First and foremost identify a financial adviser and a good CPA. Demand they get to know one another, remember, they work for you. Listen to your FA however, listen to your own gut feel since if anybody looses in this game it’s you. I currently use an individual from the EDJ however, I personally despise their online portal. It does not track the traded securities in a real-time fashion where one can determine what’s working and what’s not. I rolled over a small portion of an IRA and opened an individual account to perform several of my own trades a few years back. Most refer to that as “Day Traders” which I view as people shooting from the hip and see what sticks. Those types fall to the waist side rapidly in disappointment. The platforms of choice have been Ameritrade and E-Trade. The support for these 2 platforms are very good so my advise is to use them often. Don’t worry about asking dumb questions as I’m sure these guys have heard it all, besides they want your business.
Take a few hundred dollars and dabble with penny stocks, learn the various screens and access the analyst recommendations. However, nothing can substitute your own knowledge when it comes to investing, so find means to increase your awareness of good companies to invest in and avoid the fly-by-night operations that fold as fast as they open. DO NOT think and/or view this as a “Get Rich Quick” scheme, save that for the Lottery.