Into The Minefield

Pondering the pitfalls facing investors in a period of economic turmoil, TIME's Money Angles columnist offers guidelines for financial survival

"What should I do?" my friend Randy called to ask last week.

"About what?" I asked Randy, who is not someone with a lot of money -- well, not someone with any money, really -- and who, though highly talented in other ways, has absolutely no understanding of the financial markets. I once lent him some money -- to eat, as I understood it -- and found out later that he used it to buy options on a stock someone had told him about. Needless to say, the options expired worthless.

"Well, you know. What should I do about my money?"...

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