It is really the question of only that because with Certificates of Deposit, your principal is assured by the government; you are never going to lose that. It all boils down to getting the highest CD rate possible. One of the things that can help you is to check out which of the CDs gives you the highest rate using online research. Crash of stock market prices can be expected from time to time as markets correct themselves following false highs but what happened that October began an economic downturn that lasted for years. Starting on the Thursday October 24th, 1929 crash of stock market confidence became even worse on the following Monday and Tuesday. " Many newcomers to the world of investments think only of stocks and shares but there are of course many more options out there. Some of which are possibly far better for beginners. For anyone looking to get started with investing they need to consider whether they will be investing a lump sum or regular monthly payments. Whichever one you decide on it is always a good idea to paper trade first. That is where you decide on a particular stock and only place the order on paper. This will help you to see if you are happy with the market fluctuations as well as with the types of choices either you or your adviser made. Take all these steps and you have the answer to your question "how do I get started in the stock market? A little bit of effort could save you thousands and that's money in your pocket. Take your time and speak to licensed debt counsellors from as many places as you can find. While a couple of extra days won't make much difference at this stage they could add months or even years on to the length of your repayment schedule. Whatever type of investment you decide on ensure that it suits your personality in terms of risk. If you hate anything risky then ultra high risk bond markets are definitely not for you! Go for something that will get you the returns you are after but which also let you sleep at night. The next point we need to look at is whether you will be making your own decisions on where to invest or getting a professional in to do the job for you.