How Should You Stock Your Beginner Investment Portfolio?

With stock market news dominating the headlines of late -- Dow up 1,000-plus points, Dow down 1,000-plus points -- it's hard not to get bitten by the investing bug and want to get in on the action. And that's a good thing because this wealth-building tool isn't only available to the wealthy or to the experienced. It's easier now than ever to try your hand at investing.

To do it right, you'll need a bit more than a dollar and a dream, but the odds are good that you're much more likely to meet or even outperform the market than you are to win the lottery. Having some basic knowledge about how it works is a good starting point.

Let's go through some of the basics of what you will need for a solid investment portfolio and how to pick your first stocks for it.

Source Fool.com