I've been thinking of investing in stocks.

[Longgrain]

I came into a little extra money, and thought I'd make a small investment in the stock market...

Are there any small or inexpensive, "Blue" companies I should know about that could use my help?

[RoeBear]

1. You won't help

a company by buying their stock. Once a stock is issued you are buying it from another individual.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. If I were you, I'd buy gold

Wisest thing to do with the dollar on an ongoing tank.

[Longgrain]

3. Gold, I haven't thought about that.

Perhaps I should look into it.

[rogerashton]

5. Gold is a loser.

If you think the dollar is dying, look for a Euro area mutual fund.

(There's that word again!)

[fertilizeonarbusto]

6. That'll do too

I did both back in October when the dollar started looking bleak. Thank you so much again, Chimpy!

[shrike]

12. I'm buying a China fund

Very small to start. I'm very diversified -- everything from mutual funds to bonds to bank accounts -- so I'm not too worried.

Granted, my personal experience is very limited, but it seems to me every person I ever met who actually made money in the market and elsewhere knew when to get in, and when to get out. They didn't just plunk their money somewhere and watch it "grow." Which is not to diss compound interest -- I'm counting on compound interest, too -- but these folks always seem to know how to move their money around.

Of course, maybe I should be cynical and think these folks have inside information.

[rogerashton]

4. Buy a mutual fund.

For you yourself, an index fund would probably be best. However, there are mutual funds that concentrate on ethically sound companies. See e.g.

http://www.calvert.com/

http://www.domini.com/

http://www.socialinvest.org/areas/sriguide/mfpc.cfm

http://www.socialfunds.com/index.cgi

[TexasSissy]

7. If your goal is to make money, invest in a mutual fund.

Invest in a mutual fund that has a low expense ratio and no "load" (which is a sales fee, which you shouldn't be paying, when you buy a fund on your own and not through a broker).

You can decide on which fund, and buy it online directly through the mutual fund company. Like www.dodgeandcox.com or www.vanguard.com or www.fidelity.com or www.troweprice.com.

Investing in stocks is very tricky and time consuming. You have to be right twice - knowing what stock to buy, when, and for what price; THEN you have to know when to sell and at what price. Experts run mutual funds. Let them make those decisions. It takes a lot of time and expertise to keep track of stocks and know what you're doing.

www.morningstar.com is an excellent source for finding out about different mutual funds. You can buy an all-stock fund, a foreign fund, a global fund, a balanced fund (part stocks, part bonds), etc.

Also, note that you're not supposed to invest in stocks (whether individually or through mutual funds) using money that you will need in the near future (say, within five years). The stock market goes up and down, so it's best to invest using funds you will need more than five years in the future.

Good luck.

[Taxloss]

8. Unless you can find a small blue company that needs investment, don't buy

anything. Bonds might be better. But I know nothing.

[Longgrain]

10. Thanks, I used to own stocks.

But I don't know too much about the market except it's not looking good. I bailed out earlier this summer, probably a good thing I did, but I'm thinking about getting back in again...I'm just looking for the best investment for my dollar before it's totally worthless.

[Taxloss]

11. Remember that buying stock is also buying a political system.

A political system based on remote ownership and capital monopoly. Unless the company is so small that you can see your investment working, it is an unwise political action - a "vote of confidence" in a rickety and decaying economic mindset based on greed and personal enrichment over the workers.

Just my $0.02

[rogerashton]

14. I wish I could agree with that.

I agree with the judgment that our political economic system is based on remote ownership and capital monopoly, and would wish to see it succeeded by a political economic system that would (seriously attempt to) adopt cooperative solutions for mutual benefit for all.

I doubt that it will happen soon, and meanwhile, we have to live in the one we got.

[Taxloss]

15. You may have to live in it, you don;t have to endorse it.

[thoughtanarchist]

9. If you're just starting out, and it's "a little"

extra money, look at Vanguard or Fidelity index funds, preferably in a Roth IRA.

Getting started is tough. The trick is to keep your costs down and these are the cheapest ways to invest that I've found.

Motly Fool has great advice for getting started.

www.fool.com

[Name removed]

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