Appreciation, dividends, interest, and inflation all affect the value of investments. The concepts of compounding, portfolios, and diversification should influence investment strategies. Whether you are a novice or budding expert, there is much to consider and know when investing: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, retirement planning, college, and tax strategies, just for starters. It can be difficult and confusing. The Handy Investing Answer Book explains the basics of investing, and it explores a variety of investments and their differences, offering tips for avoiding poor returns and unnecessary risk. Most important, it gives valuable information on how to prevent banks, mutual fund managers, and financial advisers from getting rich at your expense. This handy primer provides 1,400 easy-to-understand answers to questions range from the simple to the complex, such as: • Why is dollar cost averaging a beneficial strategy for investing? • What are some of the steps to establishing the right goals for investing? • What is a market index? • What is a home equity loan? • What types of risks could we see if we own individual stocks? • When did mutual funds start? • What is laddering?