Beginners rarely lose money because they picked the wrong stock. They lose it through a handful of repeatable mistakes. Here are the five classics.

One: buying because a price is rising. A stock that has already run up feels safe and exciting at exactly the moment it may be most expensive. Chasing heat means buying other people’s profits.

Two: selling because a price is falling. Markets drop regularly, and selling in a panic turns a temporary dip into a permanent loss. The investors who fare best are usually the ones who decided their plan before the storm, not during it.

Three: putting everything in one company. One bad earnings report, one scandal, one failed product can cut a single stock in half overnight. Spreading money across many companies — which funds do automatically — means no single failure can ruin you.

Four: ignoring fees. A one or two percent yearly fee sounds small until it compounds for thirty years, quietly eating a large share of what you could have earned. Costs are one of the few things in investing you can know in advance.

Five: investing money you will need soon. Money needed for next year’s house payment or next semester’s tuition does not belong in something that can be down 20% the month you need it. The market rewards time; it punishes deadlines.

None of these mistakes require bad luck. All five are habits — and habits can be changed before they get expensive.

This post is educational only and is not financial advice. Always do your own research or talk to a licensed advisor before investing.