Unless you are a millionaire already who is plunking money in the stock market in a very diversified portfolio where you’ll earn your expected returns over the long haul (which isn’t a bad way to go by the way) you’ll probably have to put some effort in if you want to learn the stock market.  This is no easy task.  This involves everything from business to social behaviour.  However, your best bet is to find a niche you enjoy and become great at it, recognize the small niche pattern, and exploit it to make what money you can.  My personal niche is picking giant companies that will bounce back from a recent drop down.  I notice when people are just over reacting and buy in.  What’s your specialty?

When you are first learn about stocks it is easy to get confused about funky terminology.  The most famous is the Bull and Bear concept.  There is no official numbers to the Bull or Bear it is simply a symbol or representation of the emotions, or market sentiment.  A bull investor believes the market will head up, while the bearish investor feels the market will head down.  The bull is characterized as wild, reckless, aggressive and when a market is climbing fast you can see this personality in the trend line.  A bear personality is considered fearful or careful.  They tend to take profits quickly and very careful with their cash management.  There is nothing wrong with being either type as long as you know who you are.  As the famous stock market quote goes, “Bulls make money, bears make money, only pigs get slaughtered.”