For some people, investing in the stock market involves risks that they are not willing to take, but stock market investing does not have to require great risk to provide a great return on investment. Successfully Investing in the Stock Market takes a long term, disciplined approach. Buying a stock, only to sell it when it increases slightly in value is taking an unneeded risk with your money. All investment in the stock market involves some risk, but with research and careful investment you can minimize that risk.

The right research can help you make an informed decision. An informed decision can help you make the right choice when you are seeking a higher return in investment that is available in a passbook savings account, mutual fund or certificate of deposit.

The main reason to invest your money in the stock market is to make a return on your investment. With sound investment decisions you can receive a steady income that increases every quarter. Once you have established your short and long term goals, it is easier to make the correct decisions to reach those goals.

To ensure a steady cash income, each stock that you own must do two things. The first thing that the stock must do is provide quarterly cash dividends. The second thing the stock must do is take the cash dividend and reinvest it by buying more shares of the stock. By providing cash dividends and reinvestment options, your stock portfolio will grow each quarter, providing you with an increasingly high cash income.

Of those companies that provide cash dividends, you must look for the ones that have a proven history of providing higher cash dividends every year. By providing higher yearly cash dividends and reinvesting those dividends, you are helping your portfolio to grow at a rate that will help combat the effects on inflation. Resist the temptation to withdraw your dividends to provide for household expenses. Withdrawing your dividends significantly impairs your plan’s ability to make your momey grow.

Another way to help your portfolio grow is by choosing to work with companies that are commission-free. Quarterly commissions can eat into your dividends, reducing the amount of money that is able to be reinvested and diminishing the number of stocks that your dividends can purchase. Each share that your dividends purchase provides extra income that can in turn provide more dividends. Commissions can break this positive investment cycle.

You can greatly minimize the effects of stock market price fluctuations by wisely investing in a long term stock plan. By avoiding commission fees and letting your dividends work for you by reinvesting in additional stock your stock investment plan can provide you with an increasing cash income without the same amount of risk that is traditionally associate with stock market investments.