Chapter 1

Exploring Your Investment Choices

In This Chapter

arrow Defining investing

arrow Seeing how stocks, real estate, and small business build wealth

arrow Understanding the role of lending and other investments

arrow Knowing where not to put your money

In many parts of the world, life’s basic necessities — food, clothing, shelter, and taxes — gobble the entirety of people’s meager earnings. Although some Americans do truly struggle for basic necessities, the bigger problem for other Americans is that they consider just about everything — eating out, driving new cars, hopping on airplanes for vacation — to be a necessity. I’ve taken it upon myself (using this book as my tool) to help you recognize that investing — that is, putting your money to work for you — is a necessity. If you want to accomplish important personal and financial goals, such as owning a home, starting your own business, helping your kids through college (and spending more time with them when they’re young), retiring comfortably, and so on, you must know how to invest well.

It has been said, and too often quoted, that the only certainties ...

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