(MONEY Magazine) – COVER STORIES 74 THE SEVEN BIGGEST INVESTING MISTAKES by Elizabeth Fenner In today's markets, you can't afford to make these goofs -- from dodging the wrong risks to impulse buying. We tell how to protect your profits.

80 TODAY'S NEW INVESTORS by Shelly Branch Avoiding mistakes is the first step for the 10 million Americans who have started investing in stocks and stock mutual funds since 1990. Here's who they are and what their next strategic moves should be.

FEATURES 94 THE BAD NEWS ABOUT YOUR 401(k) by Ruth Simon How to make up the coming shortfall in your savings-plan stash

106 SEARCHING FOR A LOST SON by Marguerite T. Smith A millionaire farmer looks for an heir he thinks he fathered in the '40s.

118 BEAT THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE SQUEEZE by Lani Luciano and Beth Kobliner Insurers are hiking premiums and rejecting applicants. You don't have to live in a high-risk area to be targeted. Here's what to do if you are.

128 INVEST ABROAD WITHOUT LEAVING HOME by Gary Belsky and Jeanhee Kim Strong foreign sales could help these 10 U.S. stocks gain as much as 63%.

134 AMERICA'S DANGEROUS BLOOD SUPPLY by Andrea Rock A new MONEY investigation reveals how stricter safety standards could cut the risks of being infected with AIDS through transfusion.

149 MONEY'S FIRST ANNUAL PERSONAL-FINANCE CONTEST Enter and you could win $10,000 in cash and a Macintosh computer.

DEPARTMENTS 7 EDITOR'S NOTES A new view of Hillary Clinton's commodity gains 13 YOUR LETTERS A tax complaint troubles you -- and junk does too. 16 MONEY NEWSLINE The secret reason doctors hate Clinton's health plan -- Auditing the Clintons again -- Talking to your teens about money 27 BUY, SELL OR HOLD Is old Ma Bell too hip for you? 31 MONEY HELPS Marlys Harris answers your questions. 37 IDEA OF THE MONTH The best home-based businesses for extra cash 40 MONEY MONITOR Exclusive survey: Many banks give lousy advice about investments they sell.-- A strategy for paying off your plastic 52 FUND WATCH The top funds for today's market 62 WALL STREET Stocks that will soar as baby boomers age 156 SMART SPENDING How to shop for contact lenses -- CD-ROMs 163 MONEY PRO Templeton's successor names stocks that could double. 168 FORECAST Smart steps for jumpy markets

Cover photograph by Andrew Brusso AWARD CREATED BY NICHOLAS FASCIANO, PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERTO BROSAN

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