Add to Quality Holdings (January 01, 2007)

Gauging the Gurus (January 01, 2007)

The Quest for Good Results (December 01, 2006)
Investors Quest Investment Club has gotten solid results partly from a willingness to hang on to good growth stocks through market swings, notes analyst Maury Elvekrog.

Don't Let Rotations Spin You Around (December 01, 2006)
Historically, small-cap stocks have outperformed large-caps. From 1925 to 2005, small-caps returned an average of 12.6 percent a year, compared with 10.4 percent for large-company stocks, Ibbotson Associates says.

Throttle Up Your Portfolio (November 01, 2006)
The Women's Investment Network has done well with its portfolio but could do a few more things to turbocharge the club's returns, suggests analyst Scott Horsburgh.

Strive for Balance (October 01, 2006)
In his review of the Colorado Let's Invest Club, analyst Maury Elvekrog emphasizes the importance of striving for a proper portfolio balance.

Bigger Isn't Always Better (September 01, 2006)
Too many large-cap stocks can put the brakes on portfolio performance, observes analyst Scott D. Horsburgh in his review of Active Partners Investment Club holdings.

Ignore Short-Term Price Blips (August 01, 2006)
Stock prices vary randomly, so investors should focus instead on each holding's potential, advises analyst Maury Elvekrog in his review of the ACTIFF Investment Club.

Small-Caps Can Boost Growth (July 01, 2006)
In his review of the Surreywood Investment Club portfolio, analyst Scott D. Horsburgh suggests clearing out some deadwood and boosting the percentage of small-cap stocks.

Saying No to Stock Boycotts (July 01, 2006)
Let's say you don't morally approve of some company. How much good would it do if you and a few like-minded investors boycotted the company's stock? None.

The Art of Selling (June 01, 2006)
Selling a stock is rarely an easy decision. This month we present a brief overview of what to do before selling a stock, along with a summary of the eight reasons for doing so.

Independent Judgment Enhances Portfolio (June 01, 2006)
Analyst Maury Elvekrog demonstrates how independent judgment has helped the Penny Annie's Women's Investment Club construct a strong portfolio.

Methodical Approach Delivers (May 01, 2006)
The methodical approach taken by the Tyler Women's Investment Group is reviewed by Scott Horsburgh.

Buy What You Know (March 01, 2006)
Scott Horsburgh encourages the Capital Gains Investment Club to maintain a properly balanced portfolio.

Avoiding Humdrum Results (February 01, 2006)
Has the portfolio of Women Investing Profitably become stagnant? Maury Elvekrog responds.

Danko's Better World Portfolio Update (January 29, 2006)
February 2006 marks three years since we began investing in a "better world portfolio" for our three daughters. We wanted to show them that investing, done the right way, would be a very good thing both for them and for others in our society as well. We wanted to make capitalism a nice word in their life experiences and vocabulary. Finally, we wanted to let them know a bit more about what we value highly in life. After three years, how have we done so far? What have they learned? What have we learned?

Rebalance Your Portfolios for the New Year (January 02, 2006)
The books are closed for 2005 and a fresh investing year is ahead for 2006. Now is the time for investors to resolve to organize and review their investment portfolios.

Spinoffs Present Conundrums, and Sometimes Opportunities (January 01, 2006)
During the past few years, companies have spunoff operations to shareowners for various reasons. Ken Janke discusses the pros and cons of holding their shares.

Cut Back on Lumbering Giants? (January 01, 2006)
Even an investment club that has established excellent habits should never stop learning, says Scott Horsburgh.

Small-Caps Have Their Place (December 01, 2005)
Maury Elvekrog helps the Women Invest Now Investment Club define the meaning of risk.

The Don'ts of Selling (December 01, 2005)
Ken Janke talks about situations in which you may not want to sell a stock.

Guarding the Castle (November 01, 2005)
Morningstar's Moats

Taxes Both Apparent and Hidden (November 01, 2005)
For many investors, the end of the year is traditionally a time of reflecting over their portfolios. They look over the stocks with paper losses and consider whether they should sell any of them. By doing so they could offset gains taken earlier in the year. It can be an effective way to reduce tax bills.

Staying the Course (November 01, 2005)
Scott Horsburgh identifies the strengths and weaknesses of 10-year-old Clear Lake Investment Club.

Benchmarking Can Be an Essential Tool (November 01, 2005)
Voice of the American Shareholder -- There are as many ways to measure your investment portfolio's performance as there are experts. But almost a third of all American shareholders are ignoring one of the most common tools for checking stock performance: benchmarking against indexes.

Stop-Loss Orders a Source of Regret (November 01, 2005)
Stop-loss orders sound good in theory, but in practice they seldom work well, says Ken Janke.

The Selling Quandary (October 01, 2005)
Ken Janke discusses one of the most difficult decisions for investors -- when to sell.

How Now, DRIPs? (October 01, 2005)
What do Dell, Yahoo! and XM Satellite Radio have in common? All of these stocks trade on the Nasdaq National Market. And all are leaders in their respective technology markets: Dell dominates the market for personal computers; Yahoo! is a leading player in the Internet space; and XM Satellite Radio is revolutionizing how we listen to radio. Another commonality -- and this will surprise many of you -- is that Dell, Yahoo! and XM Satellite offer dividend reinvestment plans.

Watch Those Prices (October 01, 2005)
The probabilities are overwhelming that paying too much for the stock of an excellent company won't work out, says Maury Elvekrog.

Returning to the Basics (September 01, 2005)
Scott Horsburgh helps members of the Limestone Investment Club identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Early Success Can Be Deceiving (August 01, 2005)
Early success may not always lead to good fortune, according to Maury Elvekrog.

Benchmarks and Baskets -- Keeping an Eye on Your Eggs (June 01, 2005)
Anthony Maramarco, co-editor of the Babson Staff Letter, revisits the topic of benchmarks in a reprint of the newsletter originally published April 15.

Crank Up the Gain (June 01, 2005)
A basic principle of investing is the relationship between risk and return, says Maury Elvekrog.

Downloading Stock Quotes (March 01, 2005)
Bonnie Biafore features time-saving stock-quote download tools available on the Web.

A Look Ahead at 2005: Sector Views (March 01, 2005)
Babson's analysts report their views on several sectors in an excerpt from their Jan. 28 newsletter.

Unilever N.V. (February 28, 2005)
The company is paring down its management structure and lineup of products to increase its competitiveness and improve results.

Newcomers to the Top 200 (February 28, 2005)
BI's annual survey of widely held investment club holdings is one of my favorite places to find new stocks to study.

Small-Caps Win Again (February 28, 2005)
In February Ibbotson Associates published its review of the stock market in 2004. Here's an excerpt from the report in which the research firm discusses the returns of small- and large-cap stocks.

Trash Talk (February 01, 2005)
Our trash disappears every week, and we collectively pay a lot of money to make sure it stays out of sight and out of mind.

Boston Scientific Corporation (February 01, 2005)
Boston Scientific Corporation -- The introduction of a blockbuster product for treating coronary disease has boosted results for this medical device manufacturer.

Sifting for Small-Caps (February 01, 2005)
Finding small-cap stocks to study can expand your knowledge and your investment possibilities. Here are some good places to look for fresh ideas.

Abbott Laboratories (January 31, 2005)
Abbott Laboratories -- This leading pharmaceutical company is expanding in areas such as glucose-monitoring products for diabetics.

NAIC Growth Screen (January 31, 2005)
In this month's screen the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 58, two fewer companies than made the last growth screen.

Borders Group, Inc. (January 01, 2005)
Borders Group, Inc. -- With more than 1,200 stores worldwide, this Michigan-based company is a leading retailer of books, music and related merchandise.

NAIC Growth Screen (January 01, 2005)
Our thanks to Computer Group Honorary Chairman Phil Keating for his continuing contribution of this popular source of stock study ideas for investors following NAIC principles and stock study techniques.

The Ones That Got Away (December 31, 2004)
While proofreading this month's "Repair Shop," I noticed that the Midland Jayvestors investment club's portfolio included Bright Horizons Family Solutions.

The Big Payback (December 31, 2004)
A Fool for Dividends

Southwest Airlines Co. (December 31, 2004)
Southwest Airlines Co. -- Unlike many of its competitors, this discount airline is making a profit despite rising fuel costs and other challenges.

Medtronic, Inc. (December 31, 2004)
Medtronic, Inc. -- Cardiac implants such as pacemakers were Medtronic's earliest products, and they remain the company's largest product category.

NAIC Growth Screen (December 01, 2004)
Searching for stock study ideas? Here's a contribution from Phil Keating and Better Investing BITS that may bring some fresh ideas.

NAIC Growth Screen (December 01, 2004)
In this month's screen the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 49, down 13 from the 62 companies that made the last growth screen).

Online Investing Hacks (December 01, 2004)
Like many seasoned NAIC investors, Bonnie Biafore makes most of her investment decisions sitting in front of a computer.

Stock Study: EPIQ Systems (December 01, 2004)
EPIQ Systems (EPIQ) was again listed in this year's Forbes 200 Best Small Companies, ranking No. 37. Is it a stock NAIC members should consider? Maybe. Maybe not.

Dell Inc. (November 30, 2004)
Dell Inc. -- Although nearly doubling sales and earnings, this computer products and services provider failed to achieve a doubling in price appreciation.

Danger: Falling P/Es (November 30, 2004)
The best time to be reminded of a lesson about investing often is when times are relatively good.

Let's Kick Some Tires (November 30, 2004)
Right after finishing college I developed an intense interest in stock investing.

Amdocs Limited (November 30, 2004)
Amdocs Limited -- This international holding company is the leading supplier of customer relations management solutions for telecommunications companies.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (November 30, 2004)
This Milwaukee-based manufacturer holds almost 50 percent of the domestic market for heavy motorcycles.

The Stanley Works (November 30, 2004)
The Stanley Works -- This worldwide supplier of tools and security products has seen marked improvement in its results over the past 18 months.

Industry Averages From ICLUBcentral (November 01, 2004)
Bonnie Biafore takes a look at several industry averages important to NAIC stock analysis that are available through the ICLUBcentral Web site.

The Search for Growth (November 01, 2004)
Whether it's your investment club, investment publications or everyday life experiences, there are plenty of sources for finding stock study candidates. Joe Smith, Bob Bilkie, Charles Allmon and Maury Elvekrog contribute their suggestions.

NAIC Growth Screen (November 01, 2004)
In this month's screen the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 62, down six from the 68 companies that made the last growth screen.

Capitalizing on the Global Market (October 31, 2004)
"An investor who chooses to ignore investment opportunities outside of the United States is missing out on roughly half of the investable developed stock market opportunities in the world," says Ibbotson Associates in its 2004 yearbook.

Copart, Inc. (October 31, 2004)
Copart, Inc. -- Heavier use of the Internet has reduced costs and strengthened margins for this salvage vehicle auction business.

That's What Management Is For (October 31, 2004)
As many owners of Merck stock now know, the stock price took a huge hit after the company recently pulled its Vioxx blockbuster drug off the market because of health concerns.

Manor Care, Inc. (October 31, 2004)
With its network of several hundred skilled-nursing facilities, assisted-living centers and related services, this Ohio-based company is among the largest health-care providers in its industry.

SYSCO Corporation (October 31, 2004)
SYSCO Corporation -- North America's largest food-service distributor, SYSCO delivers both food and nonfood supplies to more than 420,000 restaurants and institutions mostly in the United States and Canada.

Teleflex Incorporated (October 31, 2004)
Teleflex Incorporated -- This Pennsylvania manufacturer's lines include automotive, aerospace, medical and recreational marine products.

Bank of America Corporation (October 31, 2004)
Bank of America Corporation -- This leading bank holding company is ranked No. 3 nationwide in total assets.

Stick to the Tried and True (October 01, 2004)
New and prospective members may ask whether NAIC methods represent the only way to invest.

Company Conference Calls Online (October 01, 2004)
Common media for companies to disseminate information include print and the Internet. Another way to communicate important corporate messages is the conference call. These once were accessible only to invited guests, but individual investors now can listen in.

You'll Know It When You See It (October 01, 2004)
NAIC co-founder George Nicholson, Jr., wrote, "Growth is the result of good management, generally speaking, and the ability to recognize 'good management' and distinguish it from 'mediocre' or 'poor' is the key to good investing."

SSGs Trump Investing Fads (October 01, 2004)
Like many clubs, Easy Street Investment Club has difficulty deciding when to sell. Maury Elvekrog offers some advice.

Hints on Investigating Management (October 01, 2004)
Editor's note: This article, a complement to our cover story on evaluating management, was originally published in the August 1974 issue of Better Investing.

Taking Measure of Management (October 01, 2004)
How to Evaluate Performance

AptarGroup, Inc. (October 01, 2004)
AptarGroup, Inc. -- Consistent sales and earnings growth in a difficult market have made AptarGroup's stock a valuable holding.

The TJX Companies, Inc. (October 01, 2004)
The TJX Companies, Inc. -- Through leverage and careful inventory management, TJX has consistently returned more than 40 percent on shareholder equity.

NAIC Growth Screen (October 01, 2004)
In this month's screen, the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 68, up six from the 62 companies that made the last growth screen.

Is the PEG Ratio of Value to an NAIC Practitioner? (October 01, 2004)
Many NAIC investors are always looking for that extra edge that can enable them to improve their investment performance results. The PEG ratio is seemingly such a tool.

Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. (September 01, 2004)
Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. -- Based in Virginia, Sunrise is the largest U.S. provider of assisted-living housing and related facilities.

Study Critical of Investment Bank Research (September 01, 2004)
Chalk up one more reason why investors should do their own research.

NAIC Growth Screen (September 01, 2004)
In this month's screen the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 62, down two from the 64 companies in BITS' August issue.

Restated Data -- a Clue To Interpreting SSG Growth History (September 01, 2004)
The growth lines plotted on Page 1 of the SSG don't always mean what we think they mean -- because the data services most commonly used by NAIC investors don't change previous years data to reflect most restatements that companies themselves report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

International Business Machines Corporation (September 01, 2004)
International Business Machines Corporation -- Big Blue continues to reinvent itself, with management repositioning the company into areas expected to do well in coming years.

Restated Data -- a Clue To Interpreting Historical Growth (September 01, 2004)
Brian Lewis explains how restating data for extraordinary events may result in varied growth rates on the Stock Selection Guide.

Replacing Quicken.com's Compare to Industry Feature (September 01, 2004)
Bonnie Biafore continues her discussion of the changes at Quicken.com.

Is It Time for REITs? (September 01, 2004)
REITs may provide additional income as well as moderate long-term growth to your portfolio, say Alexandra Armstrong and Karen Preysnar.

Step Beyond the SSG (September 01, 2004)
The Leading Edge Ladies Investment Club may have paid excessive ratios of price-earnings and PEG for some of its holdings.

D.R. Horton, Inc. (September 01, 2004)
D. R. Horton, Inc. -- This company has outperformed its industry every year since 1991.

Synovus Financial Corporation (September 01, 2004)
Synovus Financial Corp. -- Slower annual growth has been experienced as a result of a slowdown in its credit card processing operations and its core banking operation.

Telecommunications Equipment (August 23, 2004)
An overview of the Telecommunications Equipment peer group including expected sales growth, net margin forecasts and projected average P/E ratio. The companies include QUALCOMM and Nokia.

Peer Group Forecasts (August 19, 2004)
Peer group averages can be used while studying companies to establish relative sales growth and profitability. This article provides average sales growth, net margin and P/E forecasts.

Educational Services (August 06, 2004)
An overview of the Educational Services peer group including expected sales growth, net margin forecasts and projected average P/E ratio. The companies include Apollo Group.

S&P's Earnings & Dividend Rank (August 01, 2004)
Explaining This Measure of Quality

Quicken.com Fans: Where To Go Now (August 01, 2004)
Bonnie Biafore reviews the many changes Quicken.com has experienced in the past few months.

Cambrex Corporation (August 01, 2004)
Cambrex Corporation -- Once a traditional supplier of chemicals and agricultural ingredients, Cambrex Corporation has evolved into a life sciences company.

NAIC Growth Screen (August 01, 2004)
In this month's screen the number of companies meeting our NAIC growth and value screen criteria is 64.

SEC Mandates Second Opinions (August 01, 2004)
Thanks to the U.S. government's $1.4 billion settlement with the 10 largest Wall Street firms over allegations of tainted research, beginning this month investors are entitled to at least one second analytical opinion.

An Easy Improvement to Portfolio Management (August 01, 2004)
Today NAIC investors have multiple options for tracking or searching for stocks using quality as a criterion. A very common measure used for this purpose is Standard & Poor's (S&P) Earnings and Dividend Rank. Brian Lewis explains.

A Tricky Course To Navigate (July 01, 2004)
The subject of socially responsible investing (SRI) -- a loaded term, to be sure -- inspired a lively debate at the most recent meeting of Better Investing's Editorial Advisory and Securities Review Committee.