For the week ending March 9, 2007
Is free stuff on the Net really free?
Just beating the market is too easy
Get the most from your tax software
How to handle this risky new market

Many of you are longtime readers of Jim Jubak and Liz Pulliam Weston. When we conduct our semiannual reader surveys, Jim and Liz always come out on top. So it was no real surprise to find out last week that a study by Nielsen NetRatings confirmed that they are, indeed, two of the most popular financial columnists on the Web -- by a country mile.

NNR compared the unique audience and page-view figures for Liz Weston's personal finance columns to the biggest names in the business: Suze Orman, Jean Chatzky and Jane Bryant Quinn, and the results were truly stunning. They found that in January more than 3.4 million people read Liz's columns -- 10 times her nearest competitor.

Similarly, they compared Jim Jubak's audience with such well-known investment writers as Jim Cramer, James Stewart, Michael Sivy, Jeremy Siegel and the Motley Fool's Tom and David Gardner and found equally remarkable results. Jim's readership surpassed the rest of the pack by nearly 9-to-1!

So I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for your help in refining our editorial efforts over the past 10 years and for your loyal readership.

We try to make these stars easy to find on our site, but I'd suggest you bookmark our home pages for Jim Jubak and Liz Weston, where you can always find their latest columns. Better yet, use the box below the ad to sign up to get an e-mail whenever they publish something new.

As always, I welcome your comments. Send me an e-mail anytime. And if you're reading this newsletter online, click here and sign up to get it free by e-mail.

Richard Jenkins, Editor in Chief

Also new this week on MSN Money:

WEIGH THE RISKS: Jim Jubak continues probing the conditions behind the market's recent struggle this week with advice on "How to handle this risky new market." He also looked at risky lending that has the market "drowning in cheap money." Jim's columns are proving an invaluable guide through the turmoil.

SIZING UP SURVIVORS: Two other columnists this week sifted through the wreckage to find stocks worth a buy. SuperModels maestro Jon Markman recommended a taste of Molson Coors, as well as a steel maker and an energy play. Read "Safe brew: Why it's time to buy Coors."

INSIDE INFORMATION: Company Focus writer Michael Brush, meanwhile, checked for companies where insiders wasted no time buying stocks on the dip. Among those he found was giant Citigroup. Read "5 stocks insiders bought in the blowoff."

YOUR HOMETOWN: Call it budgeting by U-Haul. Liz Pulliam Weston this week writes about how more families are making their money work by decamping from the big cities and moving to small towns. Read "To cut costs, move to small-town USA." And don't miss the companion piece: "10 low-cost locales where jobs are plenty."

GROCERY CHALLENGE: Readers of MP Dunleavey's Women in Red message board have spent some time now challenging each other to cut their grocery bills and sharing advice on how to do it.. Some of the results have been dramatic. Read "Take a big bite out of grocery bills."

DEPOT DOGGED: Lastly, we'd be remiss not to mention Scott Burns' column asking "Is Home Depot shafting customers?" He warned of long lines and shoddy service. We've seldom seen so much response from readers, and it's fair to say many agree. Read the column, then see what readers had to say on our message board.

Next week on MSN Money:

NOT A DIME: On Monday, Liz Pulliam Weston has a challenge for you. Could you go a month without spending an unnecessary cent? See how some readers have already done. (You can always find her latest columns on her MSN Money home page, where you can sign up to get an e-mail whenever she publishes a new column.)

CRUNCHTIME: On Tuesday, Jim Jubak looks into the worst-case scenario for investors' future -- and offers 10 stocks for a possible Armageddon. (You can always find his latest columns on his MSN Money home page, where you can sign up to get an e-mail whenever he publishes a new column.)

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