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The Motley Fool
Money Guide
by Selena
Maranjian
Sample Pages
Introduction
Chances are, you’re moving through your
life with a big secret. It makes you
feel bad, but you’re too embarrassed to
address it or confess to it. The thought
of your colleagues at work or your
children finding out is mortifying. No,
I’m not talking about the fact that you
love Doris Day movies. Or that you were
the one who somehow managed to explode
that frozen pizza in the microwave. Or
that the reason your new diet isn’t
working is that you keep stopping at
Taco Bell on your way home from work.
No, it’s a different secret… and a big
one. Here are some of its facets:
• I don’t know much about personal
finance and I know even less
about investing.
• I have no idea what kind of insurance
I need or what “market capitalization”
means.
• I haven’t planned for my retirement
because I don’t know how.
• I’m just a big financial ignoramus.
If any or all of these ring true for
you, you’re not alone. Far from it. Most
of your friends, relatives, neighbors,
and colleagues probably feel the same
way. Just as you’re pretending that your
financial house is in order, so are
they.
You shouldn’t feel bad about this
secret. It’s not your fault. Very few
people are ever taught these things in
school. Don’t think that it’s a hopeless
situation, either. You can learn this
stuff. It’s not difficult or mysterious,
and the Fool is here to help you. The
Motley Fool exists to help people learn
about and manage anything financial.
This book is here to serve you — to
answer all those questions you’re too
embarrassed to ask, to make you think
about some issues that need your
attention, to help you save money when
you spend, and to help you make money
when you invest.
Much of the information in this book is
drawn from the Fool’s nationally
syndicated weekly newspaper feature. At
the time of this writing, roughly 200
large and small newspapers across the
U.S. and Canada carry it. (If your local
paper isn’t among them, just give the
editor a friendly jingle and ask for
it.) I write most of the feature, and
I’ve often heard from readers that they
crave a compilation of the information
in it. This is the answer to those
requests. It’s not exactly a
compilation, though, as half of the
content is new and the other half is
revised and updated.
I hope you find answers to most or all
of your financial questions in this
book. If any questions are left
unanswered, come visit us at Fool.com,
where you can ask more questions and get
speedy responses.
Here’s to a rosy future of smarter
spending and successful investing!
*****
What is Foolishness?
Keep in mind as you read this book that,
to us, “Foolish” is a positive
adjective. The Motley Fool takes its
name from Shakespeare. In Elizabethan
drama, the Fool is usually the only one
who can tell the king the truth without
losing his head — literally. We Fools
aim to tell you truth, too — that you
can learn enough about money and
investing to build a secure financial
future for yourself. To learn more about
The Motley Fool, drop by our website at
www.Fool.com or on America Online at
keyword: FOOL.
*****
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