Top tips for wannabe investors

Start small. Start investing in the real markets straight away. This will allow you to get used to a platform without getting into reckless habits. Then you can start building up your emotional resilience.

Don’t be a day trader. You should be committed to owning a stock for the long term, preferably for 10 years or more. Some of the world’s best investors buy shares and hold them for life.

Understand your investment. When you buy a share, you are buying a part of a business. If you do not understand the business and what it does, or its likely prospects of future profit, you do not understand what you are investing in.