Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Investing 5

Chapter 1: Exploring Your Investment Choices 7

Getting Started with Investing 8

Building Wealth with Ownership Investments 9

Entering the stock market 10

Owning real estate 10

Running a small business 11

Generating Income from Lending Investments 13

Considering Cash Equivalents 14

Steering Clear of Futures and Options 15

Passing Up Precious Metals 17

Getting Clobbered in Currencies and Cryptocurrencies 18

Counting Out Collectibles 20

Chapter 2: Weighing Risks and Returns 25

Evaluating Risks 26

Market-value risk 27

Individual-investment risk 32

Purchasing-power risk (also known as inflation risk) 34

Career risk 36

Analyzing Returns 37

The components of total return 37

Savings and money market account returns 39

Bond returns 40

Stock returns 41

Real estate returns 43

Small-business returns 44

Considering Your Goals 45

Chapter 3: Getting Your Financial House in Order 47

Establishing an Emergency Reserve 48

Evaluating Your Debts 50

Conquering consumer debt 50

Mitigating your mortgage 51

Establishing Your Financial Goals 53

Tracking your savings rate 53

Determining your investment tastes 56

Funding Your Retirement Accounts 56

Gaining tax benefits 56

Starting your savings sooner 57

Checking out retirement account options 61

Choosing retirement account investments 63

Taming Your Taxes in Non-Retirement Accounts 64

Figuring out your tax bracket 64

Knowing what’s taxed and when to worry 65

Choosing the Right Investment Mix 67

Considering your age 67

Making the most of your investment options 68

Easing into risk: Dollar cost averaging 69

Treading Carefully When Investing for College 71

Education Savings Accounts 72

Section 529 plans 73

Allocating college investments 73

Protecting Your Assets 75

Part 2: Stocks, Bonds, and Wall Street 77

Chapter 4: The Workings of Stock and Bond Markets 79

How Companies Raise Money through the Financial Markets 79

Deciding whether to issue stocks or bonds 80

Taking a company public: Understanding IPOs 81

Understanding Financial Markets and Economics 84

Driving stock prices through earnings 84

Weighing whether markets are efficient 85

Moving the market: Interest rates, inflation, and the Federal Reserve 86

Chapter 5: Building Wealth with Stocks 93

Taking Stock of How You Make Money 94

Defining “The Market” 94

Looking at major stock market indexes 95

Counting reasons to use indexes 98

Stock-Buying Methods 98

Buying stocks via mutual funds and exchange-traded funds 99

Using hedge funds 100

Selecting individual stocks yourself 101

Spotting the Right Times to Buy and Sell 102

Calculating price-earnings ratios 103

Citing times of speculative excess 104

Buying more when stocks are “on sale” 111

Avoiding Problematic Stock-Buying Practices 114

Beware of broker conflicts of interest 114

Don’t short-term trade or try to time the market 115

Be wary of gurus 117

Shun penny stocks 119

The Keys to Stock Market Success 120

Chapter 6: Investigating and Purchasing Individual Stocks 123

Building on Others’ Research 124

Discovering the Value Line Investment Survey 124

Considering independent brokerage research 129

Examining successful money managers’ stock picks 130

Reviewing financial publications and websites 131

Understanding Annual Reports 131

Financial and business highlights 133

Balance sheet 133

Income statement 136

Exploring Other Useful Corporate Reports 139

10-Ks 140

10-Qs 140

Proxies 140

Getting Ready to Invest in Stocks 141

Understanding stock prices 142

Purchasing stock “direct” from companies 144

Placing your trade through a broker 144

Chapter 7: Exploring Bonds and Other Lending Investments 147

Banks: Considering the Cost of Feeling Secure 148

Facing the realities of bank insurance 149

Online banking: More for you? 149

Being wary of the certificate of deposit (CD) 151

Swapping your savings account for a money market fund 152

Why Bother with Bonds? 155

Assessing the Different Types of Bonds 156

Determining when you get your money back: Maturity matters 157

Weighing the likelihood of default 158

Examining the issuers (and tax implications) 159

Buying Bonds 162

Deciding between individual bonds and bond funds 162

Understanding bond prices 163

Purchasing Treasuries 164

Shopping for other individual bonds 165

Considering Other Lending Investments 166

Guaranteed-investment contracts 167

Private mortgages 168

Chapter 8: Mastering Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds 171

Distinguishing between Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds 172

Discovering the Benefits of the Best Funds 172

Professional management 173

Cost efficiency 173

Diversification 174

Reasonable investment minimums 174

Different funds for different folks 174

High financial safety 175

Accessibility 175

Reviewing the Keys to Successful Fund Investing 176

Minimize costs 176

Reflect on performance and risk 179

Stick with experience 180

Consider index funds 180

Steer clear of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds 182

Creating Your Fund Portfolio with Asset Allocation 183

Allocating for the long term 184

Diversifying your stock fund investments 185

The Best Stock Funds 186

Making money with stock funds 187

Exploring different types of stock funds 188

The Best Bond Funds 193

Avoiding yield-related missteps 194

Treading carefully with actively managed bond funds 195

Stabilizing your portfolio by investing in short-term bond funds 196

Earning higher returns with intermediate-term bond funds 197

Using long-term bond funds to invest aggressively 199

Balanced and Asset Allocation Funds: The Best Hybrid Funds 200

The Best Money Market Funds 201

Taxable money market funds 203

U.S Treasury money market funds 203

Municipal money market funds 203

Chapter 9: Choosing a Brokerage Firm 205

Getting Your Money’s Worth: Discount Brokers 205

Assessing the high-commission salespeople’s arguments 207

Selecting a discount broker 207

Considering Online Brokerage Services 210

Examining your online trading motives 210

Taking other costs into account 211

Looking at service quality 212

Listing the best online brokers 213

Part 3: Growing Wealth with Real Estate 215

Chapter 10: Investing in a Home 217

Considering How Home Ownership Can Help You

Achieve Your Financial Goals 218

The Buying Decision 218

Weighing the pros and cons of ownership 219

Recouping transaction costs 222

Deciding How Much to Spend 223

Looking through lenders’ eyes 225

Determining your down payment 225

Selecting Your Property Type 226

Finding the Right Property and Location 228

Keeping an open mind 229

Research, research, research 229

Understanding market value 230

Pounding the pavement 231

Chapter 11: Investing in Real Estate 233

Discussing Real Estate Investment Attractions 234

Limited land 234

Leverage 234

Appreciation and income 235

Ability to add value 236

Ego gratification 237

Longer-term focus 237

Figuring Out Who Should Avoid Real Estate Investing 239

Examining Simple, Profitable Real Estate Investments 239

Finding a place to call home 240

Trying out real estate investment trusts 241

Evaluating Direct Property Investments 242

Residential housing 242

Land 244

Commercial real estate 245

Deciding Where and What to Buy 246

Considering economic issues 246

Taking a look at the real estate market 247

Examining property valuation and financial projections 249

Discovering the information you need 254

Digging for a Good Deal 255

Recognizing Inferior Real Estate “Investments” 257

Avoiding ticking timeshares 257

Staying away from limited partnerships 259

Ignoring hucksters and scams 259

Chapter 12: Real Estate Financing and Deal Making 263

Financing Your Real Estate Investments 263

Getting your loan approved 264

Comparing fixed-rate with adjustable-rate mortgages 267

Choosing between fixed and adjustable mortgages 269

Landing a great fixed-rate mortgage 270

Finding a suitable adjustable-rate mortgage 271

Examining other mortgage fees 275

Finding the best lenders 276

Refinancing for a better deal 277

Working with Real Estate Agents 279

Recognizing agent conflicts of interest 279

Selecting a good agent 280

Closing the Deal 282

Negotiating 101 282

Inspecting the property 283

Shopping for title insurance and escrow services 284

Selling Real Estate 285

Negotiating real estate agents’ contracts 286

Forgoing a real estate agent 287

Part 4: Savoring Small Business 289

Chapter 13: Assessing Your Appetite for Small Business 291

Testing Your Entrepreneurial IQ 292

Considering Alternative Routes to Owning a Small Business 295

Being an entrepreneur inside a company 295

Investing in your career 296

Exploring Small-Business Investment Options 297

Starting your own business 297

Buying an existing business 298

Investing in someone else’s business 298

Drawing Up Your Business Plan 300

Identifying your business concept 301

Outlining your objectives 303

Analyzing the marketplace 304

Delivering your service or product 306

Marketing your service or product 307

Organizing and staffing your business 308

Projecting finances 308

Writing an executive summary 311

Chapter 14: Starting and Running a Small Business 313

Starting Up: Your Preflight Checklist 314

Preparing to leave your job 314

Valuing and replacing your benefits 315

Financing Your Business 318

Going it alone by bootstrapping 318

Taking loans from banks and other outside sources 319

Borrowing from family and friends 321

Courting investors and selling equity 322

Deciding Whether to Incorporate 323

Looking for liability protection 324

Taking advantage of tax-deductible insurance and other benefits 324

Cashing in on corporate taxes 325

Making the decision to incorporate 326

Finding and Keeping Customers 327

Obtaining a following 327

Providing solid customer service 328

Setting Up Shop 329

Finding business space and negotiating a lease 329

Equipping your business space 331

Accounting for the Money 332

Maintaining tax records and payments 333

Paying lower taxes (legally) 335

Keeping a Life and Perspective 336

Chapter 15: Purchasing a Small Business 337

Examining the Advantages of Buying 337

Understanding the Drawbacks of Buying 339

Prerequisites to Buying a Business 340

Business experience 340

Financial resources 341

Focusing Your Search for a Business to Buy 341

Perusing publications 343

Networking with advisors 343

Knocking on some doors 343

Working with business brokers 344

Considering a Franchise or Multilevel Marketing Company 346

Finding a franchise 346

Considering a multilevel marketing company 348

Evaluating a Small Business 351

Doing due diligence 351

Determining a business’s value 353

Part 5: Investing Resources 355

Chapter 16: Selecting Investing Resources Wisely 357

Dealing with Information Overload 358

Separating Financial Fact from Fiction 360

Understanding how advertising corrupts

the quality of investment advice 360

Recognizing quality resources 362

Chapter 17: From Print to Podcast to Programs: Making Your Way through Various Financial Mediums 367

In Print: Magazines and Newspapers 367

Judging the journalists 368

Making the most of periodicals 370

Broadcasting Hype: Radio, Podcasts, and Television Programs 371

You often get what you pay for 371

Information and hype overload 372

Poor method of guest selection 372

Fillers and Fluff: Being Wary of Investment Newsletters 373

Chapter 18: Selecting the Best Investment Books 375

Being Wary of Infomercial Books 376

Understanding how authors may take advantage of you 376

Learning by example 376

Ignoring Unaudited Performance Claims 379

Investing Books Worth Reading 381

A Random Walk Down Wall Street 381

Stocks for the Long Run 382

Built to Last and Good to Great 382

Mutual Funds For Dummies 383

Chapter 19: Investigating Internet and Software Resources 385

Evaluating Investment Software 386

Taking a look at investment tracking software 386

Considering investment research software 389

Investigating Internet Resources 391

Assessing online resources 391

Picking the best investment websites 393

Part 6: The Part of Tens 397

Chapter 20: Ten Investing Obstacles to Conquer 399

Trusting Authority 399

Getting Swept Up by Euphoria 400

Being Overconfident 401

Giving Up When Things Look Bleak 401

Refusing to Accept a Loss 403

Overmonitoring Your Investments 403

Being Unclear about Your Goals 404

Ignoring Important Financial Problems 404

Overemphasizing Certain Risks 405

Believing in Gurus 406

Chapter 21: Ten Things to Weigh When Considering an Investment Sale 407

Remembering Preferences and Goals 407

Maintaining Balance in Your Portfolio 408

Deciding Which Ones Are Keepers 409

Tuning In to the Tax Consequences 409

Figuring Out What Shares Cost 410

Selling Investments with Hefty Profits 411

Cutting Your (Securities) Losses 412

Dealing with Unknown Costs 412

Recognizing Broker Differences 413

Finding a Trustworthy Financial Advisor 413

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Investing in a Down Stock Market 415

Don’t Panic 415

Keep Your Portfolio’s Perspective in Mind 416

View Major Declines as Sales 417

Identify Your Portfolio’s Problems 418

Avoid Growth Stocks If You Get Queasy Easily 418

Tune Out Negative, Hyped Media 419

Ignore Large Point Declines but Consider the Percentages 419

Don’t Believe You Need a Rich Dad to Be a Successful Investor 419

Understand the Financial Markets 420

Talk to People Who Care about You 421

Index 423