Money market investing is one of the more conservative plays investors can make. Outside of an FDIC insured savings account or certificate of deposit, the money market fund is the next best place for conservative investors to invest their money. For those of you unfamiliar with money market investing, this article will provide a brief overview on the basics of money markets and what you need to know to begin investing in a money market fund.

First and foremost, a money market fund is very similar to a mutual fund, so it is important to note that investing in a money market fund carries some risk. That being said, money market funds have traditionally been very stable investments. Like a mutual fund, money market funds are managed by an individual or individuals who buy and sell securities that comprise the fund. Similarly, the money market fund will be governed by an investment objective — usually stable long-term capital appreciation.

Investors buy into a money market fund the same way they would a mutual fund. You can purchase lump-sum shares or invest small amounts of cash at a time. Usually, the money market fund will have minimum investments and fees associated with it. Additionally, there are money market funds specifically tailored for investors who are investing large sums of cash in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars. How you choose to invest is up to you.

One of the biggest advantages of investing in money market funds is that they allow you to access your cash very quickly — some the next day, some immediately. However, unlike a high-yield savings account, money market funds are not FDIC insured securities. That means that you will lose money if the fund performs poorly.

When speaking about liquidity, your needs will determine whether or not you should purchase a “purchased” or “sweep” fund. Purchased money market funds afford next-business-day liquidity and are bought and sold like other securities you are invested in. But, unlike these other securities they don’t charge fees for additional transactions. A “sweep” money market fund affords the investor same-day liquidity by trading shares to cover transactions such as trading or check writing. While purchased funds may have initial investments and minimums, sweep funds typically have higher fees and require more household assets to participate.

If you are thinking about investing and want a conservative investment vehicle, money market investing is worth considering. Just remember, that while relatively safe, they are not risk-free.

Recently I woke up to the realization that unfortunately I was not getting any younger, and that while I’ve enjoyed spending my hard-earned money with near total abandon, if I wanted to spend my retirement playing, as opposed to say working at my local discount retailer, then I better get on the retirement planning train and learn a thing or ten about investing.

So, because I’m a big fan of knowing as much as possible about as much as possible, I picked up book after book regarding all things investing. I visited any web site that had anything to do with personal finance and investing. From everything to market basics to putting my “money personality to work” I read and read until I thought I had learned it all. Then I realized the pitfalls of information overload. I simply had too much crammed into what little space remained in my short-term memory.

There had to be a better way, I thought. Video Professor, as it turns out, was it.

Video Professor? I know, it surprised me, too. But, you know what? That John W. Scherer markets a pretty convincing commercial. So there I was ordering Video Professor’s “Learn Online Investing” at eleven o’clock at night.

When it showed up a few days later, I was ready to learn. I had my notebook opened and my pencils sharpened. I even put on my noise canceling headphones so I could really pay attention.

The first thing I saw when I opened the box was a smiling John W. Scherer and a reassuring quote telling me that I was sure to master the art of online investing in about three hours. “We’ll see about that,” I thought. “How is it that Video Professor will be able to do what countless books have not?”

Within minutes I had my answer.

The information provided was probably some of the most beneficial I’ve come across. The video started out by going over the basics. And by basics I mean square one, choosing an online broker sort of stuff. By this time I had done a substantial amount of research on the many companies offering online brokerage houses. However, I was no closer to making a decision than I was when I started. Sure, I thought I knew which brokers I wanted to go with, but I was so paranoid about making the wrong decision that I wasn’t making one at all. The Video Professor tutorial helped me make that decision by helping me know what to look for (e.g. do they offer real time info, independent research, and immediate trades). After finding a broker that satisfied those requirements I set up and funded my accounts. I was ready to start investing.

Or so I thought.

If I thought choosing an online broker was difficult, imagine what it was like to decide what to invest in. Or even what type of retirement vehicle to choose. Mutual Funds, stocks, bonds, money markets? Roth, SEP or Traditional IRAs? There were so many choices and within each choice were even more choices. It was if the world of investing was one huge onion – peel back one layer and you’re met with another. And it was apparent that before I invested a dime, I needed to learn a bit more about what the “markets” actually consisted of.

Video Professor did a great job going over the history of the major indices that made up the markets, what key terms I should be familiar with, how to research and analyze securities and finally, how to choose the right retirement vehicle to get me where I want to go. And here I thought all IRAs were created equal. After watching the Video Professor tutorial I knew that the Roth IRA and a diverse blend of mutual funds were the way to go. And because everything was visual, I actually remembered what I learned. No note taking needed.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve watched the Video Professor “Learn Online Investing” tutorial and while the markets haven’t been all that kind to us in the first week of 2008, I know that now is the perfect time to buy low and wait it out. And by the time I’m 65, I’ll be sipping boat drinks in the Bahamas, living off the sound investment decisions made from the knowledge Video Professor provided.