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STOCKS

Stocks

These days you'll be hard pressed to go anywhere or talk to anyone without the topic of stocks coming up. There was a time in a not so distant past when stocks were the topic of discussion for only a chosen few, and the rest of the public couldn't care less. Investments such as gold and real estate were more in tune with public's perception of things that had value and were worthy of consideration. In retrospect it isn't so difficult to understand why. People are naturally more comfortable with tangible materials: things they can see, touch, or make use of.A gold coin has an almost irresistible luster that does not corrode with the passage of time. Real estate can be used to build a house upon or can be developed into a rental property. Who would risk his hardearned money to buy a certificate (basically a piece of paper) from a company in the hopes of future appreciation? And nowadays you don't even receive a certificate when you buy stocks.

But for those who decided to jump into the stock investing early on, the rewards are proof enough. The roaring stock market of the nineties finally brought this form of investment into the limelight.And the press and media has certainly played its role in popularizing stocks as the preferred investment tool for the masses. Take a look around and you will see what I am talking about. The past few years has seen the rise of countless newspapers, magazines, and newsletters devoted to stocks. Numerous television channels and radio stations have sprung up that …