Briefly Noted

Hot Links
Tracking Company Webcasts
More and more companies are offering on-line broadcasts of shareholder meetings, quarterly and annual earnings releases, company announcements, press releases and much more.

Stock Strategies
The Hybrid Advantage: Why Preferreds Are Preferred
The last few years have been tough for yield-oriented investors. But there is one income vehicle that can augment holdings in low-yielding common stocks. A closer look at the preferred stock advantage.

Features
Driehaus' Growth & Momentum Investing: A Roller-Coaster Ride
The Driehaus approach is based on the philosophy of Richard Driehaus, one of 25 money managers named to the Barron’s All-Century Team in 2000. The screen focuses on small and mid-cap companies with rapidly growing earnings--and stock prices to match.

First Cut
The First Cut: High and Consistent Growth
A starting point for investors. This issue's focus is on exchange-listed stocks that have increased revenue and earnings per share in each of the last five fiscal years.

Mutual Funds
"Enhanced" Index Funds: Can They Beat the Market?
A skeptical look at the new breed of "indexers" who focus on weighting portfolios by fundamental factors, such as dividends and cash flows, rather than market capitalizations.

Insurance Products
What You Need to Know About Immediate Annuities
Immediate annuities can be a valuable retirement asset for retirees willing to exchange principal for guaranteed lifetime income. What to look for in an immediate annuity.

Offbeat Offerings
Offbeat Offerings: Brokered Certificates of Deposit
An investor reference for products that are not your typical offerings. This issue's focus is on CDs purchased through brokerage firms.

Bonds
An Investor's Guide to Inflation-Protected Securities
In 1997, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities were introduced to help protect investors against the erosion of purchasing power. One year later the concept was extended to the savings bond program. A closer look at how these securities have performed, and how they work.

Departments
Letters to the Editor
Member questions and comments on recent AAII Journal articles.

Departments
Briefly Noted
Current news items of interest to individual investors.

Stock Strategies
Is the Historic Small-Cap Cycle Coming to an End?
An analysis by T. Rowe Price suggests that the best days of the small caps may be behind us.