If you want to invest your money, the most common way to do it is to buy shares. Shares are a small part of a company that people buy – or invest in – and that gives them the right to a part of the profits made by the company. You can also sell your shares at a later date and hopefully, make a profit on them. Some people like to trade shares all the time, but this is called speculating and not that many people are so good at it that they make a ton of money. The safer way to make a profit is to buy shares and keep them for the long haul. This will allow you to ride out any downturns in the stockmarket and still have shares when the market starts its upward swing. The stock market always goes upwards over the long term and that is why experts advise you to keep the shares for a longer period. No one can simply go to the stock exchange and buy shares unless they have been trained to do so. If you want to buy shares you have to get a stockbroker to do if for you. Of course, they have to be paid to do this; another reason to simply buy shares and keep them. If you buy and sell all the time it will cost you a great deal more. When you buy shares, be sure that the company from which you buy is one with a good reputation for growth and solidity. These are called blue chip companies and are considered the safest companies to buy shares from.