Good luck. I am in the UK so I have never heard of CRamer but I see there is a forum on Elitetrader that discusses/castigates him. Seems the best research is your own and the best decisions are your own so don't follow "tips" WALL STREET Forum on Elitetrader. http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=70718:
No need to apologize. Ignorance is the initial default for everybody. You are asking the right questions. You can learn just about everything you ever wanted to know about ETF's right here: http://www.etfconnect.com/ or http://finance.yahoo.com/etf/education or http://www.ishares.com. Beware of those that will undoubtedly wish to share with you the secrets to making 500% returns per week for only $199. Take care...
Thank you both for your truthful and very useful information. I will heed cautiously when venturing into this investing world and I believe toby os right in saying my best opinions are the ones of my own. Especially my first opinions. Being only months into this new world, it could get very confusing and there is a potential is either loosing or making alot of money. Everyday I study, I learn something different. This evening it was online brokers and what they have to offer. My study guides are MSNMoney, CNBC, BarChart, Yahoo Finance and they all cover investing topics extensively. What I havent done yet is interact with the vets such as you and I appreciate the time youhave given me thus far. Im sure more questions will come but for right now, I thank you again foer the information, I will use it deligently on my road to smart investing.
If your company offers a 401K with reasonable choices (e.g. some diversified funds and not just stock in the company itself) and offers a matching contribution, that should probably be your first priority.
No, here it is a trading world. So stick with keeping your cash in a savings account and just use your fantasy to give youself a nice warm glow when you go to bed each night.