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1. How To Make A Killing On Squidoo Without Spending A Dime.
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Stocks can be a great investment for the beginning investor. A lot of novice investors ask "What do I invest in?". The answer really is quite simple. Where do you shop? What do you eat, drink, play with? What kind of car do you drive?

I realize I am answering the question with several more questions but the point is, it's important to look around you and realize where you are spending your money. When you spend your money, you are supporting one company or another. If you buy a lot of Coca Cola, maybe you want to invest in Coke(KO). If you drive a Toyota(TM), then maybe you want to invest in that company. This is always the first step.

The great thing about stocks is investing in them now couldn't be easier. Many online brokerages offer amazing prices on trades like Scottrade which only charges $7 per trade.

Another great thing about stocks is that some of them pay dividends. That is, the company rewards loyal stockholders with a return on their investment depending on how profitable the company was in the most recent quarter. These dividends can then be re-invested in the stock, thus compounding your money over time. This is usually called a DRIP (Dividend Re-Investment Program).

Lastly, how do you know an investment is a good one. This is where it gets a little trickier. In order to determine if an investment is good, you need to factor in several things. First, does the company make money? In other words, are they profitable or are they hemorrhaging cash? Do they have a large amount of debt? Is the company aggressively buying back it's own stock? Finding out the answers to these questions is as easy as going to http://finance.yahoo.com and typing in the symbol. Here they list everything you need to know about the finances of a public company.

There are other ways to invest in stocks that don't put you at as much risk to the ebb and flow of the market as well. ETFs or Exchange Traded Funds are sort of like mutual funds. They are a basket of stocks that are all the same type of stock. The benefit of ETFs is that you get a broader exposure to certain sectors of the market without risking your money in just one stock. It's an easy way of diversifying your portfolio.

Other investment vehicles include small businesses, franchises or the newest way to get a return on your investment is http://www.prosper.com. Prosper.com is a community lending services by which any individual can loan their money at a rate they choose.

When most people start out trying to save money for their retirement, they immediately think Savings Account. This is a problem.

Savings Accounts offer some of the lowest ROI (Return on Investment) around. Typically they pay annual returns of just 2%. Did you know that no other investment has had a better run in a 20 year period than the stock market? Sure there have been crashes and the infamous "Dot Bomb" in 2000, but in any 20 year period the stock market has outperformed almost any other investment vehicle. Housing, at least in states like California has done better.

The other problem with traditional savings accounts is the availability of the funds. There is always a temptation to use the money once you have put it away. I'm not saying you should never use savings accounts, but they should have a clear and specific purpose. Suze Orman and David Bach both talk about the "automatic" investment. The most popular choice is the 401k your work may offer you as part of your benefits package. This is a great way to put away cash because it goes into your account pre-tax AND your employer usually matches to a certain percentage. That's literally FREE money.

Some will tell you 401k plans aren't good because you can lose your money...while technically that is true, it's very unlikely if you keep on top of it. Which goes back to my point that you must still do your research for any investment you plan to use. Again, as with dividend paying stocks, the mutual funds you invest in a 401k can sometimes pay dividends, plus if you are putting away 6-10% of your paycheck each time, the money adds up quickly. Much more quickly than if you were just putting that away in a savings account. Remember with your employer matching dollar for dollar, you are doubling your money EVERY time you deposit it.

In closing, keep in mind that any investment has risks and you should always consider the suitability of those risks compared with the return you expect. For more information on investing in stocks read my blog at http://theproficientinvestor.com