Revised, expanded and updated--the new edition of the bestselling guide backed by the name people trust. Deciding where and how to invest money can be almost as hard as earning it. That's why thousands of investors have already used the first edition of Barron's Guide to Making Investment Decisions to devise a personal lifetime investment program that minimizes risk and adapts easily to changing financial circumstances and goals. Retaining the original's basic strategies and easy-to-read style, this fresh edition has been substantially retooled to address the very latest economic, market and investment trends. More attention is given to areas such as mutual funds, foreign investments and emerging markets, different types of money managers, and tax law changes. There is also completely updated information on stocks and the newest developments in bonds, and examples throughout have been changed to reflect the current investment landscape. Keeping pace with the times to offer investors reliable and understandable advice on managing their investments for the long-term, the new Barron's will follow in the footsteps of its predecessor as a strong and consistent seller.

Guide to developing a lifetime investment program that minimizes risk and is easily modified to meet changes.

What if there were a way to cut through all the financial mumbo-jumbo? Wouldn't it be great if someone could really explain to us-in plain and simple English-the basics we must know about investing in order to insure our financial freedom? At last, here's good news. Jargon-free and written for all investors-experienced, beginner, and everyone in between-The Investment Answer distills the process into just five decisions-five straightforward choices that can lead to safe and sound ways to manage your money. When Wall Street veteran Gordon Murray told his good friend and financial advisor, Dan Goldie, that he had only six months to live, Dan responded, "Do you want to write that book you've always wanted to do?" The result is this eminently valuable primer which can be read and understood in one sitting, and has advice that benefits you, not Wall Street and the rest of the traditional financial services industry. The Investment Answer asks readers to make five basic but key decisions to stack the investment odds in their favor. The advice is simple, easy-to-follow, and effective, and can lead to a more profitable portfolio for every investor. Specifically: Should I invest on my own or seek help from an investment professional? How should I allocate my investments among stocks, bonds, and cash? Which specific asset classes within these broad categories should I include in my portfolio? Should I take an actively managed approach to investing, or follow a passive alternative? When should I sell assets and when should I buy more? In a world of fast-talking traders who believe that they can game the system and a market characterized by instability, this extraordinary and timely book offers guidance every investor should have.

At a time when many proclaim the death of active investing, Rupal J. Bhansali, global contrarian, makes a clarion call for its renaissance. Non-consensus thinking has resulted in breakthrough successes in science, sports, and Silicon Valley. Bhansali shows how to apply it to the world of investing to improve one’s odds of achieving above-average returns with below-average risks. Her upside-down investment approach focuses on avoiding losers instead of picking the winners, asking the right questions instead of knowing the right answers, and scoring upset victories to achieve the greatest bang for one’s research buck. Through a series of counterintuitive concepts and contemporary case studies from her firsthand experience of investing in fifty markets around the globe, Bhansali describes how to perform differentiated fundamental research to uncover mispriced stocks. She candidly shares her failures and mistakes as well as her successes and triumphs. She also weaves in her personal journey, recounting how she overcame the odds to succeed in a male-dominated profession and offering advice on breaking the glass ceiling. Non-Consensus Investing is a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand why active investing disappointed and how it can succeed—analysts and amateurs, fiduciaries and financial advisors, aspiring and practicing money managers, as well as students or investment enthusiasts.

A simple guide to a smarter strategy for the individual investor A Wealth of Common Sense sheds a refreshing light on investing, and shows you how a simplicity-based framework can lead to better investment decisions. The financial market is a complex system, but that doesn't mean it requires a complex strategy; in fact, this false premise is the driving force behind many investors' market "mistakes." Information is important, but understanding and perspective are the keys to better decision-making. This book describes the proper way to view the markets and your portfolio, and show you the simple strategies that make investing more profitable, less confusing, and less time-consuming. Without the burden of short-term performance benchmarks, individual investors have the advantage of focusing on the long view, and the freedom to construct the kind of portfolio that will serve their investment goals best. This book proves how complex strategies essentially waste these advantages, and provides an alternative game plan for those ready to simplify. Complexity is often used as a mechanism for talking investors into unnecessary purchases, when all most need is a deeper understanding of conventional options. This book explains which issues you actually should pay attention to, and which ones are simply used for an illusion of intelligence and control. Keep up with—or beat—professional money managers Exploit stock market volatility to your utmost advantage Learn where advisors and consultants fit into smart strategy Build a portfolio that makes sense for your particular situation You don't have to outsmart the market if you can simply outperform it. Cut through the confusion and noise and focus on what actually matters. A Wealth of Common Sense clears the air, and gives you the insight you need to become a smarter, more successful investor.

An in-depth guide to 401(k) plans--for the over 24 million Americans participating in them As 401(k) assets accumulate, so do the questions about the plans--especially with regard to the investment options which typically include at least seven choices by employers. This much-needed book explains how 401(k) plans work, how federal regulations and company policies affect retirement savings, how to develop investment strategies that will benefit individual needs, and what happens when money is taken out of a 401(k) plan. It also compares 401(k) plans to other tax-sheltered retirement plans, including IRAs, 403(b) plans, and 457 plans, and provides comprehensive listings of Web and print information resources. Most importantly, J. K. Lasser's Winning with Your 401(k) helps readers to understand their company plan in terms of their own personal needs and goals for the future. Grace W. Weinstein (Englewood, NJ) writes a weekly column on personal finance for the Financial Times and a regular column on tax issues for Investor's Business Daily. She has appeared on Good Morning America and the Today Show.