Street Wise

Book excerpt: Teen investors have powerful advantages over the rest of us. Many are whizzes at financial research on the Internet. They’re quick to master online stock trading. According to an August 2000 Wall Street Journal article, today more young Americans own investments than ever before, with 35 percent of eighth through twelfth graders owning stock or bonds, usually in a parent’s name, while about one-fifth own mutual funds. Often these teenage investors have amassed substantial nest eggs—even before they’ve finished high school. Although teen investors need adult cosigners for their brokerage and mutual fund custodial accounts, it’s not unusual for them to be the driving force behind their parents’ and relatives’ investment decisions. Now teens have another leg up—a book that explains the successes and investment strategies of real-life teen investors, along with the wisdom of Wall Street pros, and tips on how to make the most of the Web. The popularity of stock-picking contests and high school investment clubs—along with successful marketing vehicles, such as Stein Roe’s Young Investors Fund—have created a growing demand for investment information focused on teens, written for teens. Street Wise provides exactly what they want.