If you are young, just buy penny stocks(these are stocks that sell for less than a dollar per share). Keep in mind that penny stocks have much lower volume. So their prices fluctuate very rapidly. In only a 6 months, your value can in fact double, or even quadruple. Then sell your stocks at that price. But study the fundamentals of the company before you take the leap. It is a huge risk. MSFT started as a penny stock and look where it is now. MSFT is a large-cap company these days. Now there is more risk involved, but the benefits might outweigh the risks if you are wise in your decisions. Also, try IPOs as well. Once again, risks are greater. According to some analyst whose name I forget, if you had invested in all IPOs in the 1960s, you would be a ZILLIONAIRE(zillions of times richer than a billionaire). If you are young, then you should take more risks than somebody who is old. Buy IPO stocks and penny stocks. Also try shorting companies that are bound to collapse like Merck for example. Remember how soros shorted British pounds in the 1990's? That was risk. He made a BILLION dollars by shorting British currency. So think about that. Also try index funds. Index funds are highly diverse and you're basically moving with the market. In other words, if the market returns 20%, that'll be your return as well. Also try companies with BIG dividends. There are companies that pay dividends in the UPWARDS of 20%. Once again, risks are great, but 20% is A LOT. THINK ABOUT IT.If the stocks move up, that could in fact even mean 40%+ return if your stock values increase by 20%!!!!!!!! Also try emerging growth stocks. These are companies with high growth rate, but they are not making any money. These are companies like XM and SIRIUS. P.S. Don't blame me if you lose all your money.