text: how does one get over the fear of investing in stocks... i am risk averse and prefer a cd instead.?   start small. set aside a portion of cash/savings you are willing to risk. it is highly unlikely you will much or all of its value, especially if you invest in a large corporation like coca cola or anheuser busch. buy a book or books (or research on the web) 'how to invest in the stock market" so you become familiar w/ investing terms.    open an account w/ a broker such as e-trade or ameritrade, its easier than you think, and transfer the money into the account. its free and i am pretty sure that uninvested money earns interest (not much 2-3%). now where these brokers make their money is when you buy and sell stocks. e-trade charges 14.99 for each trade regardless if its 1 stock or 100, so be careful, especially if your nor investing a whole lot of money, you don't lose your 'profit' to commissioning fees. if you buy stock you should carefully research the company you are buying into and be prepared to hold on to that stock for the long term. short term fluctuations in the stock (especially losses) can make you nervous and may make you want to 'cut your losses'. stick with your choice.    i was like you about the stock market. the majority of my investments are in mutual funds and bonds. i invest in the market as a 'hobby', its fun to track your stocks and try to beat out the big guys. i have made money over the last few years (still gotta keep the day job though) and have learned a few lessons the hard way.   1) don't 'risk' more than your comfortable with to start. if you can't sleep because your worried about your yahoo stock, your in too deep.   2) open a brokerage account. if you are really nervous use an established brokerage house like td waterhouse or merrill lynch, though they want a large opening stake, usually around $5g, to open an account. they will offer advice on stocks but the brokers don't always have your best interest in mind. i use e-trade and read the wall street journal (because i'm cheap and think i know it all).   3) have fun and good luck!  paul