Dear Readers:

Whether you are a novice investor or a veteran stock picker, your need for timely, reliable and insightful information about your investment options has never been greater. Investing, once a pastime of the few, has become a necessity for the many. Investment decisions you make today will affect your quality of life and/or the success of your business for years to come. The recent volatility of the stock market makes information, analysis and perspective more critical than ever.

That’s where the Los Angeles Times comes in.

As an adjunct to our expanded investment coverage in each Tuesday’s Wall Street, California Business section and throughout the week, we’re holding our second annual Investment Strategies Conference this weekend. This year’s event, designed with your needs in mind, is being held at the spacious Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown L.A. so that we can accommodate the growing number of people who rely on The Times for the straight story. This two-day conference gives individual investors like you direct access to the expertise and experience of investment industry leaders and newsmakers--many of the same people you read about every day in The Times’ Business section.

The conference will offer 36 educational panel discussions featuring leading portfolio managers, financial advisors and industry experts from around the country. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to take control of your financial future--whether you are interested in early retirement, estate planning, evaluating your mutual fund portfolio or strategies for small-business owners. As an added benefit, attendees will be able to visit a large exhibition hall where they can talk face-to-face with professionals from dozens of financial services companies.

I invite those of you who are attending the conference to visit the Los Angeles Times booth in the exhibition hall and meet the editors, writers and columnists who bring you Tuesday’s Wall Street, California and the daily Business section. It’s all part of our tradition of providing you with the information you need to be successful in all aspects of your life. I look forward to seeing you at the conference.

MARK H. WILLES

Publisher