If you have investable cash, then you might start with a commitment to a broad index fund such as the Schwab 1000 or Vanguard Total Market. Both are low-expense, tax efficient funds that will provide broad participation in the stock market. Don't worry about international investing for now. What many observers forget is that about 30 percent of the earnings of our largest companies comes from overseas so an investment in domestic stocks is, de facto, also a commitment overseas. Finally, I've been reading newsletters about a coming stock market crash or other economic holocaust from the time this column was written on a Royal typewriter, which was a long time ago.
Newsletters sell subscriptions by making overly dramatic predictions.
If you feel a need to start, do it slowly. Start with 10 to 20 percent of your financial assets. Then, a market decline of 20 percent wouldn't cause more than a 2 to 4 percent reduction in your net worth. If a decline of that size makes you nervous then just forget the whole idea.