Briefly Noted

Financial Planning
How to Calculate Your Portfolio's Return
The question every investor wants to know is: How well am I doing? Although some people are satisfied simply watching the dollars grow, most investors want that translated into a performance figure. A look at two methods.

First Cut
The First Cut: Real Dogs: Pet-Care Stocks
A starting point for investors. This issue's focus is on finding stocks in the pet-care industry, an area that some investors believe may be "recession-proof."

Stock Strategies
Measuring Managers' Mettle: A Revealing Investment Gauge
A critical part of the investment evaluation process is gauging management effectiveness, quality, and character. Surprisingly, this is often disregarded by Wall Street. What to look for to determine whether management can be trusted.

Investor Professor
The Bottom Line: How to Calculate Your Portfolio's Return
The question every investor wants to know is: How well am I doing? Although some people are satisfied simply watching the dollars grow, most investors want that translated into a performance figure. A look at two methods for calculating your portfolio's return.

Stock Strategies
How to Nail Down Your Profits: 20 Questions for a Disciplined Approach
Much attention is given to studying what to buy, but inadequate energy is devoted to the hold/sell decision. This is backward, since dollars already invested are at more risk than cash not yet invested. How you can implement a disciplined approach to your decisions on whether and when to sell.

Offbeat Offerings
Offbeat Offerings: LEAPS
An investor reference for products that are not your typical offerings. This issue's focus is on Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPS).

Stock Screens
Sorting Out the Winners in the Low Price-to-Book Stock Universe
A mountain of research points to the long-term success of value-based stock selection, and University of Chicago accounting professor Joseph Piotroski further refines the approach, using basic financial criteria to help separate the winners from the losers. A look at our stock screen based on the Piotroski approach.

AAII Model Portfolios
Model Fund Portfolio Update and a Look at How Various Indexes Are Weighted
The Model Mutual Fund Portfolio is down for the year to date at -3.8%, but performing well considering the weak election-year market. Also, a look at the various methods for weighting stocks in indexes - and which one is best.

Portfolio Strategies
Optimizing Your Retirement Income: What Works Best and Why
Only a small minority of Baby Boomers are accumulating enough savings to provide for their income needs. But those approaching retirement can improve their financial security in retirement, depending on their flexibility and their approach to four big decisions that are under their control.

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.