They know that investing in the stock market can be a great way to secure their financial future but they are just a little unsure how to go about it. To answer their question of "what is the first step to investing?" really requires a question in return because it is important to find out the kind of investment they mean. Poor credit isn't necessarily a barrier to you getting a loan to consolidate your debt as the companies understand your situation. There does though have to be an explanation when you apply for a loan for debt consolidation. Poor credit requires you to explain how you came to be in arrears and, just as importantly, why things are going to be different now. A non profit consolidation organization would, on the face of it, seem a better choice than a bill consolidation service run by a profit making company wouldn't it? Well the answer is yes and no. Let me explain. There is no guarantee that an organization offering bill consolidation services will be any better just because they're non profit. 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. If for example you prefer to learn by watching you could invest in DVDs in preference to buying a book. One way which is becoming increasingly popular is to learn by attending seminars. See what I meant when I said they don't care about you? Of course from your point of view you are probably going to be benefiting by having lower repayments, less worry and you'll get your credit history back on track. So it's win-win. Now to actually get a bad credit debt consolidation loan you're going to have to convince the bank or loan company that they really are going to be benefiting. It was to London that the first American Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, turned when he wanted to begin development of economic power in the New World. Hamilton founded the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in the late 18th century where it was joined around fifty years later by what is now the American Stock Exchange.