head in. Get a good accountant & decide if you are a share trader or an investor as both have different implications. Be familiar with the Tax system re capital gains & losses, dividends & buy/sell timing. Nothing worse than working your arse off to make some $$$$ then lose most of it in tax. Be prepared, you will have losses but the trick is to have more wins...I wish you the best of luck