Mid-Income Investors: Don't Be Discouraged.

• Position: Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

You don't have to be a millionaire to invest and make money in the stock market, maintains Craig Israelsen, associate professor of consumer and family economics, University of Missouri-Columbia. He is working to help those in the middle-income range ($25,000-75,000) to gain the confidence and motivation to start investing. "You don't have to be an expert in the stock market to invest. It's like driving a car--you don't have to know all of the ins and outs of how to fix it in order to drive. Mutual fund managers are like car mechanics--they track the ins and outs of the stock market so investors don't have to. Investors, though, should at least check the oil periodically."

Middle-income earners are afraid to invest for many reasons. They may not feel knowledgeable, rich, or old enough. Israelsen's messages to this group are clear: Get started now; invest what you can; spread your money across different segments of the market; and leave your investment alone long enough to let it grow.

He encourages starting small--say, $50 per month--because most people can find a way to afford this. Once a saving habit is in place, it is easier to save more as income increases. Israelsen...