Most people do not invest in the stock market becuase they have little money to invest.  By the time you pay expensive commission fees, you can barely afford a share of stock, unless buying into a startup company with lots of risk.  This is why a long time ago I researched and figured out that many companies offer a direct stock purchase plan where you can buy shares of their stock and even later sell them back, or earn dividends, just like buying the stock from a brokerage link.  This article tells you a little about their programs, and also links to a place with a long list of companies that offer this type of service.  If you want to get your feet wet in investing, you must read this article!