When shares of stock were first offered to the public, their purpose was to help finance a company's enterprise and to offer investors the chance to share in the fortunes of that company over the long term. If a company prospered, then the holders of those shares would prosper in proportion to their holdings. If the company failed, then the stockholders would suffer accordingly. Shareholders in successful companies continued to earn money as owners of those companies so long as they held the stock.

As the stock market emerged to afford share owners the chance to sell their shares of stock to others, the perception of stock ownership changed. Indeed, our culture has come to view participation in the stock market as a gamble with the odds against the player. To be a "winner," one must first buy stock from a "loser" who doesn't know its true value; and then sell to another "loser" when the time is right. This activity is called trading and the odds of your being a consistent winner at both ends of the transaction are definitely not in your favor.

There surely is a need in this great American economy for the speculator, the gambler - the venture capitalist, willing to risk his funds to reap the rewards of launching a new enterprise. But the majority of folks who seek to create wealth for their future needs are not of that mind.

Our aim is to prove that, if you are willing to invest in good companies for the long term, the odds are strongly in your favor. That this kind of investment discipline is not mysterious, nor does it require the services of the professional. And that the value of one's investments can double every five years with the diligent application of only a few simple rules.

Finally, we hope to become a reliable focal point for those of you who learn to believe as we do, and who wish to act on that belief. Here, you will be able to find the educational resources, the computer software, the books, the web sites, and any of the other valuable references and material that can empower you to manage your own fortunes with confidence and success.

Ellis Traub, Chairman