The lump sum investor bought 200 shares of ABC at $50.00 a share, watched stock drop to $36.00, then recover back to $50.00 and when all was said and done ended up right where he started with 200 shares of ABC worth $10,000.

The dollar-cost averaging investor purchased 100 shares of XYZ in January for $5,000.00, (the stock paying a quarterly 50 cent a share dividend for a 4.0 percent yearly dividend yield), and purchased $1,000.00 worth of more shares every quarter for next 5 quarters. Each quarter dividend from company was also reinvested into more shares of stock. Each March company raised its dividend 2 cents a share, marking 45 consecutive years of rising dividends. All purchases were commission free. January, 100 shares of XYZ @ 50.00 a share = $5,000 $1,000.00 Stock price Div.Pur. Share Purchases March $48.00 .52/sh.=1.083 20.83 shares June $46.00 .52/sh.=1.378 21.74 shares Sept. $44.00 .52/sh.=1.714 22.72 shares Dec. $42.00 .52/sh.=2.098 23.81 shares March $40.00 .54/sh. 2.637 25.00 shs. June $38.00 .54/sh. 3.169 - 0 - Sept. $36.00 .54/sh. 3.393 - 0 - Dec. $38.00 .54/sh. 3.262 - 0 - March $40.00 .56/sh. 3.260 - 0 - June $42.00 .56/sh. 3.149 - 0 - Sept. $44.00 .56/sh. 3.045 - 0 - Dec. $48.00 .56/sh. 2.827 - 0 - March $50.00 .58/sh. 2.843 - 0 –

The dollar-cost averaging investor now owns 247.953 shares of XYZ. The value at $50.00 a share = $12,397.65. So, lump-sum investor ends up right where he started, 200 shares of ABC worth $10,000, and dollar-cost averaging invested ends up owning 247.953 shares of XYZ worth $12,397.65, along with dividend income generated from owning those shares. Both had same ‘when’ when they invested. The dividend yield at 58 cents a quarter (.58 divided by $50.00 x 4 x 100 =), a 4.64% yearly dividend yield. Every quarter every dividend received from company was higher than previous dividend, no matter what stock price was at end of quarter. The dollar-cost averaging investor is receiving a dividend for next quarter from XYZ (no matter what stock price happens to be) of .58 X 247.953 shares = $143.81, and next quarter (and every quarter thereafter) dividend would be even higher if company, at least, maintained their dividend. If XYZ repeated same performance history ($50.00 down to $36.00, back up to $50.00) for next 3 years, and ABC did same- HOW you invest in stock market makes all difference in world. In Stockopoly plan there are no commission charges, all stocks are purchased commission free. There is no need for a stockbroker (the tools needed for doing your own research are easily available and where and how-to’s are included in book); there are no hidden fees, load fees, operating, and management or advertising fees. There are no illegal trading practices, costing investors tens of million of dollars. (And Wall Street Christmas bonuses will not be coming out of your pocket.) Every cent works for you in form of increasing cash dividends every week, month and year. You’ll never pay too much for a stock, even if that stock is at a 52 week high. The WHEN you invest in stock market is of little importance compared to knowing HOW to invest in stock market, simply because how over rules when. In Stockopoly plan you will discover HOW to use all tools necessary to develop a concrete, definite plan of investing that will profit you and your family for rest of your lives.

For more information and excerpts from The Stockopoly Plan, please visit www.thestockopolyplan.com

Well, it seems that you probably can't avoid inflation, but there are definitely opportunities that you can take advantage of, in order to keep up with it. One option might be to consider depositing your money into a savings account rather than a money market account. Most major banks are currently yielding an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) that ranges from 0.5% to 0.75%. Even though this is pretty low, it is higher than what most money market accounts are currently offering.

One of best rates that I have recently seen is ING Direct's offering of 2.25% APY for their Orange Savings Account. But if these rates are not what you are looking for, consider investing in stock market. With latest downturn in economy, shares are pretty cheap and going fast. There are now many online brokerages that allow consumers to purchase stocks for a small fee. For instance, Sharebuilder lets consumers invest for as little as $4. However, please be wary, this investment option is a greater risk so you should consult with a financial advisor before taking this step.

Whether you choose to put your money in these investment opportunities or not, it is up to you. But just remember that if you don't, you are actually losing money because "purchasing power" of your dollar is decreasing as inflation rate is increasing.