Accounting For Dummies®, 4th Edition

13.2. Becoming a More Savvy Investor

An investment opportunity in a private business won't show up on your doorstep every day. However, if you make it known that you have money to invest as an equity shareholder, you may be surprised at how many offers come your way. Alternatively, you can invest in publicly traded securities, those stocks and bonds listed every day in The Wall Street Journal. Your stockbroker would be delighted to execute a buy order for 100 shares of, say, Caterpillar for you. Keep in mind that your money does not go to Caterpillar; the company is not raising additional money. Your money goes to the seller of the 100 shares. You're investing in the secondary capital market — the trading in stocks by buyers and sellers after the shares were originally issued some time ago. In contrast, I invested in the primary capital market, which means that my money went directly to the business.

You may choose not to manage your securities investments yourself. Instead, you can put your money in one or more of the thousands of mutual funds available today, or in an exchange-traded fund (a recent type of investment vehicle). You'll have to read other books to gain an understanding of the choices you have for investing your money and managing your investments. Be very careful about books that promise spectacular investment results with no risk and little effort. One book that is practical, well written, and levelheaded is Investing For Dummies, 4th Edition, by Eric Tyson (Wiley). ...