When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. All too often, we see these same people start out investing with dreams of getting rich overnight. Sure this is possible, but it is also rare, as very few of these investors are successful. So as you can see this mindset is usually a very bad idea to start out with.

Now if you truly want to set up investing for the long haul for some later life events, such as funding a college education, purchasing a home, or retirement, you got a couple of options to chose from. However before you look at that, please consider the following.The problem is it seems like many people are not getting to the core reason behind investing.The core reason in investing is to make money with the lest amount of work possible. So for most people this seems like easy money or passive income. Guess what, it isn't that easy or passive. It takes work and time. So please keep this in mind while considering how you want to invest for life.

So before you start, lets look at how it all works. To begin, please understand that there many different methods of investing. Now keep in mind, you do not need to invest in high-risk stocks and risk all your hard earned money, if you don't want to. You can just as easily invest your money in ways that are very safe, and which will show a decent return over a long time period.

One such method would be with bonds. Bond certificates are similar to Certificates of Deposit. But instead of being made out by banks, bonds are issued by the Government. Now there are various types of bonds that you can purchase, so depending on the type of bond certificates that you buy, your initial investment could double or more over a specific time period. So if you aren't quite ready to take the risks involved with mutual funds or stocks, at the very least you could invest in bond certificates that are guaranteed by the Government.

Next we have Mutual funds. Mutual funds are a bit riskier than bond certificates, but for the most part are still relatively safe. Mutual funds Basically exist whenever a group of investors arrange their money collectively to purchase stocks, bonds, or other investments. This can sort of off set the risk of investing by yourself.

Finally we have Stocks. Stocks, of course, are even riskier than Mutual funds. However stocks are a different vehicle for long term investments that allow for risk. Basically shares of stocks are shares of ownership in the company you are investing in. So when the company does well financially, the value of your stock climbs. On the other hand, if a company is doing badly, your stock value drops. So when purchasing stocks be sure you pick out stocks that are well proved.

So what to do to begin investing. First off realize that investing requires more than just jumping on the phone and calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds right now. So before you invest a single penny, really think of what you hope to achieve with your investment.

Seriously before you jump right in, it is always best to ask some questions like the following:

How can I find out more about investing and how it all works?

What are my goals for investing?

What do I hope to achieve with my investments?

Funding a college education?

Purchasing a home?

Retiring?

Knowing what your goal is, will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully. Don't short yourself. Go ahead and set up the investment plan you want and feel will fit in with your lifestyle. Then you should go and see a financial planner before making any investments. This way your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing. As there is always the risk of losing your money! The crucial point is to do your research before investing your money for long term gain.

The best investment of them all. The best investment that you will make will be investing in your own business. Also the best type of business even in this recession is an online business. Now does this mean you shouldn't invest? No, not at all. See the point is a lot of people are missing the options available in investing in your own business as opposed to the more traditional forms of investing. So if you finally and truly want to take control of your life and make an impact then consider starting you Internet Marketing Business. However keep in mind that just like traditional investments you still need to do your research and make sure you can make it work.

The reasons for this are many, here are just a few.

* You will usually have a low or no cost to getting started.

* This can be used to help leverage your income

* In most cases you have control over how your money is spent.

* You get to choose the direction the company is going.

* You can even change markets if you wish to.

* You can even give yourself a raise every year if you wish.

* You can also add to you product line as well.

So in addition to considering "more traditional forms of investing, you may find online businesses an investment beyond your wildest dreams.

So would you like to start investing in the best life long investment? Then let me ask you a question.