BI > JULY 2003

BI National Convention -- New Seminars in '03

Education: The Heart of Any National Event

More than 25 percent of the seminars at this year's Better Investing National Convention (Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Norfolk, Va.) are new. What offerings can you expect to find when you come to Norfolk this fall?

Eight Parallel Tracks

First off, as in previous years we've divided things up into tracks. You don't have to stick to one track; this is just an arrangement to help you decide which seminars are right for you. This year the tracks are Beginners, Just Beyond Beginners, Intermediate/Advanced, E-vesting, Industry Topics, Portfolio Management, Club Topics, Mutual Funds and General Topics.

That's actually nine topics, eight of which will be offered during any given hour. General Topics is sort of a catchall category. This year it includes seminars on estate-planning changes, income tax issues, foreign stocks and youth investing. This track also has popular presentations by Phil Keating and a seminar on return on equity by Gary Ball.

Panel Discussions

One popular format is the expert panel, for which we collect experienced NAIC investors and you get a chance to ask them questions. We have three separate panels scheduled. Mark Robertson will moderate one during which Ken Janke, Ralph Seger and Don Danko present completed Stock Selection Guides of their choice. Come and see how the experts do it.

New Jersey's own Joe Smith will moderate another panel in the Portfolio Management track, and Carol Haverty will host a National Investors Association panel to help you navigate the minefields of club dynamics.

Sharing Stocks to Study. One of the many educational events at the Better Investing National Convention in Norfolk, Va., will feature SSGs presented by NAIC trustees Ralph Seger (left) and Don Danko.

Popular New Workshops

Last year's annual convention featured the introduction of a multiseminar workshop aimed at investors who find themselves beyond the absolute beginning stage but who haven't yet mastered the basics. We've expanded this successful workshop into a full seven-seminar course, including a slightly deeper review of the concepts and judgment issues behind the SSG plus optional homework, a panel discussion and some help on improving your judgment.

We're also adding a second workshop this year, an intermediate-to-advanced survey. This workshop will review a host of analysis techniques available to NAIC investors that many aren't even aware of or find confusing. In this four-hour survey, we don't teach all you need to know about each technique; the goal is to provide intermediate investors with an understanding of what major techniques are available, when it does (and doesn't) make sense to use them and where they can obtain more information about the techniques.

What Else Is New?

This is just a taste of what we've got waiting for you in Norfolk. Other seminars you might find interesting include Hugh McManus' new presentation on what went wrong in the Internet bubble; Beate Melton, vice president of administration and manager of investor relations at Cemex, discussing investment in foreign stocks; and an expanded Mutual Fund track featuring NIA's Jennifer Evans, NAIC's Dennis Genord and BI "Mutual Fund Matters" columnist Amy Crane.

Complete Info on the Web Site

For complete and the most up-to-date information about educational seminars and anything else you want to know about the Better Investing National Convention, go to the convention Web site..

We're looking forward to seeing you in Norfolk. We're confident that you'll come back with a better understanding of investing the NAIC way -- and with some warm and happy memories.