To trade, or not to trade. That seems to be the question facing financially mature adults in recent years. The bull markets of the late 1990s have spurred an environment of optimism with reference to the potential for significant financial gain from astute investment decision-making. But as the rate of personal saving decreases and the prevalence of individual investment increases, are Americans setting themselves up for financial catastrophe?

If Mark Barton had been asked this question three months ago, he might have scoffed at the prospect for financial ruin on any large scale. And it is doubtful that he would have envisioned such ruin for himself. But as Barton squeezed the triggers of his .45 caliber and 9 mm semiautomatic handguns last week, ending the lives of nine Atlantans, he must have felt dismayed that financial misfortune could visit him. And indeed reports indicate that Barton took a drastic financial slide in the final few months of his life.

Now Barton was obviously a disturbed man and the vast majority of investors are not prone to such acts of violence, even when faced with major financial loss. But the circumstances of Barton's rampage mandate some careful reflection on the state of American investment.

There seems to be a nefarious plot afoot to draw typical, work-a-day citizens into the arena of investment. One needs to look no further than television commercials to see this plan at work. Companies such as Ameritrade, E-Trade and Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette all tout the potential for financial gain via Internet trading. The script of a commercial for Suretrade's investment services reads: "We're not relying on the government...We're not relying on the company...We're not relying on a big fat inheritance...We trade online...We're betting on ourselves."

The implication these companies make, is that with the click of a computer mouse, financial security is all but assured. This is rarely the case. In fact, Suretrade is probably more accurate with its characterization of the situation as "betting."

Equity markets are confused, tangled, mangled webs of complexity that even the most experienced investment professionals find difficult to navigate. And those upon whom we rely for information, such as Prudential Securities Chief Technical Analyst, Ralph Acampora, have been known to unexpectedly change their tunes on issues of market direction. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has decried one type of investment, namely the craze over Internet stocks, as being speculative.

So what's an eager, individual investor to do?

For one, people need to examine their intentions. If people are anxious to buy into a company in which they have personal interest, sharing both risk and reward, then they are most likely investing. If, on the other hand, people are anxious to simply buy a stock and treat it like a commodity that will be sold simply for a capital gain, then they are most likely gambling.

But more importantly, investors need to recognize that there is no such thing as a an "easy dollar" and the percentage of people who succeed in making a "quick buck" on the stock market is relatively small. It's a common sense argument, but anything worth having, generally requires time and hard work. The world of investment gets no special dispensation from this rule.