Basic advice from financial experts: Recognize that investing is not about instant gratification. “The general public is too short-term oriented. If people buy stock today, they want to know it will make money tomorrow,” said Pete Crane, financial adviser with Smith Barney in Silverdale. “You need to stay with it through good days and bad days if you recognize the company will grow.”

Don’t be fooled by “good deals.” Investors who try to react to fluctuations — selling when the prices are high and buying when they are low — may be successful, but may not. That strategy may be best for people who have money to burn. “Make sure the stock is a good value, no matter what the market is doing,” said Connie Rose, financial adviser with Edward Jones in Gig Harbor. “People who try to time the market and jump in an out often miss some of the best opportunities… It’s really a boring strategy — buying good quality investments and holding on to them for a long time… and also diversifying.” To understand if the stock is a good value, she suggests comparing the price to the company’s earnings per share.

Become educated. Even if you work with a financial adviser or invest into employer-sponsored retirement plans, you need at least basic understanding of how the stock market works. Many community colleges offer low-cost investing classes and seminars. “You don’t have to be a financial expert… But the more you know, the better off you are, whether you’re buying a home, a stereo system or an investment,” Crane said.

Take advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans. Ed Stern, senior vice president of investments at UBS in Poulsbo, suggests maximizing your contribution to those plans, such as 401k, before investing additional money into the stock market. “It’s one sure-fire, low-cost manner to take advantage of the markets’ ups and downs,” he said. The advantage has triple reasons: tax advantage through pre-tax deductions, employer contributions (which means immediate return on investment regardless of the market fluctuation), and overtime investment rather than a one-time, lump-sum investment that could be more risky.

Straighten out your finances before you start. Rose recommends looking at investments as a necessity, not something you would do if you had disposable income. Nonetheless, it’s smart to take care of consumer debt first, and create a “rainy-day” savings account for emergencies. “They’re saving themselves a lot of money by getting rid of the consumer debt first,” she said. “And building a savings account for emergencies is important so they don’t have to sell their investments when something comes up.”

Start somewhere, even if it’s a little. “It’s important to create the habit,” Rose said. “If all you can do is $50 a month, start with that. As you see success, it will encourage you to do more.” Even growing a savings account is a good way to learn discipline. “The (notion of saving) is more important than where you invest,” Crane said. “It’s important to learn to spend less than what you earn.”.