Introduction

The dozen years since the first edition of this book was published have witnessed increased interest in and media coverage of the investment world. The Internet has established itself as a fixture within the home and office, along with all the investment-related stories, facts, figures, applications, and scams that reside there. You can't flip through the channels on your television without running into a stock ticker at the bottom of your screen or a pitchman claiming that folks are just waiting to pay you to buy their property. And new books are published daily that claim to possess the secret to investing success. With all this attention, you may think that investing times have changed. But to a large degree, things haven't changed all that much. Investments that were considered lousy years ago — products with high fees and commission — generally are still lousy today.

The best investment vehicles for building wealth — stocks, real estate, and small business — haven't changed either. And you still need money to play in the investment world. Like the first edition of Investing For Dummies, the fifth edition of this national best-seller includes complete coverage of these wealth-building investments as well as other common investments, such as bonds. Here are the biggest changes in this edition:

  • Completely revised and updated: I've freshened up the data and examples in this book to provide you the latest insights and analyses. Wondering what all the fuss is about with ...

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