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First things first -

Before you start to invest any serious amount of money, it’s probably wise to get some other financial aspects of your life in order first.

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Pay off your debts -

Any high-interest debt on things like credit cards should be taken care of first.

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Retirement -

If your company has a retirement plan, get yourself signed up. This is to get you in the mind frame of saving.

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Have an emergency fund -

You should have a reserve that will cover three to nine months of living before you get started on investing. This will make you feel comfortable enough not to “force sell” if circumstances change in the short term.

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Figure out your spending -

You should have a firm grasp on how much you spend in a month. This will help you determine how much you can start investing with. There are apps like Personal Capital that help you work this out.

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Have goals -

From day one, you should have a firm grip of your reasons for investing and what your goals are. Without knowing your goals, you can lose sight of the big financial picture.

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Think long term -

Getting rich quick should not be your goal. You can have a goal to gain wealth over a long-term period, however, trying to get rich quickly leads investors down sketchy paths.

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You can't do too much research -

Read books about investing, and when you think you’ve read enough, read more. While investing in stocks isn’t complicated, there’s still a lot of information to digest.

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Know the industry you're investing in -

Although it might seem like palm-to-face territory for a seasoned investor, it’s essential to know the actual industry that you’re investing in.

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Don't believe the hype -

If you’re investing in stocks simply because everyone is talking about them, something in the industry itself can happen that will devalue the stock without you knowing about it.

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When to sit out -

The last tip ties in with this one. Today, the hype is Bitcoin. You don’t want to be the person who starts investing in it by the time the mailman knows about it. Typically when you hear people have already become millionaires, you’re best to sit it out.

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When to be protective -

When everyone else is getting greedy, you should be more protective about your investments. If you have investments in a company that everyone is jumping at, hold on to your investment.

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When to be greedy -

When people are fearful of certain markets, it might be time to get greedy. You can invest for cheaper, and most markets will recover eventually and you will reap the rewards.

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Diversify -

Depending on your age, interests, and investment capabilities, your investments will be different from others. However, one thing is for sure: you should have a diverse portfolio of investments.

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Like the old proverb says -

The reasoning for this is simple. It means not putting all of your eggs in one basket. If you invest heavily in one stock instead of a range of stocks, if that one stock fails, it can take you out of the game.

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Know your prospectus -

The prospectus gives you an overview of the company you’re investing in.

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What is a prospectus? -

It helps you decide on investments by giving you information about stocks, bonds, index funds, managers, and CEOs. It helps you understand how they’ve returned to investors in the past.

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It's a bumpy ride -

Investing in some markets, like the stock market, can be a roller coaster. Simply put, if you make rash decisions when you’re emotional about something in the market, you can easily lose your investment.

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The problem with investing emotionally -

If you do end up letting your emotions make your decision for you, you can end up buying and selling too often. This kind of panic can affect long-term results. More often than not, when rookies see that their investment is down, they want to sell. This is a sure way to lose money.

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Take headlines with a pinch of salt and research more -

When the media headlines are trying to catch eyes making it sound like your investments won’t be worth much soon, it sometimes seems foolish not to sell. But more often than not, you’re better off considering it long-term.

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Reinvest in dividends and capital gains -

In the beginning, it’s recommended that people set this up to be automatic. It helps your portfolio and keeps compound interest growing for you.

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Simplify -

It’s exciting to choose your stocks to invest in. However, in the beginning, you should seriously consider index funds, which are mutual funds built to match the stocks of a market index.

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It’s boring -

Don’t start off investing thinking that it’s going to be as exciting as you see in films. It’s not. It’s supposed to be like watching grass grow.

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Watch the fees -

Investing fees can kill your long-term returns. Although 1-2% doesn’t sound high, compounding over 30 years gets costly. You should be aiming for well under 1%. Also, watch out for management fees.

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Remember as you continue to invest -

If you continue to invest over time, make sure you keep an eye on the balance of your portfolio. It’s easy to continuously invest in stocks, and you will have an unintended investment ratio.

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Don’t complicate -

One of the best lessons for a beginner is to keep your portfolio simple. In the case of delivering results, less is more.

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Luck, sensibility, patience, and knowledge -

In the end, investing can be the best decision that people make in their lives, offering them a better future. It can also ruin their lives. However, with a little bit of luck, enough money, by making sensible and low-risk investments, and by having patience, people are in with a good chance of securing a more financially-secure position for themselves in the future.

Sources: (Invested Wallet) (Money Under 30)

See also: The celebrities who have made millions in real estate

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