Amazon.com Review
Charles B. Carlson strongly believes that anyone can become a blue-chip stock investor: you can do it with $50 a month, little or no money up front, no fees, and--best of all--no broker. In his book,
The Individual Investor Revolution, Carlson writes that this is the best way to participate in today's stock market.
For those who need an introduction, Carlson is a noted pied piper of "dividend reinvestment plans" or DRIPs--programs that invite you to buy stock directly from companies, without a broker. About 1,100 companies offer stock via optional monthly cash payments and reinvesting of dividends. Better yet, 400 of these--including Disney, Exxon, IBM, and Compaq--will sell you the first share without a broker. The increasing popularity of investing "drip by drip" is one sign of the extraordinary clout that small investors are wielding on Wall Street these days, Carlson says. The Internet also is changing the face of investing by providing online trading and easy access to high-level information and research, he writes. With DRIPs, 401(k) retirement plans, no-load mutual funds, and Roth IRAs, people are getting all the tools they need to build wealth over time. "You have the ability to change your financial future, as well as the financial futures of your children and your grandchildren," writes Carlson, who publishes investment newsletters and comanages a mutual fund.
Carlson's fans will enjoy this book's "ultimate individual-investor portfolios," featuring his best picks for mutual funds, individual stocks, and mini-profiles of 60 top companies. The book also includes a valuable directory with performance histories of nearly 200 companies offering direct purchase of stock. The Individual Investor Revolution is excellent for readers who want an all-inclusive guide to DRIPs. It's also a great primer for people starting out in the stock market. --Dan Ring
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Carlson is editor of two popular investment newsletters,
Dow Theory Forecasts and
The DRIP (Dividend Re-investment Plan)
Investor. He is also author of
Buying Stocks without a Broker (1992, 1996), a book that provides investment tips and touts dividend reinvesting. Every time Carlson makes one of his frequent appearances on the financial talk-show circuit, he generates renewed demand for his book. The same will happen with this new title, which advises investors how to buy stocks directly--again without having to use a broker or pay a commission. First he discusses the role of the individual investor, provides basic investing "rules" and strategies, and describes the resources that are available for finding investment information and research. Carlson also explains the nuts-and-bolts details of purchasing stock directly. The most important feature of his book, though, is the detailed lists he provides. He identifies National Association of Investment Clubs regional contacts and profiles U.S. and foreign companies whose stock can be purchased directly for minimal transaction fees.
David Rouse
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
