Getting started with investing is best done at an early age. A good model to follow is Tiger Woods. Credit his parents for that. Many written and unwritten stories about how a successful investor started but not too many really read or heard about them. Probably, not too many of those who read or heard about them learned anything at all and not too many of those who learned a little bit of how to get started with investing put into action what little they have learned. You really can not blame any of them either. There is just not enough money to invest and many are deep in debt.
The advice for those who are at the age of Tiger Woods when he started learning to play golf is to stay in school. Find out your passion while in school. Before you can become independent you must be dependent on your parents and your teachers for guidance towards independence. If golf is your passion like Tiger go for it. If computer and software is your passion like Bill Gates go for it. Otherwise, stay in school until you find your passion. Maybe you need to finish a college degree so that you will not end up just flipping burgers or staying with your mom and dad. You really need to have a good source of income to get started in investing.
Once you have a good source of income you are on the road to independence. Get started with investing. As soon as you qualify for a mortgage loan buy a house or a condo instead of renting an apartment. You probably have an excellent debt-to-income ratio and real state brokers would like to have you as a client. Before you get involved with a real state broker, look for somebody, who will look after your interest more than the broker. Your dad would be a good candidate.
If you work in a company offering 401k, this is a good start in a variety of investments such as stock funds, value funds, index funds, bond funds and your own company stock fund. Separate from the 401k investment is an IRA investment, where funds invested here are tax deferred just like the 401k. Investing in a house or condo would be the best decision you ever made as a start in investments because it gives you a tax shelter and the value of the real state increases at a rate you can never imagine.
For minor league players in individual stock investing, it is best started on-line. Try sharebuilder.com and you will find out what I am talking about.