This could be the strangest story you read this year...

"How I publicly questioned
Warren Buffett's manhood...
and he invited me to brunch!"

Warren Buffett has a secret (yes, it's about sex!). It made him the world's best investor and third-richest man. Read on to discover what the Oracle has been hiding since 1951 -- and how his "secret" can make us some serious money, too!

Dear Investor,

My father died unexpectedly when I was 14.

For a teenage girl in a dusty, three-stoplight town in Mississippi, that was a lot to deal with. But there was one thing in my life I knew I could control...

When the time came, I was determined not to squander the modest legacy my father had left to me. I would make him proud. But I had a lot to learn.

My first stop was the bookstore. It was there that I stumbled across a book that changed my life and set me on a path that led directly to the words you're reading right now.

It wasn't a book about buying real estate with no money down. Or hustling free government money for college. It wasn't even about budgeting, pinching pennies, or anything else you might rightly call "financial planning."

It was a biography. A 636-page epic about one of the richest and -- as I've since come to discover -- one of the most generous men on the planet.

It changed my life forever. And today I hope that it can change yours, too.

17 years later I would thank him in person...

But only AFTER I'd uncovered his "deepest, darkest secret" -- and revealed it to a room full of reporters. It's a funny story I'd love for you to hear. But first, let me give you a taste of what makes this gentleman so extraordinary and a glimpse into some of the lives he's changed forever...

• In 1957, an aspiring pediatrician and her husband entrusted him with $30,000 -- half their life savings. It's now worth more than $300 million.
• Another young couple, Mildred and Donald Othmer, invested $25,000 each. When Mildred passed away, her heirs inherited nearly $800 million.
• Ernest Williams, a former stock broker, didn't start investing with this gentleman until 1978. Today he and his family are sitting on more than $250 million!

They're not alone. According to Forbes, no fewer than 30 different families have been blessed with fortunes of $100 million or more -- and that's in one Midwestern town alone.

And they owe it all to the hard work, brilliance, and generosity of the gentleman I would one day investigate and then publicly "embarrass."

Gifford Combs, a money manager from Los Angeles, takes his admiration of this remarkable Midwest businessman to another level altogether, testifying, "He has completely transformed my financial life."

Gushing to The New York Times, Combs kicks it up another notch, "It's as if my life went from black and white to color. And he's done this for hundreds and hundreds of people."

I know. It's a bit much. And I wouldn't have believed it either -- if he hadn't done the exact same thing for me. Now, I'm convinced he can do the same for you, too.

You see, for all the billions already lavished on so many hardworking individual investors, I believe we still have time to profit handsomely from the man many believe to be the greatest investor of all time.

But you MUST have the whole story. A story that has until now been partially obscured.

The world's greatest investor has a
deep, dark secret!

If you're a Motley Fool member, you probably know who I'm talking about. How his long-term focus, keen eye for value, and unwavering courage made him the world's richest man (ok, he ranks third right now).

But there's one overlooked key to his success you may not be aware of. In fact, most folks have no idea (though they soon will). And here's why this is so important to us today...

Simply by knowing this "secret" -- and following the 8 simple investing principles I'll discuss today -- you can put yourself firmly on the path to emulating the success of the millionaire investors I just showed you.

Of course, I didn't know any of this when I stumbled across this gentleman's life-changing biography 17 years ago. It made no mention of the "secret" I'm about to share with you.

I uncovered it gradually over years of studying the habits and techniques of the investing masters -- and sharing what I found with my friends and fellow individual investors at The Motley Fool...

First as a beat writer, then as a columnist, and finally as the director of online content for Fool.com -- an award-winning investing and financial education website that hosts (and helps) five million visitors per month.

In fact, it was while manning the editorial desk one summer evening in 2007 that I unwittingly stumbled on the kernel of an idea that ultimately brought us together today.

Looking back, I should have known I was on to something BIG. It sparked a popular uprising among an important and growing segment of Motley Fool readers, after all.

But I had no idea! I certainly couldn't have imagined it would bring me face to face with the man who unknowingly changed my life so many years ago...

MUCH LESS that I would call him out publicly in front of the world financial media, and that he would plead guilty on all charges! But that's exactly what happened.

How one of the darkest hours in U.S. history convinced me I was on to something BIG...

I remember the day I truly recognized the wealth-building power of my radical idea: Monday, September 15, 2008 -- the day one of Wall Street's most-storied investment banks disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Do you remember where you were when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and all hell broke loose in September 2008? And what you were doing?

I was on deck at The Motley Fool, trying to make sense of a market gone mad and the carnage it was inflicting on our readers -- not to mention my own portfolio and financial security.

My personal net worth -- everything I had accumulated since the day I discovered the book that changed my life -- had been cut exactly in half. I imagine you had a similar experience.

Grown men with fake tans and $2,000 suits shrieked across the trading floor, bellowing into the cameras on CNBC... ordinarily staid money managers lamented that the market was broken, or worse, fixed...

While fat-cat corporate executives in $5,000 suits -- the very same boy-genius bankers and financial "engineers" who had gotten us into this mess -- jumped ship, popping golden

parachutes, carrying bags of our money.

At the height of the madness, Jim Cramer beseeched us to pull every penny we might need over the next five years OUT of the market (good advice at any time, but why so shrill today, old boy?).

And you know what? I didn't listen!

I hope you didn't listen either. (If you did panic and sell at the bottom, don't beat yourself up. You're not alone and we can make sure it never happens again, as you'll see just ahead.)

I owned great companies, not ticker symbols. These were rock-solid businesses I had researched in calmer times and bought based on their strong fundamentals, great brands, and superior managements.

I was a long-term investor, not a trader. The economy had absorbed a shock -- and the credit market was locking up -- but what really had changed?

Was the world really coming to an end?

Not dang likely. This was NOT the time to give up on my plans. It was time to turn off CNBC!

In fact, not only did I resist the urge to sell in September 2008, I bought more. That day I doubled down on three of my favorite holdings -- Chipotle, Chesapeake Energy, and Apple Computer.

It was one of the hardest things I've ever done -- and one of the most empowering. But something nagged at me. Why did I stand strong when others jumped ship?

What set me apart from the hysterical traders and "analysts" I saw panicking around me? What made me "special"? I was determined to find out (it turns out I wasn't so special after all, as you probably guessed).

Three years later -- with hundreds of articles and thousands of hours of research and interviews under my belt -- I think I have the answer. I'll share what I can with you in the next few pages.

The rest -- including how you can easily apply what I learned -- is the subject of a "must-read" new book from The Motley Fool (it hit No. 1 on Amazon's list of "Movers and Shakers" two weeks before it was released!).

Before I tell you how you can be the first to get your copy... guarantee you won't have to wait (there's a reason to suspect we will sell out)... and save more than 40% off the bookstore price, it's time I laid it out for you.

An unusual group of investors also turned
crisis into opportunity...

As fate would have it, the vast majority of Wall Street traders, board members at financial companies, and nearly every executive at the world's investment banks share one characteristic...

It was their undoing, as you're about to see.

Another group of investors survived -- and thrived -- in the great financial crisis and market meltdown, turning Panic 2008 into Opportunity 2008.

You may be part of this group yourself...

They account for a majority of the U.S. workforce and earn more than 60% of undergraduate and master's degrees (including 42% of MBAs). For the first time ever, they earned the majority of PhDs awarded in the 2008-2009 academic year.

Members of their esteemed ranks...

• Were called in to bring the tiny island nation of Iceland back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2008... amazing story on page 12
• Consistently make better hedge fund managers, according to a 10-year study by Hedge Fund Research, Inc.... see page 25
• And were MUCH less likely in the panic of 2008-2009 to lose their heads and sell at the bottom, according to a Vanguard study of 2.7 million IRA account holders... details on page 21

That shouldn't surprise you. As you'll also discover in the book, they are less overconfident and take fewer risks (Quarterly Journal of Economics), research their investments more thoroughly (Journal of Bank Marketing), and are less susceptible to peer pressure (University of California).

In short, they exhibit many of the traits that make up the perfect long-term investor. The very same traits shared by the "greatest investor of our time" -- and that you can put to work building and protecting your own wealth beginning this afternoon.

You can see why I couldn't hold my
tongue any longer!

You know I'm talking about Warren Buffett, right? Of course!

• HE didn't panic in the meltdown of 2008, while Jim Cramer flailed around and whined for the camera. HE appeared seated calmly on CNBC, explaining that the time to buy stocks is when everybody else is selling.
• HE didn't ham it up for the cameras, criticizing the Fed and questioning the viability of the U.S. financial system or our entire social and political structure for that matter (some actually did; they should be ashamed).
• No, HE wrote an op-ed to The New York Times, urging American investors to keep their heads, assuring us that "this too shall pass." More important, he went shopping -- investing heavily in American icon General Electric and even beleaguered investment bank Goldman Sachs.

In short, HE seemed entirely at odds with the manic traders and "Dr. Doom" commentators screaming on TV, and more aligned with that second, calmer, and more successful group of investors I mentioned earlier.

Thus confirming the idea I'd stumbled upon in 2007, convincing me once and for all that I was on to something big. Have you guessed it?

The one trait shared by the 90% of the bad actors who got us into the financial crisis and global meltdown of 2008 -- and many of the Wall Street traders, short sellers, and "analysts" who panicked and made it worse -- is a Y chromosome!

And the one high-profile investor who stood above the fray of this unruly, destructive crowd? None other than the man who launched my career in finance and changed my life -- Warren Buffett.

When the dust settled, there was no denying it: Warren Buffett invests like a girl!

Introducing! Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl --
And Why You Should, Too...

Click here to order your copy!

Am I serious? Warren Buffett invests like a girl? Really?

Ok, the title is a little tongue-in-cheek. It's not easy getting your attention! But the science, the principles -- and the effect they can have on our long-term wealth -- couldn't be MORE serious.

Warren Buffett does invest like a girl -- and I'd like nothing more than to prove it to you. More important, I'll convince you that you should invest like a girl, too!

(I'll even show you how -- using 8 simple, tried-and-true, wealth-building principles you can begin applying today. Don't worry, it's easy!)

Of course, that's the subject -- and the goal -- of my new book I mentioned earlier. It's called Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too.

It's the culmination of years of research, detailed analysis, and exhaustive interviews -- plus a full decade spent working hand-in-hand with thousands of individual investors who visit The Motley Fool every day.

In its pages, you'll discover how without a doubt, women and men are very different when it comes to investing... and how it's women -- yes, I said it -- who are the better investors!

Don't believe me? I don't blame you. I was dubious myself. But that was...

• BEFORE I combed through reams of data and geeked-out analyses of mutual fund, hedge fund, and IRA account activity...
• BEFORE I made sense (and sometimes fun as you'll see in the book) of arcane studies of male/female behavioral dynamics from such far-flung fields as behavioral finance, economics, psychoanalysis, securities law, and even neuroeconomics...
• BEFORE I sat down with some of the best woman investors on Wall Street and picked their brains -- searching for the secret of their success. (You'll find the full transcriptions of my favorite interviews right in the book!)

And, of course, that was BEFORE I called out Warren Buffett himself in front of his home crowd in Omaha, and he... well, you're about to see what he said!

And the conclusion is inescapable...

When it comes to investing, women are hardwired for success. It's women -- not men -- who are the more trustworthy and effective stewards of our nation's, and more important, our own personal wealth.

Moreover, when it comes to investing his own hard-earned billions, none other than the legendary Warren Buffett comes closer than any other market maven alive to fully embracing his feminine side!

Still not convinced? Just wait, there's more...

On page 18, you'll discover how one "manly" mistake consistently squashes male investors' returns. Hint: it's not taking fliers on risky stocks (which they also do, according to a Merrill Lynch study you'll read about on page 27).

Here's another hint: Warren Buffett doesn't do it, EVER!

On page 19, you'll see exactly why -- when it comes to making this costly, wealth-destroying mistake over and over -- single men are even worse.

You'll also discover...

• The only case where even a sourpuss Federal regulator might concede that past results MAY in fact be predictive of future performance... page 24
• The one "cardinal rule" that's held as gospel by every famous male investor from Warren Buffett's mentor, Benjamin Graham, to CNBC chatterbox Jim Cramer -- and that Buffett routinely violates... page 48
• Plus the "touchy-feely" factor that is more important in an investment than business model, competitive landscape, financial strength, and even profitability -- at least according to Warren Buffett... page 123.

As important, I share the 8 specific traits that distinguish successful female investors from their testosterone-driven, hyperactive male counterparts -- and how Warren Buffett displays every one of those traits in spades.

In other words, I show you beyond a reasonable doubt that... Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too.

Author LouAnn Lofton celebrates with her hero, the world's greatest investor, Warren Buffett

If you still don't believe me, ask him yourself...
that's exactly what I did!

And I didn't do it discreetly in an email he may or may not receive. I called him out publicly... at the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting attended by 35,000 shareholders... in a room teeming with reporters.

To be fair, he didn't officially confirm or deny that he invests like a girl. But he did recommend to a scandalized crowd of reporters that they should read the book to find out (as do I!) -- ever the diplomat, Mr. Buffett!

Though to be fair again, he did confess out of earshot of the press, "You have me pegged!" And to prove there were no hard feelings, he did invite me to brunch, where I had the pleasure of a few unguarded moments with him...

And the opportunity to tell him how he changed my life and to thank him for everything he's done for me... pose for some hilarious photos... and share an afternoon with his sisters, some serious "girl" investors in their own right!

Indeed, for all the lauding of his mathematical mind, valuation skills, and eye for a bargain, Warren Buffett's most valuable trait may be his unique ability to judge people and form lasting relationships.

You guessed it: a defining trait of all successful long-term investors -- and successful women investors in particular, as you'll discover in my new book.

You'll also begin to understand why even a celebrated genius like Warren Buffett (he reviewed my entire manuscript in one night) insists that a high IQ is NOT a prerequisite to getting rich in the stock market and never has been...

But that there is ONE CRITICAL FACTOR you simply can't afford to overlook! And unlike IQ, connections, or experience, it's something you CAN easily control today...

What is it? It's waiting for you in the pages of Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too. 

Where you'll also discover that becoming a market-beating investor requires just a few minor tweaks to what you're probably doing right now -- especially if you're a woman (but also if you're a man!).

And best of all, that it's easy and even FUN, whether you're a man or woman. Again, it's all spelled out for you, step by step, page by page, in Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too!

Because let's be clear...

"Our goal is to fatten our accounts,
not mere philosophizing"

For all the fun facts, surprising revelations, and eye-opening insights into what makes Warren Buffett the greatest investor on earth, Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl is not just another chronicle of Warren Buffett's life and business successes...

"The essential ingredients of Buffett's investing philosophy have been overlooked until now, argues author LouAnn Lofton in her new, must-read book....Go forth, buy the book, and love your inner Buffett."
-- DailyWorth.com

Nor is it another lecture on the virtues, intricacies, and mechanics of valuation, securities analysis, and "margin of safety" investing. Though you'll find plenty of that in the book, too -- in the straightforward, plain English you've come to expect from The Motley Fool...

"Lofton lays out sound feminine and Motley Fool-worthy rules for investment that men would be wise to heed..."
-- Kirkus Reviews

And while I strongly believe that more women on our trading floors and in our board rooms could go a long way toward shoring up our delicate financial system (like the women you'll hear from in my book)... even that's not why I wrote this book...

So why did I spend three years writing a book that challenges the manhood of a man I consider a hero and a mentor?

One refreshingly "balanced" review in Publisher's Weekly points out, "This could have been a solid investment basics book in its own right; it suffers from its provocative packaging." And you know what? There may be something to that.

The racy title (though TRUE, by the way!) is not for everyone. I spent years researching and writing Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl for one reason only:

To offer YOU an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to becoming a better investor -- and help build your own Buffett-like fortune!

So that you and your family can follow in the footsteps... and enjoy the rewards and benefits... of the millionaire families we discussed up top.

Yes, the real reason to buy the book is YOU!

If you want to be a better investor... if you are looking to make more money in the stock market, more consistently, minus the "fear and loathing"...

If you are ready to embrace your feminine side just a little... or are a diehard Warren Buffett groupie like I am, looking to learn a little something new that surprised the Oracle himself...

Or maybe you're an ordinary individual investor, also like me, just looking to make more money with less worry and have a little fun along the way.

If any of that sounds like you, I can't imagine a better way for you to pass a summer weekend.

So why put this off?

Save yourself the worry and click the link below to order your copy of The Motley Fool's brand new book, Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too.

Your copy will be guaranteed and you'll save a full 40% off the list price. But please don't wait.

You read the news...

Debt troubles in Europe... a "crock pot" recovery... beltway bickering... a "toppy" market... high-frequency trading... and skittish investors just looking for a reason to flee...

The list goes on.

It was the same story when we published Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio in December 2008. Things looked bleak, but investors who took our advice truly did turn panic into opportunity.

Would it really surprise you if we see a replay this summer? Not me. It may already be starting.

And if we do hit a rough patch, Warren Buffett won't panic. I won't either!

WE will follow the 8 simple principles spelled out for you in the pages of Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl -- And Why You Should, Too.

I hope you'll join us.

As Warren Buffett himself famously said, "Now is the time to invest and get rich." I couldn't agree more. NOW is always the time!

So, let's get started. Click the link below right now.

Kindest regards,

LouAnn Lofton

PS: Earlier I mentioned that I have reason to believe we may sell out. When we released our last book, Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio, in December 2008, that's exactly what happened. Unfortunately, thousands of loyal Motley Fool readers were forced to wait up to three weeks to get their copies. So please don't risk being disappointed. Click here and see how much you'll save.

PPS: I was fortunate to have discovered Warren Buffett and start my love affair with investing when I was a girl. But it's never too late to get started. Even, better why not help get the young ladies in your life started? It can change their lives, too! Click here now to get your copies.