Thinking about starting your portfolio? Or maybe you’re already a small time investor looking for a little more education. Either way, there’s no shame in not knowing all the ins and outs of markets. And sometimes, just getting familiar with the most basic concepts is all you need to make you feel more comfortable investing.

With that in mind we’ve got 5 investing basics to start you off:

1.       OWNING A COMPANY (OR AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF ONE)

When you purchase a share on the stock market you may ask, what am I actually buying? You know your money has gone somewhere, but other than some documentation you don’t get much back. So it’s a good question to ask.

The answer: You own a percentage of the company (or companies) of the stock that you just bought.

If a company has 100 shares and you buy 50, you own 50% of that company.

If you buy 10, you own 10%.

If you buy 1, you own 1%.

You’ll usually own much, much smaller percentages than that, but no matter how much you own, if you have a share you have a legal stake in that company.

2.       THE MARKETS CAN GO UP AND DOWN

One of the greatest myths of the stock market is that they usually go in one direction, up. We can very much bust that myth and tell you they also go down.

Over days, weeks, months, and years the markets can move in both directions. This is important to bear in mind to avoid nasty surprises.

Read more: Dollar-cost averaging

3.       DIVIDENDS

You’ve probably heard of dividends, and you’re definitely forgiven for not knowing what they are.

Dividends are a portion of a company’s earnings, paid to their shareholders. Usually a way for shareholders to enjoy company profits.

If you own 10 shares of a company, and they pay a dividend of $1 per share, you get $10 ($1 x 10)

Read more: What is a dividend?

4.       INVESTING IS FOR EVERYONE

You’d be forgiven for thinking that you need a fancy suit and a degree in finance to invest in the stock market. However, you don’t. Anyone can invest in publicly listed companies, because they are as the name suggests, public! Just like kicking a ball around with your mates on a public oval.

We suggest you do your research and think about your personal situation before making any investment decision. With apps like Raiz around anyone can invest, any time they want, with as little as $5.

Read More: Unique Ways to Invest with Raiz

5.       ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY

This isn’t the Wolf of Wall Street, and sadly we’re not Leonardo DiCaprio. When most people invest they don’t do it to get rich quick. Building a portfolio and letting it grow takes time, but like much of life, good things come to those who wait…

… but don’t wait until tomorrow to start investing. Now you know the basics you can start building your portfolio today!