sharebuilder
If your really looking to invest this is the place for one reason, stocks and bonds are longterm investments if your young (18-45) and the buy and hold startegy is the benchmark for the S&P 500.
If you have at least 20 years till 65 then well researched and chosen stocks held for a maximum time will consistently perform strongly. Just remember that really investment value is measured in years or decades, not days and weeks.
Also, invest in a copy of
"The Intelligent Investor", its the definative guid to common sense investing that has always proven strong results over longer periods.
However, take all this with a grain of salt. In many cases, it's a much greater investment to find a real investment house/ person and work with a well educated professional to slowley work towards a goal. Just keep in mind that the best investmenty houses are the ones that don't have to come advertising for your money. Many even refuse to run websites, since the cost of running one is passed to the investor by means of higher fee's. many also don't want to work with "get rich quick" guys or day traders. After all, as Benjamin Graham said it, "The average person can only fool themselves for at most several years before realizing they do not possses enough knowledge to acuratly pick indivigual stocks."
Try to find a fund or investment house with fees of less than .5% if you choose a firm by the way.
Best of luck.