Let the rebuilding begin -- Our finances are bigger than a brokerage account -- We can't have it all -- Money can buy happiness-if we spend it carefully -- Even the best investors need to be great savers -- Time is as valuable as money -- No investment is risk-free -- Portfolio performance : it's all in the mix -- Stocks are worth something -- To add to wealth, we need to overcome the subtractions -- Aiming for average is the only sure way to win -- Wild investments can tame our portfolios -- Short-term results matter to long-term investors -- A long life is a big risk -- Markets may be rational, but we aren't -- Our homes are a fine investment that won't appreciate much -- Paying off debts could be our best bond investment -- Saving taxes can cost us dearly -- A tax deferred is extra money made -- Insurance won't make us any money-if we are lucky -- Even if we have a will, we may not get our way -- Financial success : It's about more than money -- Wall Street? That isn't so far from Main Street.

Clements, the hugely popular "Wall Street Journal" personal-finance columnist, offers 21 easy-to-follow rules and commonsense investing tips that can help readers secure their financial future.