IF YOU are a "risk-taker," here are suggestions from Financial Perspectives: "Expect downturns; realize that the market doesn't climb indefinitely; take only enough risk to achieve certain goals -- college education, comfortable retirement, etc. Most of the time, that requires only modest returns compounded over many years -- not exceptionally high returns crammed into a few years."

Are you a "small-cap" investor? Michael Fasciano, mutual fund manager, says, "I look for companies whose sales and earnings increased steadily over three to five years, whose price-earnings ratios are below their growth rates, and companies I can hold for many years. Examples: Central Parking Corp., HA-LO Industries Inc. and IDEX Corp."

"The outlook for the U.S. and global economies is brighter today than it was on Jan. 1. The U.S. bull market will last into the new millennium, with the Dow ending this year at around 12,000." (Abraham Gulkowitz, global strategist, Deutsche Bank)

"By 2020, the Dow index will reach 50,000, and the 10,000 benchmark will be reduced to a small blip on a large screen." (Lawrence Kudlow, economist and author)

Pub Date: 8/06/99