Long , medium or short term investment? Low, medium, high risk? That would be part of the planning. More importantly though, can you afford to lose your investment? If your answer is "NO", then stay away! Why go into a shaky market now? Oil prices are so high there is a real threat of a world recession. I do NOT want to invest in stocks at this time. It is madness unless you play with currencies but you have to be experienced or just lucky. Hope this helps a little!

Here's the whole saying: "Plan your trade. THEN trade your plan." When you were a child, your parents had rules. You had to follow them or you got into trouble, didn't you? Yes, you did! When you went to school, the school district or parish had rules. You had to follow them or you got into trouble, didn't you? Yes, you did! As a citizen and a member of society, there are rules. You have to follow them or you get into trouble, don't you? Yes, you do! On your job you have rules. You have to follow them or you get into trouble, don't you? Yes, you do! BUT when you trade, with few exceptions, there aren't any rules. You have to make your own rules. UNLESS YOU MAKE YOUR OWN RULES AND FOLLOW those rules, you'll get into deep financial trouble and be eaten alive by the market. What kind of a trader are you - or do you think you are? How long do you stay in a trade or hold stocks for? What kind of research do you do about those "great tips" you see and hear about from various sources - the TV, radio, friends, family, and get in the mail? Do you have a minimum price you will not go under? Unless you have LOTS of money, what is the limit per share you will pay for a stock? How much volume must a particular stock trade per day to meet your minimum volume requirement? Do you checkj the news about each of your investments? The list is almost endless. BUT "THE trading rules" YOU make and follow dictate whether or not that trade meets your investment criteria or if you should kick that particular stock to the discard pile - until another time or permanently discard it. Some of my trading rules are: 1. ANY stock I consider trading MUST have a price of at least $26.61 cents per share. Anything less than $26.61 is simply ignored. 2. ANY stock I consider trading MUST have options. When it doesn't - I simply forget about it. 3. ANY stock I consider trading MUST CONSISTENTLY trade AT LEAST 600,000 shares or more per day for at least the three most recent months. When it doesn't - see ya! 4. For most of the stocks I trade, earnings occur about every 3 months or 4 times per that company's fiscal year. I won't consider trading any stock within 7 business days of that company's earnings announcement date. 5. I won't consider trading any stock which declares dividends or announces splits. 6. I WON'T trade any IPOs - Initial Public Offerings. Why? There simply isn't any history. I have other rules. In fact I have about 7 strategies. AND I have rules for each strategy. In brief, what am I doing? I'm looking for reasons NOT to get into a trade. I don't need reasons TO GET INTO A TRADE. If I wanted that, I would just go with my "gut feelings". It requires work. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, I continue making mistakes. BUT I DON'T make the same mistakes over and over again. I learn from my mistakes. When you start trading ""live - with real money", you'll make mistakes, too. I HOPE you don't. BUT EVERYONE makes mistakes. BUT that's what paper trading/virtual trading/pretend trading is for: To test your trading rules. Then "tweak" those rules. A SIMPLER WAY TO TRADE: This is what I learned about the stock market and trading: 1] I read a little about the overall market and how it works. I read about different aspects: mutual funds, currency, commodities, stocks and options. 2] I asked Qs of my coaches and mentors; suggestions were made to me. 3] THEN I read and studied about those areas which interested me. 4] I concentrated on those areas which interested me and which fit the amount we had to work with. 5A] For those strategies I felt comfortable with, I developed trading rules. For those strategies I didn't know anything about, I developed some trading rules. 5B] I discovered I only needed trading rules for 4 to 8 trading strategies. BUT I continue learning - every day. 6] Using those rules, I paper traded. 7] When trades went against me - when I lost money - I adjusted or "tweaked" those rules for that strategy. 8] I paper traded - again and again and again and some more. 9] I made further adjustments. 10] I’ll admit I didn’t do enough research for the right broker for our trading needs, wants or desires. However, the one we decided to go with is OK – but not the greatest AND definitely not the least expensive. Yet, the actual trading account was opened: As a speculator, with margin, with the approval to trade options. 11] Yes, it was VERY scary AND I was VERY apprehensive: BUT, I MADE THE BIG JUMP: Going "live" - in-the-market - with real money. I lost some money. NO ONE ever succeeds in each and every trade 100% of the time. A] BUT I didn't use the entire amount of the account's money on one trade. I learned HOW TO properly manage the money in the account. B] I lived to trade another day. AND I continue learning and living to trade other days. C] AND YES, I STILL have a few losing trades. BUT my winning trades are A WHOLE LOT more than the losing trades. Thanks for asking your Q! I enjoyed answering it! VTY, Ron Berue Yes, that is my real last name! Sources: My wonderful family! My wonderful coaches and mentors! TWO [2] of THE ABSOLUTE BEST, MOST wonderful trading groups in the world, which I am most proud to be a member of! Trading stocks and options more than 2 years. "THE University of Hard Knocks"