Which exchanges should I look at using?

[Eldoen]

Great to hear jdndndndx, I like coinbase except for the visa issue, Fairly cheap to purchase bit coin there.  Once they accept additional Credit cards to allow for instant deposits I will probably use them exclusively to deposit.  Looking at Coin.mx to withdraw fiat out of the system because of arbitrage advantage (still working out the fees)

An example is that coinbase on average is closer in price on bitcoin to BTC-e,  while Coin.mx is closer to Mt Gox.  1% withdraw fee with a 20 dollar min fee. so looking at 2000 withdraw before taking in account of arbitrage advantage. 

Have fun trading.

Papacrusher, I can only comment that it is easy to setup an account there, haven't had the funds available to transfer into it. 

all
Any good safe "stock" investments for bitcoin or altcoin,  I currently have a couple of investments at havelockinvestments one has be very good to me. wish I had taken a bigger investment.

El

[jdndndndx]

Op is back. Coinbase is clearly the winner for a noob like me. I signed up on 1/4/2014 (Saturday) and I was fully verified (bank account, credit cards, etc.) by Tuesday 1/7/2014. I bought my first BTC this evening (0.05 BTC). I originally signed up at Mt. Gox on 11/29/2013 and after several emails to support, I was finally verified yesterday, 1/7/2014.

Mt. Gox took 39 days. 

Coinbase took 3 days. 

Thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions.