Share prices tick up and down every second of the day. It is a complex game played by many people around the world who are ready to invest huge amounts of money. The reality is that safe bets can be made using the available information, but investing in shares is still a gamble, similar to betting on a horse in the Grand National or picking a team to win the league at the beginning of the season. Anything can happen.

If you are a first time investor you may be feeling confident and willing to take a risk. However it is crucial to learn to walk before running. Beginners should steer clear of buying shares in an individual company. It is often pot luck and not the best way to start.

Although is sounds rather conservative, a collective investment like a unit trust or investment fund as opposed to single shares is a good place to begin. This method will allow you to effectively buy an investment in a variety of shares giving you a good range and importantly means you are reducing your risk related to any one share. Diversification is the key to any good investment strategy.

Another option is to invest in a Guaranteed Equity Bond. This allows you to gain returns from the stock market and also guarantee that you will get all your money back if it falls. Shares are an investment. People tend to give the market all kinds of properties it should not really have.

A couple of fundamental principals to adopt from the beginning which may sounds rather obvious but are widely recommended when dealing in stocks and shares are to-:

A. Only put in what you can afford to lose. B. Not become emotional.

Try not to consider any bad investment as an amount lost. A major mistake many people make is once their shares have reduced in value they begin thinking of ways to recoup their loss. It just doesn't work this way and there is certainly no what goes down must come up rule. The sooner you learn this the quicker you can begin getting a return. Almost think along the lines that shares have no history and are only as good as their current value. You must learn to let go of the past values.

If an investment value has fallen from £100 to £50 you must now ask yourself whether you would be willing to invest that £50 on the market and is this the investment that you would choose? There is no difference in the risk profile between buying a share new, or having a share that you have owned for a long time, because it does not change the chances of what will happen. Looking at it as a fresh investment is the only way to go.

Carrying out your own research is the best way to begin if you are serious about investing in shares. Understand the companies you are considering putting your money in to and how the markets work. Read and listen to as much as you can. The internet is an easy way to gather material in preparation however be aware that personal finance sections are often commercially driven and only include referrals to companies that have paid to be mentioned. Take everything on board, but the key is to recognise a lot of advice out there combines predictions, research, and educated guesses, but no one can provide a guaranteed future outcome. If they could the market would simply not be a market. That is why the stock market is all about risk. The risk that you may gain versus that you may loose.

Good Luck