Table of Contents
1 Cover
5 Preface
8 PART I: MASTER THE BASICS 1 Successful Investing Is Easier Than You Think A Great Time to Be an Investor Be Knowledgeable: Do Your Homework Be Disciplined: Develop Good Habits Be Skeptical: Avoid Fads Be Observant: Keep Learning About Investing 2 You Gotta Have Trust Trust Yourself Trust the Financial Markets Trust in Time Trust Your Financial Partner Get in the Game 3 A Map to Success: Hmm, Sounds Like a Plan The Single Most Important Thing to Do Think of Your Financial Needs as Imaginary Buckets Saving for Short-Term Needs Saving for College Saving for Retirement Your Debt Plan Know What You Don't Know 4 Save More—Without Feeling the Pinch Developing the Discipline of Saving The Magic of Dollar-Cost Averaging How to Become a Super-Saver Saving versus Investing Setting Your Savings Priorities One More Incentive to Start Saving Early Notes 5 Hope for the Best—But Prepare for Something Less When Inflation Rears Its Ugly Head Future Investment Returns Don't Count on Present Investment Conditions Continuing The Problem with the Long-Term Averages Scenario-Planning Tools Not-So-Great Expectations
9 PART II: CONSTRUCT A SENSIBLE PORTFOLIO 6 Balance and Diversification Help You Sleep at Night Why Balance Really Works Diversification Is Good for You—But Sometimes It Hurts A Case Study 7 You Need a Personal Investment Policy Whether You're Starting with Zillions or Zip Why You Should Care … a Lot Kicking the Tires on Some Different Portfolio Models Developing a Personal Investment Policy Financial Situation Time Horizon Risk Tolerance The Role of Bonds The Role of International Stocks Asset Allocation Models for Retirement Investing Note 8 Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds: The Easy Way to Diversify Securities or Funds? How Funds Work The Advantages of Funds How You Make Money as a Fund Investor Caveats to Consider 9 How to Pick a Mutual Fund (and How Not To) A Process for Constructing a Portfolio Step 1: Stocks, Bonds, Cash? It's Time to Decide Step 2: Where to Invest Within an Asset Class? Money Market Funds Bond Funds