Calculate your worth: Make a note of all you assets, no matter how insignificant they seem. That way, you can work out what sort of investment suits you and over what time frame.

     Don’t spend more than you earn: If you live in debt, there is no point considering investing in stocks. Paying hefty dredit-card charges each month you will eat away any investment returns you may earm.

     Know your risk levels: Think carefully about your future plans and where you would like to be in a few years’time. Consider the objective behind your decision to invest: are you aiming to retire in a decade, or are you saving for a deposit on a house? Your age and circumstances, as well as economic conditions, will determent the right investment for you.

     Have a nest egg: Keep at least three months’wages available in cash before considering any other investment. That way, you will not lose out by having to liquidate a poorly-performing asset at an unfavourable time.

     Learn the basics: Find out about various asset classes and their characteristics. The marker for property may appear favourable for first-time homebuyers,but a house is an illiquid investment. Equities are relatively volatile, but can be liquidated quickly.

     Dollar-cost average: First-time investors have a lot to learn. By comtributing a small to a saving plan each month, you avoid having to decide when the time is right to buy—a skill even mature investors fail to get right. Regular contributions take the emotion out of investing.

     Take advice: Avoid following the herd and buying into the latest fashionable initial public offering. News takes a long time to filter down to the guy in the street and chances ate that any hot tip is past its sell-by date. Spend some time with financial adviser, read paper and books on investing. That way, you can make educated decisions.

     Build a core position: Create a core investment portfolio in something solid such as blue-chip stocks that will bring in steady gains over the years.

     Diversify: Once you have a core position, look around for satellite investment that may slice up your portfolio. Do not only by equities, consider bonds, property or collectibles to protect yourself against poor performance in one asset class.

     Hang in there: Stick to you plan, even if your investment seems to be floundering. New investments are often driven by emotion and react at the wrong times. Financial experts will tell you that timing the marker is implssible, but time in the market will eventually pay off.