# Purchasing shares - what’s the best way



## BoscoTalking (26 Oct 2022)

While I know it’s akin to gambling, what is the best easiest and most efficient way to buy and sell shares for a person with little to no experience? 

I have a Revolut account where I have bought and held some shares but I’m wondering if there is an easier or cheaper way to trade. I intend to buy up to 5k and leave there but would like to control sales quickly if I wanted to. 

All advice and experience welcome!


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## ClubMan (26 Oct 2022)

BoscoTalking said:


> While I know it’s akin to gambling


Done properly (appropriate diversification and risk/reward profile, medium/long term investment, not panicking when markets fall, not trading excessively, not buying hot tips/trendy stocks, following normal prudent investment principles etc.), it's not at all akin to gambling.


BoscoTalking said:


> what is the best easiest and most efficient way to buy and sell shares for a person with little to no experience?


DeGiro maybe?
Lots of threads about them, and others, if you search.


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## ArthurMcB (27 Oct 2022)

ClubMan said:


> it's not at all akin to gambling.


I know this has come up before on AAM but imo its similar to gambling. I dont mean that in a bad way, i love gambling.

You put down money on something in the hope/expectation that itll go a certain way. Some people say investing in shares is long term whereas gambling on sport isnt but gambling on sport can be long term. 

Putting €100 on man city to win the league, based ont heir solid past performance, current team and management and results in my opinion is similar to putting €100 on Meta share price rising over next 6 months based on similar analysis.

You re risking a sum of money in the hope of reward, basing it on research and taking (at least in this example) a medium term view. You might take a long term view on something instead.

Some sports betting is more of a gamble i.e wherw you take a punt on a horse in the 5.45 at aintree. Likewise if you take a punt on a stock rising in the next few days or whatever timwfrane thats a bit of a gamble.

I dont see a big difference between "investing in shares" and "gambling on sport". Probability of a loss when "gambling" on sport is definitely higer than if "investing" in a share. Thats just the law of the bookie. But with due skill and care one can pick a winning sports bet as much as one can pick a winning stocks bet.

Its the same game though ultimately.

To answer the OP, De Giro is easy to set up and use with low fees.


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## losttheplot (27 Oct 2022)

Gambling on sports tends to be all or nothing. If Man City don't win you lose all your money. Share price can drop, could go to zero. Bets don't pay dividends. You can diversify share holding


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## ClubMan (27 Oct 2022)

ArthurMcB said:


> I know this has come up before on AAM but imo its similar to gambling. I dont mean that in a bad way, i love gambling.
> 
> ...
> 
> Its the same game though ultimately.


It's not.


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## joe sod (27 Oct 2022)

A bet is completely different to buying a stock. A bet is a prediction on an event at a particular time  , after the event you have immediately won the bet or lost all your stake generally. 
When you buy a stock you can continue to own that stock for years and decades later  ,you can collect dividends , no bet I know of pays dividends. 
The stock can rise or fall but you still own the stock.
Yes stocks can go to zero and you lose your entire holding but this is very unusual and exceptional unless you are seeking out these particular stocks like buying Anglo irish bank shares before nationalisation


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## Harfang (27 Oct 2022)

As far as I know you don’t have to worry about taxes with gambling wins. I do wonder though , some of those crazy bets. Number of corners , number of penalties ,etc. That’s just nuts in my opinion.


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## T McGibney (27 Oct 2022)

Harfang said:


> As far as I know you don’t have to worry about taxes with gambling wins.


There's a very good reason for that. If they subjected gambling wins to income taxes, they'd have to allow deductions for gambling losses. And they won't do that as far more money is lost than won.


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## ClubMan (27 Oct 2022)

T McGibney said:


> There's a very good reason for that. If they subjected gambling wins to income taxes, they'd have to allow deductions for gambling losses. And they won't do that as far more money is lost than won.


Why would they "have to"?


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## T McGibney (27 Oct 2022)

ClubMan said:


> Why would they "have to"?


What a question

Look up the principles of income taxation if you wish to find out.


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## interested21 (27 Oct 2022)

What OP is suggesting is akin to gambling. If they're not willing to do a simple Google search or what brokers are available then they're hardly going to be doing the necessary research on what stocks to pick. It'll be like when I pick the horse with the best name in the Grand National. Yes they'll have a claim to future dividends, but the fact they're looking to "control sales quickly if I wanted to" suggests they're not in for the long haul.

Investing shouldn't be anything like gambling, but when done wrong it shares a lot of similarities.


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