Fool's School
Be Thankful for What You Have

With Thanksgiving here again, it's appropriate to reflect on all we have and to realize that even those of us of modest means are still exponentially better off than billions of others on this planet. (To become more hopeful about the state of the world, visit www. Foolanthropy.com and learn about some amazing organizations. We'll be launching our 2007 charity drive there soon.)

Reflect on your financial condition, too, and know that it's not hopeless. Odds are, you're not too young, too old, too poor, too risk-averse or too ignorant to invest in stocks. However, as Motley Fool co-founders David and Tom Gardner have pointed out in "You Have More Than You Think: The Foolish Guide to Personal Finance" (Fireside, $15), you might be overlooking some critical assets:

• You have brains. Managing your money takes brains, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist. A little reading (at www. fool.com and www.bankrate.com, for example) can help you avoid paying more than you need to for credit cards, mutual funds, homes, cars and more.

• You have time. Even if you're 60, you may well have 30 years ahead of you, so don't write off investing. And if you're a teen, it's not too early. (Visit www.fool. com/teens for some guidance and www. lavamind.com for some fun, educational financial games.) If you plunk $5,000 in an index fund that grows at the market's historical average of about 10 percent per year, in 30 years it will become $87,000.

• You have other people. The taboo against talking about money is silly. Strike up conversations with friends and family. Your uncle might be a savvy, experienced investor. Your mother-in-law might know a lot about buying real estate. Perhaps a co-worker can recommend a terrific financial adviser (you might also find one at www.napfa.org). Or access online discussion boards (such as at

www.boards.fool.com), where you can get advice and ideas from many people.

Finally, another nifty way to get savvy is to form an investment club. Learn more at www.betterinvesting. ¦