Getting Started in Financial Information

Finding information on investing is easy. Making sense of it all is not. This straightforward guide clears up any confusion readers may have. Covering all the basics of investing, it will help readers make smarter decisions by showing them what to look for in stock tables, how to read between the lines of a fund prospectus, and distinguishing between fact and opinion when it comes to the so-called financial "experts." Making this text an invaluable introduction to investing facts, figures, and fundamentals. Why You Need Relevant Investment Information.

Good Investing Starts at Home.

The Basics of Being an Investor.

The 10 Things You Must Know about Your Investments.

How Analysts Look at Investments.

How Performance Is Measured.

The Great Benchmarks of Market Performance.

All the Business News That Fits.

Personal Finance Periodicals.

Measuring the Value of Newsletters, Brokers' Advice, andAnalysts' Reports.

The Big Hitters: Morningstar and Value Line.

Television and Radio.

Annual Reports and the Rest of the Mail.

Going on the Internet for Information.

Hands-On Investing.

One Lean Investing Machine.

Glossary.

Index. DANIEL MOREAU was an editor with Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine for 14 years and is now a freelance journalist and the author of several Kiplinger books. FIND AND USE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

With the boom in investor newsletters, magazines, and cable and Internet resources, the average person now has access to more crucial investment information than big-time money managers did 20 years ago. But having it and knowing what to do with it are two different things. With so much nonstop information and advice coming at you from hundreds of different directions, it's hard not to become confused, or worse, led astray by unscrupulous tipsters and scam artists.

In Getting Started in Financial Information, veteran financial journalists Daniel Moreau and Tracey Longo tell you how to mine the precious nuggets from the mountain of investor information. No matter what your investment goals or level of experience, you'll learn how to locate, interpret, and profitably apply all the important information you need to achieve your financial objectives. Among other valuable lessons, the authors show you how to:

• Recognize the difference between opinion and real news
• Research effectively in all print and electronic media
• Gauge the value of newsletters and online services
• Read between the lines in annual reports
• Focus on what's really important in stock tables
• Decipher mutual fund prospectuses
• Access 1, 3, and 5 year mutual fund returns-quickly and painlessly
• Obtain valuable information on risk and market performance