Five guidelines for building a stock portfolio

SO, YOU are ready to supercharge your savings by diving into the stock market. Kudos on taking your first leap to secure your financial future and boost your retirement funds.

But how exactly do you begin to build your stock portfolio? Are growth stocks the way to go, or should you focus on reliable blue-chip stocks that pay dividends? Dividend stocks can provide you with a steady stream of passive income to supplement the income from your job. But do not expect too much capital growth.

You also do not have to choose between growth and dividends. You could have a mixture of growth, blue-chip and dividend stocks to enjoy the benefits of each type of stock.