WEll Lamont, I faired pretty well this year. I use to play the penny stocks, but in my view, its a big waste of money. I stick with companies in which I use the products a lot. Preferably blue chips.
Walmart (WMT), Blockbuster Inc. (BBI), Caterpillar (CAT), HOme Depot (HD). Also try Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). THey have billions in surplus. Their dividends are $4 or more per share.
I also buy the index stocks, Nasdaq (QQQ) and Standard and Poors Depository Receipts (SPY). They are both down now, but unless all the stocks tank, they will rise again. And if all the stocks tank, we will be in the midst of a Great Depression again and it really wont matter.
And I recently started buying Dell Computers (DELL). Their stocks have bottoms, but they have a good product, so I'm going with them.
Just my suggestions. Good LUck.