If you want to invest your money wisely, you may want to receive free stock market quotes in your daily e-mail so you can see what stocks are hot. Hopefully, you'll stumble onto some hot stocks to watch before you make the financial investment, and open up a stock account with that company.
Before you purchase any stocks from a new company, you must perform the necessary stock investment research so you are buying a stock that isn't going to take a nose dive the day after it has your money. With the economy the way it is, you want to make sure that when you purchase stock, it's value will hold up.
Unfortunately, there is always a risk when you invest in stocks so the stock investment research should be centered around long standing companies who have a viable business, and are happy to pay dividends to you and the other investors. You can google the hot stocks to watch, and then check out their dividend reports and set up an appointment with a stock broker to begin the investment process.