You can learn to invest even in a down market! To start with Investing 101 basics can really help though. For people who are considering getting into the market, or people who have been invested, say, in a retirement account, but feel that wit the recent downturn and losses, going back to basics to build a foundation of knowledge about the markets and investing can mean the difference between a financially secure future, and losing everything.

So, where to you start? Where can you find reliable information you can trust? And what are stock market basics you need to know?

Just an initial recommendation: Don't listen to the investing advice of ANYONE on television! The chattering heads on cable TV that you hear telling you to get into the market, stay invested for the long term, and so on, have never experienced a market like this one! Generally, they are offering you advice that may or may not apply in this market. It might seem easy to watch a television show and take the advice you hear, but don't do it until you have read and studied for yourself. Once you have your own understanding of how to invest, then you can decide whether what you're hearing makes sense to you. Don't just take it at face value: just because someone is on tee vee does not mean they know what they're talking about!

Instead, get started at your local library, examining the books and magazines, audio and video available to you. (The best books you'll want to add to your personal library!)  Of course there are tons of publications and materials about investing. However, many of the books you'll find today were written before the market downturn of 2008. Look for books written in 2008 and 2009 that describe better the situation we are in now: possibly slower growth, large debt burdens by consumers, and the fall of the housing market are all new scenarios that many investing books did not predict.

Begin your education in investing, and don't take anyone else's investing advice until you have a good handle on what you want for your financial future. Below I recommend some books and websites that can get you started on what will could be a financially secure future.

Once you're on the path to understanding more about investing and the markets, you have a wealth of resources available to you on the Web to help you monitor and track what's happening in today's market.

You will want to open a brokerage account to invest from.  Having a brokerage account gives you access not only to all manner of mutual funds, but also stocks, bonds, CDs, exchange-traded funds (EFTs) and other vehicles.  When you open your account, be sure to use money that you can afford to lose - the stock market is not a casino or a lottery!  There are many discount brokers with low fees and low minimums to open an account, below you'll find a list of some of the top brokerages.

There are also Web sites that provide you with a virtual trading platform - meaning, you get a virtual account, not real, with $5000 virtual dollars, and you can trade on paper before you have real money invested.  The Options Industry Council offers a free, virtual trading account where you can try your hand at stock and option investing.

Should you hire a broker?  First, until you have a significant amount of cash to invest, over $25,000 and referably more, you won't find many brokers interested in working with you. However, it's better to know what you're doing anyway, as many brokers lost money for their clients in the past year as well!  Someone else is never going to make decisions for you as well as you can. 

If you're trying to decide what to do with your money right now, it might be best to just wait - not rush into the market thinking you're missing an up move or a down move. If you are considering whether to keep your money in cash or stocks, it's best to hold cash until you have some good solid investment ideas. Having cash in your account also helps make sure you can take advantage of market changes without having to sell stocks or move money from mutual funds.

We've kind of gotten into the habit of rushing to invest because the market is shooting up, up, up. And while the first few months of 2009 have demonstrated some movement upwards, it is not at all clear that can be sustained. Know that there are always ways to make money in any market, and give yourself time, knowing you won't "miss" a good opportunity, you'll just move on to the next one.

Today's market is uncertain, and somewhat volatile. By taking the time to learn more about investing before you jump in, you can gain better perspective on what is going to work long term.