During the financial crisis of 2008, things got scary. Large Wall Street firms were going under, stock prices were plummeting, and layoffs and unemployment rates were soaring. And all this was happening in the midst of the 2008 presidential election.
Talk of another Great Depression was in the air. In fact, polls showed a majority of Americans feared another depression was actually happening.
Housing prices were dropping sharply in most communities, and more and more properties were ending up in foreclosure. Investing didn’t seem so fun anymore. However, despite the fact that the downturn was the worst in decades, it had similarities to prior downturns, and those who kept their perspective and their cash ready were able to invest at attractive prices.
The best investment vehicles for building wealth stocks, real estate, and small business haven’t changed. But you still need money to play in the investment world. Like the first edition of Investing for Dummies, the sixth 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.
Confused about how tax law changes should affect your investment strategies? Wondering about investing in gold and other commodities?
Seeking a way to invest in stocks without exposing yourself to the tremendous risks experienced during the financial crisis of the late 2000s?
Curious about what an exchange-traded fund or hedge fund is and whether you should invest in one? Wondering how to use leveraged exchange-traded funds to boost your portfolio’s return?
Weighing whether to invest in real estate given current market conditions and the severe downturn in the late 2000s? Wondering what the best ways are to invest globally?
Having trouble making sense of various economic indicators and what they mean to your investment strategy?
Wanting to invest in a Health Savings Account (HSA) but don’t know why, where, or how? You can find the answers to these questions and many more in this edition.
Investing resources: With the continued growth in websites, software, publications, media outlets, and many other information sources offering investing advice and information, you’re probably overwhelmed about how to choose among the numerous investing research tools and resources.
Equally problematic is knowing who you can trust and listen to and who you need to ignore.
So many pundits and prognosticators claim excellent track records for their past predictions, but who, really, can you believe?
I explain how to evaluate the quality of current investment tools and resources, and I provide tips for who to listen to and who to tune out.
