Briefly Noted

Portfolio Strategies
Should You Consider a Roth IRA Conversion in 2010?
The new tax act passed earlier this year opens the Roth IRA conversion door to more investors starting in 2010. Even investors with relatively high annual incomes who are approaching retirement or recently retired may find it worthwhile to convert at least a part of their IRAs to a Roth IRA. A look at when it is most advantageous.

Matter of Opinion
First Half Model Fund Portfolio Update and a New Model ETF Portfolio
A mid-year review shows the Model Fund Portfolio is in positive territory. Plus, introducing AAII's new experimental model portfolio of exchange-traded funds, focusing on low-cost, smaller-cap value-oriented ETFs.

Financial Planning
Analyzing Your Financial Health Using Personal Financial Ratios
Many individuals use financial ratios as a concise way to assess the financial health of a company. This article introduces a set of personal financial ratios to analyze your own financial standing.

Stock Screens
Small-Company Investing Using the "Oberweis Octagon"
AAII's screen patterned after the Oberweis Octagon focuses on rapidly growing companies that are attractively priced. A look at how the screen has performed, and its current holdings.

Financial Planning
Money Matters: Teaching Kids to Be "Trust" Worthy
The problem of raising financially responsible children is compounded when children receive trust funds. Tips on how to prepare a child or grandchild well in advance for an inheritance.

Hot Links
Lost and Found on the Internet
Find out how to search for unclaimed property and how to reclaim lost assets from federal government agencies.

Stock Strategies
"Predicting the Markets of Tomorrow": The James O'Shaughnessy Approach
Can past trends indicate future trends? James O'Shaughnessy believes they can. In his newest book, O'Shaughnessy examines stock market history and develops a stock selection approach for individual investors that attempts to take maximum advantage of current trends.

First Cut
The First Cut: Cash-Rich Firms
The top 30 stocks that pass a screen focusing on firms trading with a high level of net cash per share relative to share price.

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

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