What can you suggest to a young man who would like to make some investments -a little extra cash via stocks?

I really do not understand much about stocks and investing but I feel I should try but just don't know how? any help much appreciated!

You can open an online account with Etrade, Schwab, ameritrade, or Scott trade, and then send in the money.

Then you do your research on a company you might like. You can also buy ETFs which are stock baskets which lower your risk and let you buy sectors.

I recommend it. Welcome to the high risk/high reward world of investing!

I would suggest to NOT DO IT.

Investing in any single stock is a bad idea. How would anyone know what it will do? How can you diversify and insulate yourself from risk?

Instead, invest in quality mutual funds with long-term proven track record. To get the best results, invest a set amount regularly and take advantage of dollar-cost-averaging.

Buy an index fund or mutual fund that has a low expense ratio. These funds are made up of lots of different stocks, so you will be well diversified.

Also, educate yourself. Read articles about investing on good finance sites like yahoo finance, www.smartmoney.com, or money.cnn.com. The more you read, the better investor you will become.

I suggest reading "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" by Andrew Tobias. It's the best book to get you started on investing. You're best off with a no-load mutual fund, which he describes and explains in easy-to-understand language. (He also wrote "The Only OTHER Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" which is a great sequel.)