One key to using direct-investment plans successfully is keeping track of the financial statements you get in the mail.
Organization is critical.
Record keeping If you're new to direct investing, resist the temptation to buy a dozen stocks at once. You may find yourself buried under a pile of financial statements. Set up a record-keeping system that makes sense to you. You'll need to file and keep track of statements that show the number of shares purchased directly or by dividend reinvestment, the price per share and the date. Cherish the year-end statement.