What are some safe and easy options for investing $500/month for 3 years, to...

[subalpine2000]

...be used as a house down payment? I'm hopeful that I can save $500 every month for the next 3 years in preparation of saving up for a down payment on a house. I have limited knowledge about investing money. What should I do with the money, and how much money could I reasonably end up with at the end of the 3 year period? Thanks!

[Ron Berue]

In the beginning “newbie” traders and investors DO NOT INVEST THE FIRST cent or dollar. No amount of money.

In the beginning you LEARN HOW:
A] the stock market works.

B] to invest in many, many various ways.

C] to properly trade

D] many other concepts and aspects.

Beginning or novice ['newbies"] investors and traders ALWAYS make mistakes. In fact, throughout a person's avocation or hobby to do trading, he/she will make mistakes.

In the very beginning, you READ AND LEARN about the market and how it works:
Read "Investing for Dummies"
As you are reading and doing research about the investments you are interested in, sometimes you'll come across a financial or investment term you never heard before.

You can usually find excellent, easy-to-understand definitions of many financial and investment terms by going to Investopedia’s dictionary.

http://investopedia.com is a free site. It’s recognized by Y! A as a "Featured Knowledge Partner".

It probably won’t be long when you’ll feel you’re ready to invest your hard-earned money. Before taking that step, you really should do research about what you are investing in. It also has a free, paper trading platform. You can set up a virtual account and almost trade as though you were trading with real money.

http://finance.yahoo.com is also recognized by Y! A as a "Featured Knowledge Partner"
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The thought processes are:
1] to have more successful trades than failing trades.
2] to minimize the losses of those losing trades.
3] "To live to trade another day." Having enough money in the trading account to return to the market.

ALL this is accomplished by a few true expressions used on Wall Street:
Some trading expressions come to mind:
A] "On Wall Street there aren't any gifts."
No one gives anyone else anything - not even stock tips.

B] BUlls [BUyers] earn money.
BEars [SEllers] earn money.
Pigs get fat.
Hogs [Greedy Traders] get slaughtered. They lose the money in their trading accounts.

C] "Trees don't grow to Heaven. Neither do stocks or any other investments."
In other words: What goes up, MUST come down!

D] "Plan your trade. THEN trade your plan!"
Have a trading plan with rules for that plan for each strategy.

$500 per month may be enough to get started. I want everyone to know I DO NOT own any portion of this man’s estate, nor am I associated with him or any one else connected with him in any way. I am not part of the publishing company or an agent or anything else. This man does not know me from Adam AND I don’t know him. I know of him and the wonderful book he wrote. THIS IS NOT SPAM.
You should buy a copy of this book:
“The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Classon. You can get the book on http://amazon.com
Its very easy to read. Its very easy to follow. You can write in it. You can make notes in it. All you have to do is to read five [5] pages - Let’s count
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 pages of this book - or any book - each and every day.
OR You can leave it sit on the shelf, on a table or on the floor and let it collect dust.

Thanks for asking your Q! I enjoyed answering it!

VTY,
Ron Berue
Yes, that is my real last name!