Previous Articles - 2002

This Year's Features

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12/12/02 Buying on Bad News
Sometimes a bit of bad luck for a company can be a lucrative opportunity for your portfolio. How do you know which companies are permanent losers and which are undervalued?

11 /27/02 Security Analysis 1934 Edition
One of the most important investing texts in the history of finance, Security Analysis has become the cornerstone of Benjamin Graham's reputation.  In the seven hundred plus pages, Graham systematically teaches the reader to analyze stocks, bonds, and various other investments through careful examination of financial statements.  Read this product review and shop for the best prices.

11 /27/02 Product Review: HP 3300 Business Printer
The HP3300 Laser Jet Business Printer allows investors to copy, scan, and fax financial statements, newspaper articles, and annual reports. The truely enterprising investor can scan the documents and edit them right on the screen.  Read the full product review.

11 /26/02 Monopoly Tycoon - Finance Game Review
If you are expecting Monopoly Tycoon to be like the classic Monopoly board game, you're in for a surprise. Instead of rolling the dice, buying up property, and making trades, you will begin with a handful of cash and a specific goal [i.e., become the wealthiest competitor by the year 2000]. Your objective can be accomplished by purchasing real estate, building apartment buildings and businesses based upon customer demand, paying water and utility bills [unless you own the utilities!], and staying out of debt.

11 /25/02 Top 10 Monopoly Editions
Monopoly has been the staple game of every financial enthusiast for over seventy years. Here are ten different versions of the classic Monopoly game, ranging from a collector's edition with gold pieces to I Love Lucy. Whichever Monopoly Game you choose, use the MySimon links to compare prices from retailers all over the net.

11 /24/02 Product Review: Franklin Mint Collector's Edition Monopoly
The Franklin Mint Collector's Edition Monopoly is the coolest and most fitting gift for the financially-minded person in your life. With solid gold pieces, sterling silver houses, and a rich, wooden board, every player will feel like a millionaire!

11 /11/02 Profiting from Franchise Value
Not all companies are created equal.  One way you virtually guarantee your portfolio generates spectacular returns is to invest in companies that posses high franchise value.  Discover how to spot franchise value in a company in this article.

10 /27/02 The Truth about Insider Trading
If you read the news, work in an office, or talk with friends, you have been aware of the Martha Stewart - ImClone insider trading scandal for several months. Despite all of the coverage, you may still be unsure of what insider trading is and how it is punishable.

10 /13/02 Seven Tests of Defensive Stock Selection
Each autumn, I read Benjamin Graham's Intelligent Investor [ ].  It's principles are timeless, unquestionably accurate, and contain a sound intellectual framework for investing that has been tested by decades of experience.  As I considered the content of my weekly article, I decided to focus on the seven tests prescribed by Graham in Chapter 14, Stock Selection for the Defensive Investor .  Each of these will serve as a filter to weed out the speculative [or 'risky'] stocks from a conservative portfolio.

09/30/02 Investing Lesson 4 - Income Statement Analysis
Walk through an income statement line-by-line to discover how professional money managers analyze find great investments. Includes information on calculating profit margins, return on equity, and much more.

09/16/02 Preferred Stock and Individual Investors - Is it Right for You?
Investors rarely understand the concept of preferred stock and how it differs from the regular common stock most have in their portfolios.  Here's your chance to find out why it may or may not make sense for you to own preferred shares.

09/11/02 The Importance of Liquidity - A Lesson from September 11th
After the September 11th attack on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, the American financial system was shut down for four days.  With stock exchanges closed and money markets, stocks, and mutual funds frozen, investors temporarily lost access to their cash and investments.  A year later, as we reflect on the tragedy, investors should remember one important lesson... you must have liquid assets.  Find out where your money is safe, and how you should set up an emergency fund.

09/02/02 Invest in What You Know
One of the biggest keys to successful investing is to only purchase shares of companies you know and understand. Find out how to find these businesses by going through your own laundry room, or listening to your kids.

08/20/02 Preview: Investing Lesson 4
As I'm writing Lesson 4, Analyzing an Income Statement, I continue to receive wonderful letters, comments and suggestions from readers.  Here's a sneak peak at the first page or so of the upcoming lesson.  I hope you enjoy it!  There's much more to come.

07/30/02 - Teach Your Teen Financial Responsibility
Face it. In a few years, your teen will be on their own. One of the biggest advantages you can give him or her is a basic education in finance. Here are six lessons you should instill while they are still under your roof.

07/22/02 - Valuing Cyclical Stocks
Cyclical stocks can go from generating breath-taking profits one year, to devastating losses the next. Find out how an investor should value them to help ensure you never overpay again.

07/15/02 - Investing in Municipal Bonds
Tax-free municipal bonds can be a great investment for those in higher tax brackets. Read this quick and easy-to-use guide to find out if they are something you should consider adding to your portfolio.

07/09/02 - Worldcom's Magic Trick
Most investors don't understand how a company as large as Worldcom could hide $3.8 billion in expenses. The answer lies in CFO Scott Sullivan's treatment of capital expenditures and the accrual method, one of the basic principles of accounting.

07/02/02 - Warren Buffett CEO, The - Product Review
Berkshire Hathaway is known for its star managers and executives. In his new book, Robert P. Miles gives a detailed account of the tactics used by each of these business MVPs to increase profitability while crushing the competition.

05/22/02 - Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller - Product Review
Titan chronicles the journey of a poor young man who started with nothing but God and ambition and ended up with one of the largest concentrations of wealth and power in history.

05/05/02 - Interpretation of Financial Statements - Product Review
The Interpretation of Financial Statements is a wonderful reference guide for those who want to understand financial statements. Although some of the information is slightly out of date, you can be sure this book will still be useful in twenty years.

05/18/02 - The Intelligent Investor, Fourth Edition - Product Review
Whether you are a passive investor, or want to role up your sleeves and dive into the market, Ben Graham's Intelligent Investor has just what you are looking for.

04/30/02 - Martha, Inc - Product Review
Martha Stewart has long been considered America's premier homemaker. Now, thanks to Christopher Byron's new book Martha, Inc, she will be remembered for much more than that. Far from being a doting housewife, Martha Stewart is perhaps the most brilliant business woman in recent history.

04/25/02 - How to Think Like Ben Graham & Invest Like Warren Buffett - Product Review
"Cash is the ultimate economic payoff" insists Lawrence Cunningham, author of "How to Think Like Benjamin Graham and Invest Like Warren Buffett". In his newest book, Cunningham sets out to lay a broad foundation for what an investor should look for in a business.

04/17/02 - Art of the Market, The - Product Review
Collectors of stock and bond certificates will be ecstatic to add this to their library. The Art of the Market chronicles the evolution of the American stock certificate over the past two centuries.

04/03/02 - Morgan: American Financier - Product Review
J.P. Morgan remains one of the most influential men in American business. In his life, he organized the first billion-dollar merger, underwrote a majority of the nation's bond offerings, all the while accumulating one of the most impressive art collections in the world.

04/03/02 - Pay for Retirement with an Egg McMuffin and a Cup of Coffee
How many times have you swung by McDonalds on your way to work for a cup of coffee and an Egg McMuffin? It may seem like small change, but the $3 a day it is costing you to buy your breakfast can fund your retirement.

03/12/02 - How to Analyze a Balance Sheet: Investing Lesson 3
Corporate bankruptcies have been making the news almost nightly. How can you avoid being a casualty?  By learning to analyze financial statements, you can see warning signs a company is running into trouble before it's too late.  If you've already read the lesson, you can take the Quiz .

Articles from Past Years

2003 - Read articles, interviews, and features from 2003
2002 - Read articles, interviews, and features from 2002
2001 - Read articles, interviews, and features from 2001