How to Reduce Risks when Investing in Penny Stocks

Investing in any kind of stocks can be risky, but it becomes riskier when it comes to penny stock investments. While there is no surefire way to completely eliminate the risk when it comes to investing in penny stocks, there are steps one can take to minimize it.

Don’t Invest Your Fortune

It is always smart investing to not risk a large sum of money. Do not invest money that you cannot afford to lose, even if you are extremely confident that a stock will do well. Because of the highly unpredictable nature of the penny stock market, it is always likely that you will lose money.

Don’t Rely on Others

When investing, it is best to trust yourself when it comes to making the ultimate decision of whether to invest in a certain stock or not. Don’t let rumors, spam emails, and popularity of a stock influence your decisions. While it can be beneficial to consider advice and tips from penny stock brokers or other professionals, everyone is in it for themselves when it comes to investing.

Don’t Neglect Research

Nothing will cause you to lose money faster than neglecting to do research. Before participating in penny stocks, make sure you are well informed on its risks, how it works, and what to be aware of. As well, know how investing works in general. There are lots of resources available through the internet as well as local libraries to help you learn more about stocks, penny stocks, and investing.

Before you invest in an actual penny stock, make sure you also have a thorough understanding on the stock itself — know who is leading the company, who buys their products, what is the company statement and goals, etc. Online brokers typically have tools already provided for those who want to research more on a company’s stocks. Don’t simply rely on numbers and chart behaviors alone when it comes to deciding on investments and predicting outcomes.

Researching will help you feel more comfortable when you actually start trading penny stocks.

Don’t Skip Paper Trading

Reading about investing and actually doing it are two very different things. Thus, many beginner investors will first participate in paper trading. Paper trading is when you trade in a simulated process as a means to practice investing.

If you are new when it comes to investing in penny stocks or just investing in general, paper trading is a great way of gaining some hands-on knowledge without committing real money. Create a paper portfolio of your investments and maintain it as if it was real, and keep up with your trading. This way, once you begin to actually invest in paper stocks and risking actual money, you will have some experience and knowledge of how it works.

Featured Image: Depositphotos/ Rangizzz

About the author: Grace is currently studying at UBC to achieve her BA in Computer Science. She is due to graduate in 2020. As a content creator, Grace has written financial analysis, stock market news, and informational investing articles. She also worked as an editor with her university publication 'UBC Undergraduate Journal of Art History'.