-Before you can take that first step. You must get out of debt. Click here: tinyurl.com/lzoqby5. Pay down credit card debts, student loans where possible. -Secondly Click here tinyurl.com/mpe5zh5 and sign up for financial updates and podcasts from Mike Swanson. Open a low-cost index fund directly with one of the houses (Vanguard,Schwab etc) or with a broker like Tradeking, E-trade so on and so forth.