Fools were out and about this week in an investing world jampacked with actions and ideas. Here are three articles you might find useful as you decide how to invest your money.
The 3 Smartest Things I Heard at Occupy Wall Street
Fool.com managing editor Brian Richards went to Wall Street to get a clearer picture of what's going on with the Occupy Wall Street folks.
"We spoke with a good number of highly articulate and well-educated people who weren't there to simply shake their fist at The Man," Brian wrote. "They offered nuanced, pro-capitalist, pro-reform arguments for what they see as a financial system marred by conflicts of interest and perverse incentives."
A Fool could feel at home with sentiment in favor of bank customers "voting with their feet" and against the "short-term-itis" that skews behavior on Wall Street. Brian also met the very Foolish James from New York City, who said personal finance should be required in public-school curricula. "It acknowledges the terrible mistakes of Americans trying to live outside their means, while providing a forward-thinking solution," Brian wrote.
Read Brian's article for more on what this Fool found up on Wall Street.
Let's Occupy Common Ground
In a related article, Fool columnist Alyce Lomax cautions that the "Occupy Wall Street movement is already showing signs of being commandeered by the great Main Street street fight between 'left' and 'right' -- also known as 'us' versus 'them.' Don't fall for the distraction: The 99% really need to occupy common ground; there's plenty of it to occupy."
Alyce starts by noting that "Wall Street deserves universal wrath." She continues: "In 2008, financial companies like Goldman Sachs
Read Alyce's article to get her take on big business, taxes, unions, politics, and more.
3 Stocks You Shouldn't Have Left for Dead
First the bad news from Fool editor and writer Dan Caplinger: "[O]nce you look past the short-term bumps and dips and focus on long-term performance, you'll see that many stocks have essentially treaded water for a very long time -- and some have maintained a slowly declining trajectory that have left long-term shareholders wondering what to do next."
Then the better news: "[S]ome stocks do find a catalyst to go higher even after years of lackluster performance."
Then the good news: "To counterbalance the idea that you should always just give up on flat performers, let's take a look at three stocks that have turned the tide in the past year." Dan's got the scoop on Peet's Coffee & Tea
Fool online editor Kris Eddy owns no shares of any stocks mentioned in this article.
