Investing in the stock market can be a scary proposition for most beginners. And for good reason. You could lose your money if you're not careful. Along the way, you may make a few investing mistakes, however there are big mistakes that you absolutely must avoid if you are to be a successful investor. For instance, the biggest investing mistake that you could ever make is to not invest at all, or to put off investing until later. If you want to get rich, you must learn how to make your money work for you instead of working for money. So get started making your money work for you – even if all you can spare is $20 a week to invest! While not investing at all or putting off investing until later are big mistakes, investing before you are in the financial position to do so is another big mistake. Get your current financial situation in order first, and then start investing. Get your credit cleaned up, pay off high interest loans and credit cards, and put at least three months of living expenses in savings. Once this is done, you are ready to start letting your money work for you. If nothing else, exchange high interest credit cards for one with lower interest rates. If possible, you should also refinance high interest loans with loans that are lower interest. You may have to use some of your investment funds to take care of these matters, but in the long run, you will see that this is the wisest course of action. While you are in the process of clearing up your present financial situation, make it a point to educate yourself about the various types of investments. This way, when you are in a financially sound situation, you will be armed with the knowledge that you need to make equally sound investments in your future. Don’t invest to get rich quick. That is the riskiest type of investing that there is, and you will more than likely lose. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible – but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. Instead, invest for the long term, and have the patience to weather the storms and allow your money to grow. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, high-risk, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest. Only invest for the short term when you know you will need the money in a short amount of time, and then stick with safe investments, such as certificates of deposit. Another mistake to avoid is putting all of your money into one stock or security. Diversify your investment portfolio for the best returns and don’t move your money around too often. Let it ride. Perform due diligence and pick your investments carefully, invest your money, and allow it to grow – don’t panic if the stock drops a few points. If the stock is a stable security, it will correct itself and go back up. Remember that successful investing requires more than simply calling your broker and telling them that you want to buy or sell stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market and the company you invest in if you hope to invest successfully.