i am very interested in investing my money into stock, real estate, etc. i have been trying to go to schwabb and navy federal credit union to get the basics to get started, but they aren't taking me seriously. the investment advisor from NFCU won't even return my calls/emails. i don't have much now but i WILL have much very soon! any advice on how to start? who to invest with? what to keep in mind? thanks sooo much and God bless!

I am bump this want to learn as well!!

I'm an investor. I decided not to go through a firm for lots of reasons, but mainly because at the time I didn't think I had enough money to 'invest.' I ended up sitting down with a few pals, sharing ways we manage money. I committed to developing my own portfolio.

Save aggressively = 10% off the top, every payday, no excuses.
Invest in my retirement account to match the free money--I think I'm currently doing about 3% before taxes
Save more = I have a mutual fund that draft $50 a month into that investment account.
Play savings = vacations, fun larger purchases = $100 a month
I have an account with Sharebuilder and subscriptions to Smart Money & Money Magazine (I prefer Smart Money--a bit easier to read for beginners). Sharebuilder lets you buy fractional stock which makes the process easier for beginners.

I've made some mistakes and lost a lot (Washington Mutual was highly recommended 6 months before the banks fell in 2008; I didn't get out fast enough! Ugh!). I'm comfortable enough to take a few risks (I bought 2 shares of FB, it's performed horribly, but I'm hanging on to it for now).

My stock portfolio includes a mix of things but I tend to stay on a theme after reading and thinking about my goals.

I have Dupont stock--my dad worked there 40 years, the company helped me buy my first car, they make nonstick stuff for pans, kevlar (used in police vests) and stuff for the now defunct space program. Solid company.
Mattel--toy companies continue to perform well even in recessions.
Hormel & Kraft - also recession safe--folks are eating a lot more of their affordable products these days.
Google, Microsoft & Apple--also solid tech companies.
Proctor & Gamble-lots of household products that people need
Comcast Cable--the mags said it's performed well over the long haul, it has.
Ford Motors--they came back strong after the bailout.
Facebook--we'll see how it goes over the long haul.
International Money Marketing account.

There are few others that I hold but don't actively buy. I definitely recommend taking a small amount and trying it out. Read up on things, look up the stocks and see how they've performed over the long term. My little portfolio has done very well over the last 5 years, much better than the market has and I started with about $50. I regularly put money in, but I now have about $10K in the market.

I would say, pick a few things, get a sharebuilder account and try it out. My friends and I get together every now and then and check in and I occasionally work with a financial planner to make sure I'm on track with goals.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info! I too have been interested in investing but didn't really know where to start. I already invest up to the max my employer will match in my 401k. I subscribe to black enterprises magazine also, they have a lot of information about building wealth and savings. Unfortunately this year I misused my credit cards and I'm paying that off before I can start back saving and then maybe I'll get serious about investing. I already own my house though. Is the share builder account free?

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Last relaxer november 2011
Big chopped august 3,2012

There are fees based on how many trades per month you are interested in. I think the first couple of trades are free. ING Direct bought Sharebuilder last year. Definitely check it out, just a little bit at a time will get you to your goals.

I would definitely also recommend reading some stuff by Suzie Orman and there's also several great books about investing for women. Definitely get your info from multiple sources and make informed decisions.

wow, alotta info! thanks so much! i opened up a share certificate today, in hopes of saving before i start investing.

CD are also a low risk option, be sure to shop around for good rates. They are good to have access to liquid funds but are preserved so you aren't supposed to touch them for a while. ING's rates aren't all that great on short term cds at the moment, but if you are thinking long term, they are great.

Also don't forget about good old fashioned savings bonds. I have a bunch of those in case of emergency. They mature quickly and continue to earn interest! Every little but helps!

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i opened mine with navy federal credit union, it is 4% APY and 3.96% APR. is that good? lol

Actually it's really good. How long did you go in for?

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For personal savings I am doing the 52 week finacial challenge and saving spare change & dollars. I haven't started investing yet but I would like to open an Roth IRA by next year. I would suggest www.stocktrading.com, www.tradeking.com ($4.95/trade) or www.optionshouse.com ($3.95/trade) for investing options. Another option is enrolling in a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) sign up at directinvesting.com for $25. It allows you to automatically reinvest dividends into more shares of stock with little or no brokerage fees.