Despite a spectacular recovery in stock markets around the world, investors still smarting from an epic bear market have been keeping their cash on the sidelines. If you missed the rally and recognize that investing isn't a spectator sport, don't despair over the returns you didn't make. There are a wealth of ways for investors to get back in the game without exposing their hard-earned cash to extraordinary risk.
In fact, the beautiful truth is that most of the risk has already been taken out of the stock market. That you may feel more afraid now than you did in 2008 (when you should have been really afraid) just goes to prove a fundamental tenet of successful investing. Successful investing depends on an ability to act against your deepest feelings and human nature itself. More investors fail because they can't overcome their instincts than because they lack the necessary tools.