Each week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the things to know if you want to fly solo in the sharemarket. Hosted by Frances Cook.

Just getting started always seems to be the hardest part.

So it is with shares. I receive plenty of messages from listeners who tell me that they'd like to buy some, but don't know where to start.

Many people say they would rather do it themselves, rather than ease in with a funds manager.

That's fair enough; I also enjoy the DIY approach.

It's easy enough to do the technical parts, with many beginners setting up a trading account with one of the banks, or opting for a low cost option like SmartShares or Sharesies.

But the trick is actually what to do from there.

Because when you want to go it alone, you do have to be sure you've done your homework. There's nobody there to clean up the mess if you get ahead of yourself.

I talked to Shareclarity managing director Daniel Kieser for the latest Cooking the Books podcast.

We discussed whether a rookie can get into shares, the most important things to watch out for, and the way to protect yourself when you're just starting out.

For the interview, listen to the podcast above.

If you have a question about this podcast, or an idea for the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.