Of course this is the age of the internet so as an alternative to books you can search for financial and stock market terminology online. The important thing to bear in mind with this is that you should only use reputable and trusted sources. Remember that the 'net is unregulated and anyone can put up a site without bothering to check their facts. " is one of the most common questions that new investors ask. They know having investments for a better future is a good idea but what they really want answered is "how do I start?". Investing like anything else is a skill which has to be learned and the good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to learn it. It's not just the self discipline of course there are many other skills you will learn. The analytical skills you need in selecting a suitable investment are the same ones you will be required to apply in the workplace. When you decide to begin investing it is necessary to examine your attitude to risk. That's not to say that you can't invest without learning about the stock market but it will be a far riskier proposition. You don't need to know every last detail about how the markets operate but knowing the basics will enable you to spot potential problems far more easily. There are a number of different ways of learning about the stock market and you should choose one which is best suited to your own particular learning style. So you can see that just like an auction where there are a lot of people who want what is on offer the price will increase to reflect that demand. Once you have grasped the concept of how the stock market works you can then begin to look at how to spot in advance whether there will be a rise or fall in demand for those stocks and shares that you are interested in. For some they will only sleep well if they are almost risk free while others are equally comfortable with some of the riskiest options known to man. Just remember that there is no right or wrong there is only right for the individual concerned. As part of assessing your own comfort level you will want to feel comfortable that you can afford to risk losing the money that you are planning to invest.