When you play the stock market, the key to success is to buy low and sell high. 

According to Investopedia, if you understand stock market cycles, and you time your investment accordingly, then you will earn more money than you lose. 

Smart investors who recognize the different parts of a market cycle are more able to take advantage of them to profit. They are also less likely to get fooled into buying at the worst possible time. -- Investopedia

People who take a chance in the stock market are warned against panicking in times of economic downturn.

According to MSNBC, "Investment experts warn that a period of major stock market volatility is no time to make rash decisions."  In fact, they recommend that you take the time to reassess your past decisions in order to avoid market queasiness.

It seems that people now playing the house market in a way that is very similar to playing the stock market.

Wondering how to invest in the stock market for the first time?

If you think that playing the stock market is out of your reach because you just don't understand how to do it, then you're not alone.  Trust me.

In the past, I dabbled a little in stocks, using an online investment service to invest $10 a month.  I was very conservative.  When it was time for me to buy a house, I sold my stocks (which had done well in spite of my lack of knowledge) and pulled out knowing that I was making wild guesses at best. 

That was really no way to invest in the stock market.  Still, I have always wondered about how to go about gaining the knowledge for investing in the stock market wisely.