How do I invest safely with little money?

I wanna invest about 500 or so to start, I know it won't make me a millionare but I do want to see some return, the bigger the better of course, but I don't want to just throw the money away either. Any suggestions?

If I were you, I would only own one or two stocks max. I would own a utility (DUK, SE, HNP, FPL) because they are going to benefit from rate cuts and they have very healthy dividends and they will NEVER go out of business.

I would also own a Dow stock. Maybe try PG. It's a recession-proof company with solid management and great earnings growth.

In closing, I would go with DUK and PG as my picks. I would buy them until you owned 100 of each and then diversify from there.

Invest cautiously. Do your homework & don't just settle!

you are sharp,really,but i really appreciate you.besides,i want you to realize that $5oo is not a micro sum to invest.and if u wanna get profit by investing,then you're gonna believe yourself,believe your vision.there are so many investment tips,but i believe one line,that is even the seemed most gorgeous company can eat your money without return,also even the seemed most nasty company can make money.all you should do next is just to research and make a survey about the few companies you are most interested in,then throw money into,i believe there'll be a big return in the corner.good luck

best bet again r us treasury i bonds, bought in dominations of 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 pay a set rate plus and inflation rider, adjust evey 6 months, comparable to cds and money markets, most banks handle them, you can buy and sell at ur local bank. tax free till you cash them, 30 year term, thats y buy them in various dominations if u need cash, cash what u need and let the rest sit. negatives, cant cash out for first 6 months, loss of 3 months interest if cashed in first 5 years. other than that safe and secure, good way to start and if ur world flips after 6 months u can get out what u need gl.

I would start with a good cheap trading company like scottrade and familiarize yourself to the markets. Watch the market for a couple of weeks and see how it reacts to news and other things. Research some companies that you know... if your into sports try ***** Sporting Goods, Under Armor, Nike, etc. If your into tech, try Apple, Microsoft, VMWare, Intel, etc. If your into vices.. try Altria, if your into beer, try Ann-Heisuer Busch (spelling), and if your into good ketchup.. try Heinz. Either way, the best way to get started is invest in something you know.. have fun, good luck.. remember - its only money.. be thankful you dont have a disease.

I suggest that you look for the best company you can find, the kind of company Warren Buffet would invest in. Buy this company's shares and hold them for a long, long time.

The only way you can make money with $500 is by trading as little as possible. Every time you buy or sell stock, you have to pay a fee to the stock broker. And those fees will easily outweigh any of your gains, if you buy and sell a lot.

If $500 is your savings and your only savings then you need to put it in a high interest savings account or a CD. You need to have a cash cushion on hand for emergencies.

Remember any investments you make will require fees. Fees to buy and fees to sell. CDs and savings accounts usually don't have fees.

Do not invest in stocks. Too risky for beginner. You may lose your money.

Better try to invest in someones business. You may receive up to 20% guaranteed interest a year.
You will not get such high returns on stocks, mutual funds, bonds or CD's.
If you invest $500 at 20% APY, you will get back $1,244 in 5 years.

Some of the European banks pay 8% to 14% a year (3-5 years deposits).
If you invest $500 at 14% APR, you will get back $962.71 in 5 years.

Email me at investment4us@hotmail.com and I'll give you a valuable advice if you are serious about investing.
Best of luck!