(MONEY Magazine) – Twenty years ago MONEY ran a story comparing that classic suburban conveyance, the station wagon, with an innovative challenger known as the minivan. Assigned to fact-check the story was an earnest, if somewhat disorganized and totally green, reporter. The night before the article went to press, he awoke in a cold panic, certain he had misreported the cargo capacity of the Chevrolet Caprice Classic Wagon--hadn't he given the number for the back seat up instead of the back seat down? He was pretty sure his journalism career would end the next morning. It didn't. The error, if there was one, was fixed, and he went on to work for MONEY for 13 fulfilling years. I ought to know. It was me.

Returning to MONEY as your new managing editor is the sweetest kind of homecoming. This is where I learned my trade. It's also where I came to love working at a magazine devoted to helping you make the right decisions about your money.

This issue you hold in your hands is, I hope, a start at carrying on that mission. To find the spiritual heir of my minivan story, for example, look no further than Lawrence Ulrich's "More Car, Less Gas" (page 92), which identifies seven models that economize on fuel without compromising on performance and style. A similar urge to serve informs our cover stories (page 52), built around Michael Sivy's persuasively upbeat market forecast.

And if you're still anxious about your next move, may I suggest Jason Zweig's wise "The Way of the Calm Investor" (page 108), which will help you recognize what is--and what isn't--helpful in making financial decisions. I can't imagine a lineup that hews more closely to MONEY's mission. But then, it's not up to me. For now, and for the rest of my tenure, you be the judge.

ERIC SCHURENBERG MANAGING EDITOR