Mar. 29--Ready to give the stock market a try?

Rallies like the sharp upturn the market has had since March 9 tend to give reticent people the urge to invest in stocks again.

But if you are among them, remember there is no clarity yet that this rally is for keeps.

Often in bear markets, or long-term losing periods like the one stocks have been in since October 2007, there are rallies that look good for a while and then are replaced by downturns again.

So the safest approach is to add a little money to stock mutual funds with each paycheck through a 401(k)-type retirement plan. That way you don't bet a large sum at a single point. And mutual funds allow you more safety than making a bet on one or two stocks.

Three other approaches that could work, depending on your level of bravery:

-- The fast escape method

If you do want to put some money into stocks all at once, exchange-traded funds are an easy option to obtain broad exposure to the market. They are like mutual funds, but you can sell them on a moment's notice if you have second thoughts. That's different than a regular mutual fund, which makes you wait until the end of the day to sell -- which can seem endless when stocks are plunging.

Academic research suggests that running in and out of the market is a loser's game because even the savviest investors don't know when to jump in and out. So the fast escape method isn't necessarily smart. But sometimes the thought of being able to make a quick exit gives people the courage to stay invested.

If you are among them, and want an exchange-traded fund that will give you exposure to 500 of the market's largest stocks -- companies including Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, Exxon Mobil and Google -- try a fund called the SPDR Trust. You can identify it with the ticker symbol SPY when you go to a broker. The fund invests in the Standard & Poor's 500 index stocks.

Another similar choice would be Vanguard Dividend Appreciation exchange-traded fund, identified by the ticker VIG. It picks companies that are expected to pay dividends. Collecting dividends can be a way to earn a small return, or reduce your losses, while the stock market disappoints investors.

To buy or sell ETFs, you will need a brokerage account -- perhaps an individual retirement account.

Search discount brokers on the Internet and ask them to show you how you would buy or sell an ETF online. They tend to have lower fees than mutual funds, but you also pay a commission every time you buy or sell. That's why it's not appropriate for frequent investing, such as monthly deposits.