Invest in your own financial success! Even with all the ups and down, the stock market is still one of the best places to invest your money, especially if you're willing to stay in the market for a while. This helpful guide is the next best thing to a personal stock broker, taking you step by step through the exciting but often overwhelming process of stock investing, helping even the most novice investor feel like a veteran trader. In it, you get: A primer on the stock market, how it works today, the different ways you can invest in it, and the risks associated with each. A comparison of investing versus trading, including day trading, and tips for building a diversified stock portfolio. Advice on finding and evaluating the financial statements, industry climate, and other information for a company offering stock before you invest. Guidance on finding a broker or going it alone, ordering stock, maximizing your investment, and minimizing your chances for loss. Pointers for evaluating how your stocks are performing, assessing the strength of your portfolio, and making adjustments to both.