Amanda's Story

was a complete beginner before I used Stockopedia and had never bought stocks before. I read an article in the Telegraph about investing and they mentioned Stockopedia. I had a look online and was hooked!

Using Stockopedia has taught me a huge amount about investing and pointed me in the right direction for sourcing further advice. The discussion board is a great tool, with expertise from Paul Scott, Jack Brumby and the other contributors. I look at the daily Small Cap Value Reports on Stockopedia, as well as following the other discussions avidly. The StockRanks are one of the biggest indicators that I use for picking stocks.

I have a very good Mark Minervini-type screen which I have improved with tips from Ed Croft and a few others, and I now tend to use this for my portfolio selection. I now run three of my family's ISA accounts and find it hugely interesting. On the whole, the returns have been really good. Despite the last two years being a bit of a rollercoaster, the folios are currently at their highest. Most importantly, Stockopedia has given me the confidence and education to give it a go

I have a few pieces of advice:

• Watch all the Stockopedia educational videos
• You can set up to 10 pretend portfolios on Stockopedia. Use these to find your investing style and hone your screening set-up.
• Once you feel your trades and selections are going in the right direction and you feel comfortable with your choices, and ONLY then, find an investing platform and start to trade small amounts of real money. Even these have Fantasy portfolios that you can try out without using real money. It becomes really scary using your own money but if you have practised with pretend money and you find that works, you should feel more confident. Start with small trades and an amount you won’t beat yourself up with if you lose it.
• Read and listen to what’s going on in the world - read the business section in newspapers, financial articles, and commentary from pro-active investors.