A feature of any stock market that further complicates matters is the fact that there are several prices for any one stock. You really need to be sure which price you are referring to if you are going to fully understand the stock market. While the opening and closing prices clearly refer to the price at the opening or closing of the stock exchange each day the bid and ask ones perhaps are not so obvious. Of course if you are consolidating bills from credit cards you will probably find that the lower interest rate will make a huge saving in both the monthly repayment and the overall cost of the loan. Just don't make assumption though. Check it out carefully. It's your cash that we are talking about here and no one will take care of it better than you. Obviously you don't want to lose it but if you absolutely can't afford to then you should look for something which carries a significantly lower level of risk. Likewise it's important to feel comfortable knowing that you should be investing in the markets for the medium to long term. That's generally regarded as 5 years plus. The analytical skills you need in selecting a suitable investment are the same ones you will be required to apply in the workplace. When you decide to begin investing it is necessary to examine your attitude to risk. You need to consider whereabouts on the risk versus reward scale you fit to make sure you feel comfortable with your choice of investment. Hamilton founded the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in the late 18th century where it was joined around fifty years later by what is now the American Stock Exchange. Both the NYSE and Amex remain on Wall Street to this day. Throughout the history of stock trading there have been many stories of huge successes such as the Dutch East India Company. It's an especially useful service if you're not a home owner but you have debts that you can no longer manage. You simply let the bill consolidation service contact your creditors and agree lower monthly or weekly repayments on your behalf. Now I guess at this point you're thinking hey, I could do that myself.