Markets, Investments, and Retirement for Beginners - Start Here!

This book is intended for anyone just starting out in Investing or Retirement Planning.

It is intended to teach you the basics in short, simple, easy-to-understand terms.

While intended for younger people (recent High School or College graduates) it's
a good place to start for anyone who wants to learn how to invest.

Let's say that you just started a new job, and they have a 401K plan. Should
I be in it? What kind of questions do I need to ask to make this decision?
It has my choice of six Mutual Funds. Which ones should I pick? What the heck
is a Stock/Bond/Mutal Fund anyway? I've heard that a Roth IRA is a better deal,
and you can pick any Stock, Bond, Mutual fund there is. True? What if a
combination of the above (401k and Roth) is the best choice for me?

So many questions.

This book will teach you the answers quickly and easily. It is intentionally
short, simple and easy to read (for young people don't have long attention
spans). Long complicated words are avoided as much as possible.

Note also that you don’t have to be very smart to be a good investor.
In fact 85% of the “Professional” Mutual Fund Managers out there
(PhD’s from Harvard and Yale) can’t beat the S&P 500 Index.
Why not simply buy an S&P 500 Index Fund and be instantly smarter than most of them?

This is not Rocket Science.
This book will teach you the basics of becoming a smart investor.
The vast majority of people are not. Because they do not take the time to learn.
It will also teach you how to avoid the many pitfalls and stupid mistakes
that so many, who are just starting out, make every day.


TABLE of CONTENTS:
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Getting Started:
The most Powerful Force in the Universe is…
Start NOW, and be patient
Get out of debt (the BEST Investment)
Start an Emergency Fund / Brokerage Account
Use Direct Deposit at work
What the heck is a Stock/Bond/IRA anyway?

Retirement:
Get a Roth IRA and/or 401k
Your ultimate goal is to collect high-interest 30-year bonds
Buy at least one house
Stocks versus Bonds (how to Balance a Portfolio)
How to "Roll-over" and take control of 401k/403b/IRAs/etc from previous employers

Investment Basics:
Find the right Brokerage
Picking the right stock is easy (Index Funds)
Mutual Funds
Set up a Margin Account
You can make just as much if the market goes down (selling short)
Always set a Stop-Loss.
Dividends
Taxes and Tax Forms
Market Timing
Bonds again
In case of a Recession…

General Finance:
Making a Will is easy and cheap
How to minimize Credit Card debt
Save money on your Phone Bill
Build and Protect Your Credit Rating and Credit Report

Beware of:
"Professional" Financial Planners/Advisors
Annuities
Financial Analysts

Advanced Topics:
Picking stocks the hard way
Options trading
Advanced Market Timing (RSI, ROC, MACD Indicators)
Starting your own Company

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Conclusion

Random Notes:

Appendix 1 (An Overview of the Different Possible Retirement Plans):
Roth IRA
Traditional IRA
401k
403b
SEP

Appendix 2 (The DOW30 Stocks):

Appendix 3 (Ticker symbols that you need to know):

Appendix 4 (bullet item summary):

Glossary of Financial Terms