Stock Investing For Dummies, 4th Edition -- About the Author -- Dedication -- Author's Acknowledgments -- Contents at a Glance -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- About This Book -- Conventions Used in This Book -- What You're Not to Read -- Foolish Assumptions -- How This Book Is Organized -- Icons Used in This Book -- Where to Go from Here -- Part I: The Essentials of Stock Investing -- Chapter 1: Surveying the World of Stock Investing -- Understanding the Basics -- Preparing to Buy Stocks -- Knowing How to Pick Winners -- Chapter 2: Taking Stock of Your Current Financial Situation and Goals -- Establishing a Starting Point by Preparing a Balance Sheet -- Funding Your Stock Program -- Setting Your Sights on Your Financial Goals -- Chapter 3: Defining Common Approaches to Stock Investing -- Matching Stocks and Strategies with Your Goals -- Investing for the Future -- Investing for a Purpose -- Investing for Your Personal Style -- Chapter 4: Recognizing Risk and Volatility -- Exploring Different Kinds of Risk -- Getting the Scoop on Volatility -- Minimizing Your Risk -- Weighing Risk against Return -- Chapter 5: Stock Investing through Exchange-Traded Funds -- Comparing Exchange-Traded Funds and Mutual Funds -- Choosing an Exchange-Traded Fund -- Taking Note of Indexes -- Part II: Before You Start Buying -- Chapter 6: Gathering Information -- Looking to Stock Exchanges for Answers -- Grasping the Basics of Accounting and Economics -- Staying on Top of Financial News -- Reading (And Understanding) Stock Tables -- Using News about Dividends -- Evaluating Investment Tips -- Chapter 7: Going for Brokers -- Defining the Broker's Role -- Distinguishing between Full-Service and Discount Brokers -- Choosing a Broker -- Discovering Various Types of Brokerage Accounts -- Judging Brokers' Recommendations -- Chapter 8: Investing for Long-Term Growth.

Becoming a Value-Oriented Growth Investor -- Choosing Growth Stocks with a Few Handy Tips -- Exploring Small Caps and Speculative Stocks -- Chapter 9: Investing for Income -- Understanding the Basics of Income Stocks -- Analyzing Income Stocks -- Exploring Some Typical Income Stocks -- Chapter 10: Understanding Technical Analysis for Stock Investors -- Comparing Technical Analysis and Fundamental Analysis -- Staying on Top of Trends -- Getting the Scoop on Technical Charts -- Surveying Technical Indicators for Stock Investors -- Part III: Picking Winners -- Chapter 11: Using Basic Accounting to Choose Winning Stocks -- Recognizing Value When You See It -- Accounting for Value -- Chapter 12: Decoding Company Documents -- A Message from the Bigwigs: Reading the Annual Report -- Dig Deeper: Getting a Second Opinion -- Do It Yourself: Compiling Your Own Research Department -- Chapter 13: Emerging Sector and Industry Opportunities -- Telling the Difference between a Sector and an Industry -- Interrogating the Sectors and Industries -- Outlining Key Sectors and Industries -- Chapter 14: Investing with Megatrends -- Setting the Stage for Megatrends -- Benefitting from Bullish Opportunities -- Taking a Bearish Outlook -- Important Considerations for Bulls and Bears -- Chapter 15: The Big Economic and Political Picture -- Tying Together Politics and Stocks -- Poking into Political Resources -- Part IV: Investment Strategies and Tactics -- Chapter 16: Choosing among Investing, Trading, and Speculating -- Distinguishing among Investing, Trading, and Speculating -- Utilizing the Tools of the Trade( r) -- Following the Basic Rules of Trading -- A Final Note on Speculating -- Chapter 17: Understanding Brokerage Orders and Trading Techniques -- Checking Out Brokerage Orders -- Buying on Margin -- Going Short and Coming Out Ahead.

Chapter 18: Using Trade Triggers and Advanced Conditional Orders -- Trying Trade Triggers -- Considering Advanced Conditional Orders -- Chapter 19: Getting a Handle on DPPs, DRPs, and DCA . . . PDQ -- Going Straight to Direct Purchase Programs -- Delving In to Dividend Reinvestment Plans -- The One-Two Punch: Dollar Cost Averaging and DRPs -- Chapter 20: Corporate and Government Skullduggery: Looking at Insider Activity -- Tracking Insider Trading -- Looking at Insider Transactions -- Considering Corporate Stock Buybacks -- Stock Splits: Nothing to Go Bananas Over -- Keeping a Close Eye on Congress -- Chapter 21: Keeping More of Your Money from the Taxman -- Paying through the Nose: The Tax Treatment of Different Investments -- Sharing Your Gains with the IRS -- Discovering the Softer Side of the IRS: Tax Deductions for Investors -- Taking Advantage of Tax-Advantaged Retirement Investing -- Part V: The Part of Tens -- Chapter 22: Ten Considerations When Your Stock Portfolio Is Down -- Do Nothing -- Evaluate the Big Picture -- Assess Your Needs -- Check the Stock Periodically -- Buy More Stock -- Consider a Stop-Loss Order -- Think about a Trailing Stop -- Survey Small Caps -- Explore Exchange-Traded Funds -- Sell the Losers -- Chapter 23: Ten Considerations When Your Stock Portfolio Is Up -- Reassess Your Portfolio Periodically -- Figure Out Whether Your Needs Have Changed -- Use the Almighty Trailing Stop Order -- Add Stability with Exchange-Traded Funds -- Apply Long-Term Logic -- Place a Limit Order -- Set Up Triggers -- Consider the Protective Put -- Check Out the Covered Call Option -- Think about a Zero-Cost Collar -- Chapter 24: Ten Challenges and Opportunities for Stock Investors -- Debt, Debt, and More Debt -- Inflation -- Unfunded Liabilities -- The Growth of Government -- International Challenges -- Recession/Depression -- Technology.

Commodities -- Energy -- Dangers from Left Field -- Chapter 25: Ten Great Strategies That Go Well with Stocks -- Gold -- Silver -- I Bonds -- Nonstock ETFs -- Inverse ETFs -- Protective Puts -- Covered Calls -- Zero-Cost Collars -- Tangibles -- Cash -- Part VI: Appendixes -- Appendix A: Resources for Stock Investors -- Financial Planning Sources -- The Language of Investing -- Textual Investment Resources -- Investing Websites -- Investor Associations and Organizations -- Stock Exchanges -- Finding Brokers -- Fee-Based Investment Sources -- Dividend Reinvestment Plans -- Sources for Analysis -- Tax Benefits and Obligations -- Fraud -- Appendix B: Financial Ratios -- Liquidity Ratios -- Operating Ratios -- Solvency Ratios -- Common Size Ratios -- Valuation Ratios -- Index.