Book excerpt: “There are dozens of primers on investing, but Schwab’s is straightforward and carefully organized. . . . The glimmers of his personal life are gems. . . . By now, Schwab is a financial brand name, and the lessons from his rich life make for good reading—and good investing.” —Suze Orman, author of The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom The biggest risk in investing is doing nothing. In the updated edition of this New York Times bestseller, Charles Schwab presents clear and simple lessons that will give readers the confidence they need to start down the road to financial independence. Schwab, one of the most trusted gurus in American investing, explains all the basics in a clear, easy-to-understand way. This revised edition completely updates the book to take into consideration the substantial changes and fluctuations in the market in recent years. A significant amount of new material has been added, including a valuable section on performance monitoring, a key strategy that enables investors to measure the performance of their portfolios against objective benchmarks. Using this excellent book, investors will learn how to: • Define and set investment goals • Prepare an investment plan, put it into action, and update it regularly • Plan for their children’s education • Cope effectively with the ups and downs of the market • Plan for a comfortable retirement