>>1176889
>I'm sure will piss experienced traders off
Don't worry, you won't find many of those here.
I'm sure someone who shills for RobinHood will be along shortly to advise you.

>>1176893
I'd still appreciate any input or thoughts from mid-level amateurs. I really have no clue where to start, but I have several companies I want to invest in.

>>1176899
Start by saving enough money that you won't go into debt if you have some minor emergency (car breaks down, you lose your job, broken leg, etc.)

Once you've done that, start plugging any extra earnings into your 401k up to the company match, because that means guaranteed ROI. If you put 4% of your salary into a 401k, and you're employer matches that 4%, you've literally doubled your money, with no risk, and that's all before any investment gains.

Once you've done all that, and still have money to play around with at the end of the month, come back and ask the retards around here what penny stocks to buy or what the next bitcoin will be.

>>1176908
>401k
My big boss doesn't even pay for direct deposit. Hopefully I'll be getting a better job within biking distance here soon, but until then I guess I'm stuck.

Thanks, though, it sounds like solid advice.

>>1176917
Are you full time in the usa? If you are and you work for a large food chain, you should have a 401k, though I suppose it's possible they don't have matching.

If your employer doesn't have a 401k, try to work for one of the employers in this article:

http://www.jobs.net/article/cb-239-talent-network-hospitality-6-best-restaurant-chains-to-work-for/

If your town doesn't have at least 3-4 of the above restaurants, you need to find a new home near a larger metropolitan area. It's the only way you'll be able to grow your income in any meaningful way, and growing your income is probably your best bet at a comfortable lifestyle long term.

>>1176927
Honestly the place I work at is a really lax and probably corrupt franchise in a small town. We're the only fast food place within (I shit you not) 23 miles. I did not choose to live here and I am striving to leave, and hopefully this new job will offer opportunities elsewhere. But there are small town contact benefits which is why I'm not so worried about emergencies, and I only pay about 300 a month for "necessities", including cigarettes and other luxuries. I gave up the drink and pot last month, and I'm expecting my finances to become a bit more regular soon, which is probably why I'm considering investing now.

This new job would offer me about 13 an hour as a warehouse something-or-other, and they do offer 401ks, but I might need to qualify or something.

>>1176889
Try a bank with securities funds.. Yeah i know its for jews but generaly safer.. Also Try p2p lending.. 25$ per loan wont put a dent in your wallet.

Also try dealing precious metals.. buy low when the economy is good and sell when the demand peaks. ie: recession

>>1176937
Ok cool. Long term you're gonna have better opportunity near a city, so the sooner you can get there the better off you'll be.

Other than that, just put your abingdon into a savings/money market account until you hit like 3-6 months worth of expenses; once you've got a cushion like that, it may be worthwhile to just make the leap even if you don't have a job lined up.

>>1176943
>try dealing precious metals
Yeah, that's what I figured when I bought this silver. I remember when it was around $40/oz a few years ago so I thought it'd be a good idea to have at least a little bit. I bought 5 oz and I'm sitting on it. Figure it's cheap enough to get some monthly that it won't hurt, and I'll be able to have more volume than just buying token amounts of gold.

I'll look into securities.

>>1176948
>abingdon
wut

But yeah I've always put something away every check. March woke me up to my shitty situation, though, as I missed a week of work because of an abscess that spread to my ear plus I had to pay my mother's license suspension fine.

Anyway, thanks for the tips fellas.

>>1176889
>>How do I find a trustworthy broker that will work with metaphorical peanuts?
For stocks and bonds, why not look into online brokerage? Why hasn't anyone mentioned this? It's very low cost as well.
>>How might I determine a reasonable amount to set aside each period, and how liquid I should make it?
Depends. From the sound of your other posts I don't think you have too many liabilities, or for that matter too many investment opportunities as well.

If you already have an emergency fund set aside, and are not saving for a big ticket purchase anytime soon, feel free to invest the money that would otherwise be sitting around in a checking account.