Make sure you hunt around for different presentations regarding basic investment options

http://www.count.com.au/investor_education/Principles/Investment_Types.htm - from AUS.
http://www.sorted.org.nz/home/sorted-sections/investing/investment-types - from NZ.
http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/publish.nsf/content/PBISLAUI+Types+of+investment - Aussie banks offering education and direct links to their products.
This is the basic stuff.
Has anyone else got better suggestions? Specific or more detailed explanation of costs, benefits, risks, most appropriate times in life or parts of the economic cycle when one type is preferable to another???

An example product statement...

Here's a type of structured investment that is available on the market at the moment. I would like you to read the simple statements about cost, benefit, risk and who suits this kind of investment:
http://personal.macquarie.com.au/personal/products/specialised/capital_protected/equity_linked_note_detail.htm

History of the ASX

Here's a fantastic little graph of the Australian share market's movement over this last century. Be careful making assumptions about scale of movements from the graph - look across to the right to see the logarithmic scale that pertains to the value of the index.
http://www.asx.com.au/products/pdf/share_price_movements.pdf
It looks pretty stable and smooth recently doesn't it! But look at the scale on the right and you realise than movements of a few hundred points would hardly register now, yet were very significant 30+ years ago...

Keep reading through what the ASX website offers - it is a great resource... http://www.asx.com.au/about/asx/history/share_performance.htm

Where's all the money gone?

Australians have experienced an unprecedented era of stable political conditions, growth, low unemployment, and low interest rates over the last decade and a half. In this environment they have been able to borrow more for investment and consumption. Households, Banks, NBFIs and Government have all had access to cheap credit and this has pushed up the 'value' of several asset classes - creating a property boom and up until a year ago a share market bubble. We as economists are very careful when making decisions, as you can not make assumptions about future performance, based on historic performance. Here's the kind of information which is useful to ascertain the type of performance we've seen - and useful for your current work!http://www.asx.com.au/products/pdf/russell_investments_report.pdf
But times change! It is possible that the ramifications of the 'credit crunch' which started last year will continue to filter through our markets for years to come - certainly this next year and a half that you are studying economics. If the media is suggesting 10% reductions in housing prices this year, and we are seeing volatility and losses on the stock market - where is all the money going? And for those of us who are interested - where did it all come from to start with?
I will talk about the relationship between debt and wealth early next term, but hope that you'll ask your parents what they know in the mean time. If they know nothing, then ask them what their experience has been over the last 20-30 years - regarding access to debt/credit, growth in the value of their 'assets'(equities, bonds, cash, houses - art...?)