re: Stock newbie here

Stocks under $5, as has been pointed out here, are penny stocks.

Penny stocks are for chumps.

You want a balance of investments in Dow Dogs, utilities, municipal bonds funds, and steady mutual funds that don't charge a fee.

Mining stocks are very volatile. You can buy them at their low points and sell them at their high points.

Avoid buying stocks that don't pay a dividend.

Always set your buy at a price just a little lower than you think the stock will fall and be patient. Usually, the stock price will fall on a dip.

Here's a stock I own that is priced reasonably and cheap--KCAP. It pays a killer dividend.