Have you ever thought about playing the market? My husband and I started saving for our retirement years ago, trustingly investing in whatever portfolio our financial adviser suggested. For the most part, it was a good choice; some years we averaged 20% gains and in others had small declines.

The carnage of recent months decimated our retirement account below the level of our cash investment. We Gen-Xers have been told since we started our first real job not to count on a social pension down the road, and seeing our primary source of future funds evaporate is scary. I decided to take matters into my own hands and try this investment thing myself.

'Buy low, sell high', right? Well duh, but there's much more to it than that - yet you don't need to be an experienced stock trader to get your feet wet. Stocks & Blondes will be a regular feature here on ChickAdvisor as I pass on the lessons I'm learning. You should know up front that I have no financial background and never got around to reading Trading for Dummies. I don't give advice; these are just my observations about what works and what doesn't - for me.

This volatile time is an interesting point to get into the market. We're seeing quality companies trading at bargain basement prices, and there are days of sharp rallies and horrifying declines. If you are interested in trying this for yourself, you should start small with money you can afford to lose. You'll need to take time to watch the financial news and monitor your positions carefully. I like to say that trading the stock market is informed gambling, and those in the industry definitely have the inside track.

I don't assume I will ever do as well as professional traders, but it is empowering to take control of this myself - not leaving it to Hubby or J. Shmo III at the downtown branch to figure it all out. My goal is to discover if this is something I can do well at and use it as a second investment tool.

Feel free to leave questions or comments on any of these posts. I can't promise I'll have a satisfactory answer, but it'll always be an honest one.