<prompt> Human: I am 26 yrs old, I have a good job in medical device sales. I have an emergency fund, I am invested in my retirement and I have zero debt. I was talking to my manager today and he was discussing how well Facebook is doing and he is glad he got in on it at 18, now that it is at 70 a share.It got me thinking that I would like to begin investing my excess funds instead of buying frivolous things like motorcycles, snowboards, etc. But I have no idea where to start, how to set up something like an e-trade account or how to actually purchase stock once its created.Any advice or help pointing me in the right direction to make this first step would be much appreciated!  <response>: I am invested in my retirementCan you be more specific? Are you maxing out an IRA, along with any employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401k? Do that before considering investing money in a taxable account. I was talking to my manager today and he was discussing how well Facebook is doing and he is glad he got in on it at 18, now that it is at 70 a share.Your manager didnt invest in Facebook. He gambled on Facebook and won.Stock picking isnt an easy path to fast riches. Im willing to bet your boss didnt tell you about other stocks he bought that didnt do so well. Get the dollar signs out of your eyes, and adjust your expectations. Read the long-term investing start-up kit link in the sidebar. 