Investment Choices

In many parts of the world, life’s basic necessities — food, clothing,
shelter, and taxes — gobble the entirety of people’s meager earnings.
Although some Americans do truly struggle for basic necessities, the bigger
problem for most Americans is that they consider just about everything —
eating out, driving new cars, hopping on airplanes for vacation — to be a
necessity. I’ve taken it upon myself to help you
recognize that investing — that is, putting your money to work for you — is
also a necessity. If you want to accomplish important personal and financial
goals, such as owning a home, starting your own business, helping your kids
through college (and spending more time with them when they’re young),
retiring comfortably, and so on, you must know how to invest well.
It has been said, and too often quoted, that the only certainties in life are
death and taxes. To these two certainties I add one more: being confused by
and ignorant about investing. Because investing is a confounding activity,
you may be tempted to look with envious eyes at those people in the world
who appear to be savvy with money and investing. Remember that everyone
starts with the same level of financial knowledge — none! No one is born
knowing this stuff! The only difference between those who know and those
who don’t is that those who know have devoted their time and energy to
acquiring useful knowledge about the investment world.