The stock market has always been a centerpiece of the American financial scene. With a balanced portfolio that includes stocks you can make a relatively quick profit or save for retirement_if you know what you're doing.Whether you're a beginner that wants to take a crash course on stock investing or you're already a stock investor who would like to review your current situation, Stock Investing For Dummies has valuable lessons to offer.Stock Investing For Dummies will give you a realistic approach to making money in stocks. It offers the essence of sound, practical stock investing strategies and insights that have been market tested and proven from nearly a hundred years of stock market history. This book will help you succeed not only in up markets, but also in down markets. Easy-to-follow and reassuring, this guide will make you a better-informed investor through an exploration of:What stocks are and why you should invest in themHow to create a successful stock portfolioThe best ways to invest: conservative, aggressive, long-term, short-termInformation gathering techniques you can use to research stocks before you invest in themInvesting for growth versus incomeHow to analyze industries, companies, and stocksMinimizing the tax on your capital gainsKnowing when not to investHow to choose the right brokerBull markets and bear markets come and go, but the informed investor can keep making money no matter what. Packed with tips for building wealth and holding on to it, Stock Investing For Dummies will show you how to buy and sell with confidence in no time!

Paul Mladjenovic is a certified financial planner practitioner, financial consultant, writer, and public speaker who has a Web site at www.mladjenovic.com. His business, PM Financial Services, has helped people with financial and business concerns since 1981. He achieved his CFP designation in 1985 and his BA degree from Seton Hall University in 1981. Since 1986, Paul has taught thousands of budding investors through popular national seminars such as "The $50 Wealthbuilder" and "Stock Investing like a Pro." Paul has been quoted or referenced by many media outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC, and many financial and business publications and Web sites. As an author, he has written the books The Unofficial Guide to Picking Stocks (Wiley, 2000) and Zero-Cost Marketing (Todd Publications, 1995) and reports such as "1,001 Stocks with Dividend Reinvestment Plans." In addition, he has authored the software kit Internet Wealth-Building Tools for Investors and the forthcoming CD The Financial Mega-Kit. In recent years, he has achieved attention as a result of his economic forecasting. In 1999, he forecast the bear market of 2000 and the recession of 2001.