We live in a big world. Most of the people who share space on this planet live in countries that are less developed than the United States or such other big industrialized nations as Australia, Canada, England, France, and Japan. Instead, they live in Brazil, China, India, Russia, or any of the other nations that are manufacturing goods, developing new technologies, exporting oil, and otherwise growing their economies at a faster pace than can countries with established economies.
The potential growth in emerging markets is exciting, and investors have many ways to tap into that growth. You can invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds. You can buy real estate or exchange cash. Or maybe you want to stay with a home-country investment that gets most of its growth from emerging markets, which is the situation with many of the world’s major multinational corporations.
Emerging Markets For Dummies tells you what you need to know to make smart investments in emerging markets. I start out with facts on why and how investing works in less-developed countries with growing economies. I tell you how to do research so you can determine whether an investment is a good one for you, with pointers on where to go for more information than I can possibly include in this book. I explain the possibilities and pitfalls that investors face in emerging markets, whose laws and customs may be very different from the laws that you’re used to. And I lay out the different types of investments that you can use to put your plan into action. I also include some information on how to find banks, mutual funds, and other institutions to help you with your decisions.
This book is designed to get you started in the world of emerging-market investments. You may want more information on different types of investments and investment techniques, or you may want to research a particular investment or market in greater depth than I cover here. That’s fine. I include plenty of references in the book to help you figure out where to go next.
