TheStreet.com Ratings Ultimate Guided Tour of Stock Investing 2008

This important reference guide from TheStreet.com Ratings is just what librarians around the country have asked for - a step-by-step introduction to stock investing for the beginning to intermediate investor.

This easy-to-navigate guide explores the basics of stock investing and includes the intuitive TheStreet.com Investment Rating on more than 5,800 stocks complete with real-world investing information that can be put to use immediately with stocks that fit the concepts discussed in the guide; informative charts, graphs and worksheets; easy-to-understand explanations on topics like P/E, compound interest, marked indices, diversifications, brokers, and much more; along with financial safety ratings for every stock on the NYSE, American Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.

This consumer-friendly guide is complete with:

• How-to information on stock investing that can be put to use right away!
• A friendly format complete with our "Wise Guide" who leads the reader on a safari to learn about the investing jungle.
• Simple explanations about important stock investing topics like P/E, compound interest, market indexes, diversifications, brokers and much more.
• Helpful charts, graphs and simple worksheets including an "Investor Profile Quiz" to determine risk tolerance and "10 Questions to Ask Your Broker."
• The intuitive TheStreet.com Investment rating on over 6,000 stocks — every stock found on the NYSE, American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
• And much more!

TheStreet.com Ratings Guides
TheStreet.com’s rating scale is extremely straightforward and easy to understand. There are no complicated number grades to interpret, no colored paper to decode, and no stars to count. Instead, each entry gets a simple, intuitive letter grade that immediately identifies the wheat from the chaff. This is one more reason why TheStreet.com Ratings is widely recognized as "America's Consumer Advocate for Financial Safety." The TheStreet.com Safety Ratings have been proven to be the most accurate available from any of the major rating agencies. Plus, unlike the other major rating agencies, TheStreet.com does not accept compensation from the companies it rates, and thus does not allow companies to influence the ratings they receive or to suppress the release of their ratings. In fact, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) validated TheStreet.com’s accuracy in its Insurance Ratings study, and that same superior rating methodology is used when deriving all other ratings as well.

Please Note: This publisher is in a remote location. As such, it may take up to 4 business days before a hard copy order is able to be shipped from this location.

Foreword: Welcome to the Ultimate Guided Tour of Stock Investing

Why TheStreet.com?

TheStreet.com Ratings, Inc. Mission Statement

TheStreet.com Ratings' Top-Rated Stocks

Be Wise - Look Ahead!

No Time Like the Present!

Wise Guide Keeps You On Track

Don't Get Lost

Part I: Know the Jungle

Chapter 1: Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My!

Survival Tip: Diversify Your Portfolio!

Chapter 2: Which Type of Stock Should You Pick?

Deserves Another Look: Preferred Stock Benefits

Be On The Lookout: Dividend Payments

How Do You Make Money Investing In Stock?

Chapter 3: What's the Temperature of the Lake Today?

Deserves Another Look: Index Returns

Check the Benchmark

Table: 10 Leading Indicators

Chart: Market Index Returns

Define Your Stock Market Index

The S&P 500 Index

The DJIA, or Dow Jones Industrial Average

Be On The Lookout: Choosing the Right Index

NASDAQ Composite Index

Russell 3000® Index

Russell 2000® Index

Chart: Market Index Characteristics

Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index

Learn How to Read the Clues

Stock Exchange Market Profile Graphic

Chapter 4: Pay Attention! You're Walking in a Jungle

Survival Tip: Assessing Performance

Examples of Sectors

Deserves Another Look: Retirement Savings

Part II: Know the Map

Chapter 5: You're on a Mission - Yours!

Your Personal Financial Mission Statement

Be On The Lookout: Mission Statement Focus

Chapter 6: Taming That Animal Called RISK

How Much Risk Can I Handle?

How Do I Balance Risk Against My Expectations?

How Can I Reduce My Risk?

How Can Risk Reward Me?

Survival Tip: Performance Expectations

Chapter 7: What's Your Investing Speed: Slow and Steady - or Smokin'?

Survival Tip: Risk Tolerance

Survival Tip: Stay Focused

Beginner Investor Quiz

Chapter 8 : Find the Hidden Treasure in Risk

Survival Tip: Tax-Free Money

Don't Take the Wrong Turn!

Look at the Map This Way

Be On The Lookout: Education IRAs

Deserves Another Look: Tax-Deferred Savings

Chapter 9: How Fast (Growth) or Slow (Income) Will You ou Go?

Table: Growth and Income Stocks

Table: Growth Stocks

Table: High Dividend Yielding Stocks

Table: Aggressive Growth Stocks

Table: Top Performing Stocks by Sector

Chapter 10: Slim Down (On Debt) And Gain (Financial) Muscle

The Miracle of Compounding

Chart: Finding Money to Save

The Miracle of Compound Interest

Start Saving The Smart Way — With Tax-free Dollars!

A Little Help From Uncle Sam:

Company-based Plans

IRA Accounts

Dollar-Cost Averaging Evens Out the Terrain

Part III: Know the Trail

Chapter 11: Where Do I Look for the Right Clues?

P/E or Price-to-Earnings Ratio

Earnings Per Share, or EPS

Stock Comparison Worksheet

Chapter 12: It's All About Performance

Survival Tip: Future Performance

Chapter 13: Show Me the Money!

Chapter 14: It's the Price That Counts

Table: Low P/E Stocks

Be On The Lookout: High-Dividend Yields

Table: Top Performing Stocks with Low Risk

Compare, Compare!

Table: Dow Jones Industrial Average Stocks

Table: S&P 500 Stocks

Table: Wilshire 5000 Stocks

Table: Russell 2000 Stocks

Table: NASDAQ Composite Stocks

Chapter 15: Laugh at the (Risk) Traps - Use These Wise Tips

Business and Industry Risk

Inflation Risk

Liquidity Risk

Survival Tip: Diversification

Market Risk

Survival Tip: Inflation Risk

Chapter 16: You'll Need a Trader's Help

Deserves Another Look: Investing Readiness

Full-service Brokers

Discount Brokers

Online Brokers

Advantages of Full-Service Firms

Be On The Lookout: Commissions

Disadvantages of Full-Service Firms

Advantages of Discount and Online Brokerage Firms

Disadvantage of Discount and Online Brokerage Firms

Be On The Lookout: Broker Guarantees

Chapter 17: Don't Get Stranded in the Jungle - Check Your Broker's Record!

Investigate the Broker’s and the Firm’s Integrity.

Be On The Lookout: SIPC Members

Shop Around for the Best Commissions.

Interview Your Broker.

Be On The Lookout: Broker Check-Up

Broker Comparison Checklist

10 Questions to Ask Your Broker

Be On The Lookout: FDIC Insurance

Chapter 18: Put in Your Market Order

Market Order

Limit Order

Day Order

Good Till Canceled

Stop-Loss Order

Survival Tip: Length of Investment

Chapter 19: Set Up Your Camp

Survival Tip: Cash Investment

Performance Rating

Risk Rating

Overall Investment Rating

Keeping Your Eye on the Prize

Chapter 20: Stay Ahead of the Market with These Three Steps

Step #1: Keep on Track.

Step #2: Keep Score

Step #3: Keep Informed

Be On The Lookout: Performance

Appendix

Appendix A: 13 Wise Warnings Before You Invest Your First Dollar

Appendix B: Four Golden Rules on Reducing Investor Risk

Appendix C: Terms and Conditions

Important Warnings and Cautions

Appendix D: What Our Ratings Mean

Appendix E: Table Column Definitions

Glossary

Index of Stock Ratings

What Our Ratings Mean

Index of Stock Ratings Contents

TheStreet.com Ratings' Products