Higher Returns from Safe Investments (Introduction and Chapter 2)

Book excerpt: This download is a chapter from Higher Returns from Safe Investments: Using Bonds, Stocks, and Options to Generate Lifetime Income (ISBN: 0137003358) by Marvin Appel. Available in print and digital formats. Read the following excerpt from the Introduction: “Give a person a fish and you have fed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you have fed him for life.” –Chinese proverb (Lao Tzu) In the wake of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, many investors are wondering how they can get attractive returns while still being able to sleep at night. This book shows you how, using investments that generate income. You might ask what this means. Isn’t the goal of all investments to generate income? Actually, there are two ways you can profit in the financial markets. One way is to buy low and sell higher (hopefully), thereby generating capital gains. The allure of investing in search of capital gains is that when you are successful, the profits can be very large. The main disadvantage of investing for capital gains is the significant risk that you will lose money. Even if your investment is ultimately profitable, you do not know in advance how much you will make or when your profits will materialize. The other way to profit, which is the subject of this book, is to own investments that pay you a stream of income in return for just holding them in your account, regardless of which direction the markets are moving. You can profit even during periods when the financial markets are flat. Bonds are a prime example of an income-generating investment: You buy a bond and collect the income every six months. Dividend-paying stocks are another. Stocks generally pay quarterly dividends. Even if the stock goes up and down while you hold it, you will continue to receive the quarterly dividend check as long as the company continues to pay. To continue reading, download this Introduction & Chapter 2. The full book is also available for sale in print and digital formats.