Table of Contents

Introduction  1

Part I: Getting Started with Investing 5

Chapter 1: First Steps on the Money Trail  7

Chapter 2: Checking Your Personal Life Before You Invest  23

Chapter 3: Recognising What Makes an Investor Tick  33

Chapter 4: Squaring Risks with Returns  45

Chapter 5: Being Aware of Small Print – and of Print that Isn’t There  59

Part II: Shares, Bonds and Other Investibles  71

Chapter 6: Comprehending How Stock Markets Work  73

Chapter 7: Taking the Cat walk Route to Investment Success  93

Chapter 8: Investing in Markets  109

Chapter 9: Analysing Stock-Market-Quoted Companies  125

Chapter 10: Banking on Bonds  145

Chapter 11: Conquering Commodities and Getting into Gold 161

Part III: Collective Investments and Pension Funds 173

Chapter 12: Looking at Fund Management  175

Chapter 13: Investing with a Trust  191

Chapter 14: Saving Up for Your Retirement  213

Chapter 15: Disinvesting During Your Retirement  229

Chapter 16: Selecting a Stockbroker or Financial Adviser  241

Chapter 17: Hedging Your Fund Bets  257

Chapter 18: Investing at Random and with the Intellectuals  267

Part IV: Property and Alternatives  277

Chapter 19: Investing in Bricks and Mortar  279

Chapter 20: Delving into Derivative Investments  297

Part V: The Part of Tens  311

Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Fact-Finding  313

Chapter 22: Ten Helpful Hints for You  323

Index  327

About the Author

Tony Levene writes on issues ranging from investments to tax to consumer rights and financial fraud. He has been a financial journalist for national newspapers for nearly 40 years, including 12 years at The Guardian. He has also contributed to magazines and investment websites, and commented on financial matters for BBC TV, BBC Radio and other radio stations.