January seems rather a long time ago now – and with it many so does people’s resolution to start buying shares in 2026.

But it is not too late. Nor is it necessarily a bad time to do so this November.

Yes, many investors are worried about the prospect of a stock market crash, but in reality nobody ever knows for sure when the next crash will happen. In today’s market I reckon there are still long-term bargains to be found.

So, say someone had a spare £500 and wanted to start buying shares this month. Here is how they might go about it.

Getting ready to invest

First would be putting that money into an account that enabled them to buy shares.

That might be a share-dealing account, Stocks and Shares ISA or trading app.

Fees and commissions including minimum charges can eat into returns, especially on a relatively modest sum like £500. so it makes sense to shop around and compare options.

Before you start buying shares, it is also important to get to grips with some key market concepts like how to value shares. Another is diversification – even with £500, it is important not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Finding shares to buy

What might £500 buy you? Possibly more than you think.

For example, consider the UK’s three biggest listed companies by market capitalisation: Shell, HSBC and AstraZeneca.

As I write today (4 November), their share prices are around £38.67, £13.15 and £138.74, respectively.

Splitting £500 roughly in three, that could fund one share in AstraZeneca, 12 in HSBC and four in Shell. The bill for that would be around £451, before commissions and fees.

All three pay dividends. Still, are they the right shares to buy now?

Deciding your own investing strategy

The answer to that will vary by investor.

Certainly, those three companies feature in many portfolios. But different investors have a different strategic focus between growth and income. They also each have their own risk tolerance.

Only you can decide what you think is best for you in building your portfolio, though there are plenty of places to get good inspiration.

Here’s a share to consider!

For example, one share I think merits investors’ consideration in today’s market is FTSE 100 insurer Aviva (LSE: AV).

The company is the nation’s biggest general insurer, giving it economies of scale. It benefits from a well-known brand, long-established businesses and deep underwriting experience.

Over five years, the Aviva share price has grown 87%.

The firm cut its dividend in 2020 – always a risk with any dividend-paying share – but in recent years has been growing it steadily. The dividend yield now stands at 5.4%.

When starting to buy shares, it can be dangerously easy to focus on the positives and overlook the risks. That is a potentially costly error. All investments carry risk.

For example, Aviva’s sale of much of its overseas business in recent years has strengthened its UK focus, but increased the risk associated with that. If the UK insurance market enters a period of heavy price competition, that threatens to hurt Aviva’s profitability.

Taking the long-term approach to investing, though, I see lots to like in this FTSE 100 share.

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Christopher Ruane does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.