Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school and college economic students, the handbook gives general information about investing in the stock market. Arranged into seven sections, the handbook discusses the typical shareholder, common and preferred stocks, buying and selling bonds, how to develop a personal investment plan, fundamental rules for successful investing, the broker and the securities market, and the language of the financial community. Specific topics include: the benefits of investing, where to start, the risk element, strong points and shortcomings, types of bond obligations, the conservative investor, building an estate, approaching retirement, functions of exchanges, control of credit, and the role of the broker. Over 100 financial terms and definitions are provided throughout the document. Charts illustrating United States shareowners of public corporations, a record of common stocks, Standard and Poor's stock price index, long term bond yields, and tax-exempt vs. taxable yields are also provided. (LH)