Investors are increasingly frustrated by poor investment returns, particularly in the last decade. It seems the financial world wrenches from one crisis to another in a boom-bust, bubble and crash sequence, rising to unpredictable heights and falling to unfathomable depths.The old investing rules do not seem to work. Something has changed. This book recommends that the reader take an alternative mindset to investing. It guides the reader to this mindset through a series of educational and, hopefully, entertaining lessons. It uses various tools such as newspaper headlines at critical points in the history of the markets as well as insightful anecdotes gathered over the years. It also employs often amusing research from outside the industry to shed light on how investors make decisions. This book examines the origins of accepted investment methodology, provides a critical review of mutual funds, and presents alternative solutions for these turbulent times. Along the way it also touches on the future of the investment industry, how to select an investment advisor, and an alternative way to plan for the future. In Short: Many books tell you about what investments are. This book is an attempt to teach you about how to drive your investment returns higher.

Discover the Upside of Down enlightens readers and give them investment strategies for both protection and profits. Chapters include information on the hot button economic topics of today and for the foreseeable future: oil, gold, real estate, stocks, the dollar, the U.S. and global economies and the future outlook from a longterm viewpoint for each. A timely book with a timely message, this book targets the investor concerned about maintaining their investments during volatile times.

How can you construct a financial investment strategy to protect yourself … yet still get the growth to ensure a solid financial future and comfortable retirement during these turbulent times? By building an investing safety net that gives you the gains needed for growth – though more modest than those of past years – but protection against the downside. So when turbulence strikes again – and it will – you won’t re-live the financial nightmares of recent years when portfolios and 401Ks were devastated. Jim Glassman provides the specifics you need for shrewd asset allocation, specifically: Reduce stock ownership. For those stocks you do own, ensure they meet one of these criteria: pay dividends; are low-priced and from industries of the future; or companies based in aspiring nations such as India, Brazil and China. Make a substantial investment in bonds, especially US Treasury TIPS bonds and corporate bonds Hedge against decline by owning a bear fund that shorts the US economy. Own funds based on other currencies, thus protecting yourself against the potential declining value of the US dollar. And consider derivatives. Yes, derivatives! Specific stock, bond and fund recommendations and ample portfolios then provide the starter ideas for properly balancing a portfolio. And the 5 principles and 18 specific rules of “the new rule book” help keep “animal spirits” in check when fads and news flashes provide the temptation to make rash investing decisions that will be quickly regretted.

An informative guide to successful investing, offering a vast array of advice on how investors can tilt the odds in their favour.

New York Times bestselling author and investment guru Ric Edelman offers no-nonsense, practical advice for how to keep your investments safe no matter what the economic climate. With a cheerful tone that will boost even the most panicked investor's spirit, Edelman reveals the best investments you can make right now. If you're scared or confused about how to handle your investments and fed up with “advice” from brokers, advisors, and media darlings that has cost you huge sums and placed your financial security at risk, the cure is in your hands. Ric Edelman, an award-winning advisor with more than two decades of experience, reveals the one investment goal you should have, the two obstacles you'll face, and why you've been failing with your investment strategies. Above all, he shares the secret to successful investing—and even includes a special section for those who are already retired. -Rescue yourself from the pain of watching your life savings go down the drain. -Regain the confidence that your investments can provide you with lifelong financial security and prosperity. -Get a great night's sleep by not having to lie awake worrying about your investments.

For today’s shell-shocked individual investors, financial expert Charles B. Carlson offers hands-on advice on how to survive — and thrive — in a wildly fluctuating market. The economic recession of the past year, followed by the tragedy of September 11, sent a ripple of panic through investors in 2001. The market shed trillions of dollars in wealth, and hundreds of thousands of individual investors suffered substantial financial losses. The volatility we experienced last year was more than a fluke, argues investment expert Charles B. Carlson. With the ongoing changes in the economy, including changes in corporate reporting laws, instant availability of financial information, and the ability to buy and sell stocks with the touch of a keystroke, volatility is here to stay. But volatility isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Carlson argues, if you know how to weather today stormy markets, investing in them can be very profitable. In The Smart Investor’s Survival Guide, Carlson shows investors how to make volatility work to their advantage. First, he argues, it is critical that investors match their investment style — growth, value, buy and hold — to the kinds of stocks they pick. For long-term investors, Carlson recommends that a portion of their portfolio be invested in what he calls the calm eye of the storm, “easy hold” stocks that have consistent, steady growth, and very low volatility. Even in the terrible market downturn of 2000, when the Nasdaq lost 39 percent of its value and stocks like Lucent and Cisco saw their share price drop by 80 percent or more, a number of investment sectors actually gained in value. The Dow Jones index, minus its technology stocks, broke even. In other words, even in the worst markets, not every stock or sector goes down. Through what he calls the nine essential laws of successful investing in a volatile market, Carlson reveals: • How to diversify the portfolios across stock sectors and investment vehicles • The critical importance of matching one’s investment style — value, growth, buy and hold — to the kinds of stocks one invests in • The importance of “easy hold” — no-brainer stocks — in a portfolio, stocks that will grow 10 to12 percent a year with minimal volatility. Written by one of the most trusted names in the financial community, The Smart Investor’s Survival Guide shows investors how to master today’s turbulent markets, and profit from them.