Learn the language: Online Wall Street training will confuse you if you haven’t learned the language of investing. Learn the differences between buy and hold investing and day trading, how to trade stock options, online free stock trading, market timing strategies, and mutual funds. But, first—learn what these terms mean.

Play stock market games: A stock simulation market game will train you to be comfortable with investing just as practice repetitions for an athlete, musician, actor, or public speaker prepare them for the game, performance, or meeting. An excellent stock market game, like the one offered by WallStreetSurvivor.com, operates exactly like the real world. Fortunately, you need not risk your hard-earned money while learning how to play the stocks game.

After learning the language and playing stock market games with virtual money, you should have the Wall Street training you need to become a profitable investor.

Disregard the over-simplifications espoused by many. Mutual funds are a way to own more diversified and higher priced stocks for a small amount of money. This is accomplished through the pooling of others’ funds to purchase investments for the fund.

Pooling smaller amounts of money allow the online Wall Street purchase of larger blocks of or stocks that are more expensive. Learn about the types of mutual funds (equity, debt, and balance funds) to learn the focus you prefer.

Newer investors often prefer balance funds, as they split their portfolio between equity (stocks) and debt (bonds, U.S. Treasuries, and other investments that offer interest earnings). A 50%-50%, 60%-40%, or 70%-30% split of equity and debt securities can be a lower risk mix of mutual fund investments. These can also provide evidence of the earnings level of different instruments.

Through the split, you’ll eventually become comfortable with mutual funds, learn the stocks game, and quickly — and knowledgeably — answer the question, “How do mutual funds work?”

The authority on Mutual funds research and ratings is Morningstar. Visit their web site to start investigating potential mutual funds for you to invest in.