Another thing for you to keep in mind is that you should shop around for the best deal. And don't hesitate to haggle a bit with the banks and loan companies. Play them off against each other. No matter how good their offer sounds always tell them that you will need to think about it. That not only does that make you sound financially responsible but it allows you to go back to other lenders and say hey I've been offered this by ABC Bank can you beat it? That is because the truth is that even the most prudent investments carry a degree of risk with them. If you don't feel comfortable with the possibility of losing your money then it's more than likely that the stock market isn't for you. The next step in getting started is to make certain that you understand the need to leave your money invested for a reasonable period of time. Now to actually get a bad credit debt consolidation loan you're going to have to convince the bank or loan company that they really are going to be benefiting. Just telling them that they will make more money in the long run won't cut it. You need to present a well thought out case as to why it makes sense to consolidate your existing loans. 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. To answer their question of "what is the first step to investing?" really requires a question in return because it is important to find out the kind of investment they mean. We need to know which types of investment they are considering when they ask "what is the first step to investing? To select your company you need to look out for some important points. Do they have a good record of helping people for example? Have you been referred to them by someone you know and trust? Are they non-profit or a profit making company? As with any other major decision you should do some checks to make certain you are doing the right thing.