(MONEY Magazine) – Several weeks ago MONEY hosted an off-the-record dinner in San Francisco for a few dozen of our readers, as a kind of focus group. They told us what they liked (and disliked) about the magazine, and we answered their questions.

One question seemed universal: How do we choose our stories? I thought I'd share the answer with all our readers.

Often an article begins when one of our editors (or one of our readers) poses an intriguing question: "Why has Merck's stock really been stumbling?" or "How can I invest for income in such a low-interest-rate environment?" In this top-down scenario, the editors will then assign that topic to a writer; if the answer is compelling--and helpful--it goes in the magazine. If not, we move on to the next topic.

But many of our best stories start the other way around, with a proposal from one of our writers, driven not just by a question but by information--captivating details that they have turned up through rigorous reporting. A case in point: senior writer Penny Wang's article on the fatal flaw in 401(k) plans (beginning on page 92). Penny has covered 401(k)s at MONEY for more than a decade, consistently keeping our readers ahead of the curve as the investing and regulatory landscape continues to shift. With the Enron debacle sparking hearings in Washington and a welter of proposals for 401(k) reform, Penny filed a memo about company stock in retirement plans that offered surprising insights even to the other retirement specialists on our staff. Her execution of the story was so strong--and her message so important--that we decided to run the piece this month as part of our special Agenda 2002 series.

What will we write about next? I don't really know--which is what makes this magazine so hard to produce but also so captivating to work on. We will focus on the most timely and important ideas that come our way, no matter how they reach us. And no source is more important than our readers. Your suggestions are crucial to our success--from your ideas for "Best Places to Vacation" (see page 104) to your requests for more explanations of widely used accounting tricks (see pages 46 and 59). Of course, we can't run every story or follow up every idea. (One key part of my job is saying no to dozens and dozens of ideas each week.) But every suggestion informs our current coverage and our future planning.

My thanks to those readers in San Francisco who met us for dinner, and to all of you who share your ideas with us. We couldn't do our jobs without you. You can reach me by e-mail at managing_editor@moneymail.com or write to me at MONEY, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020.

ROBERT SAFIAN Managing Editor