Stock Help?

Question

Ok, I'm an 18 year old with a small portfolio inherited from my grandma 8 years ago, I just put one of my stocks, Southern Company (SO) in reinvest dividend, it is the stock I own the most of and worth the most, I also put in 100 dollars a month to buy more shares of it, about 2.8 shares a month selling around $35 a share, I also have stock in Quest (Q) Alcatel Lucent (ALU) and Bristol Myers Squibb. (BMY) is there any way possible that i can go about with my tiny little portfolio having any unrealized income? or is that something that will come with a bigger portfolio much later

Answer 1

With stocks an increase in share value is unrealized income until you sell it.  Once you sell it becomes realized income.

As long as it is unrealized you don't have to do anything but watch it.  Once it is realized you must declare it as income.  (Hopefully it went up so you have income.)