For the week ending May 4, 2007

2 safe plays for a risky new world
Don't let the bulls cramp your style
Single mom, $29,000 in debt
Young adults all but ignore 401(k)s, IRAs

Call it a case of runaway growth. Leaders in Beijing have tried to tighten the reins, but they can't seem to slow their booming economy.

In the latest of his columns on the Asian giant, "Why China can't slow down," Jim Jubak suggests there's at least enough rampant growth ahead in the next couple of years for investors to turn a tidy profit. So he flags 10 stocks that can help you benefit from the boom.

We've placed this column atop a special report page titled "The China Syndrome," a guide to the latest explorations by Jim and our other columnists on the confounding mix of communist control and capitalist fervor that is China today.

China's growing influence on the world economy is impossible to miss; perhaps Jim's advice can help you grow your portfolio along with it.

As always, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this or any other aspect of MSN Money. Drop 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

New this week on MSN Money:

WHAT'S MOM WORTH? Salary.com this week put a price tag on a mother's duties at just over $138,000; read it here and debate amongst yourselves. Specifics aside, of course, our moms are priceless and not for sale. Likely, the same is true of yours.

MOVIE MADNESS: Michael Brush this week took a look at the film company behind the upcoming "Shrek the Third" -- and if the big green guy isn't enough, there's an upcoming flick from big TV guy Jerry Seinfeld. Read "Wake up and buy DreamWorks." Also, in our Strategy Lab stock-picking game, defending champ Thomas Ko suggested a way to profit from "Spider-Man 3."

INVEST IN SHOPPING: Writer Melinda Fulmer explored a way to invest money at the mall -- shopping for the best discounts, then reselling on eBay or Craigslist (or sometimes, just down the block) at higher prices. Read "5 ways to shop for a living."

DARING BIOTECH GAMES: SuperModels columnist Jon Markman isn't a big fan of the high-risk, high-potential field of biotech. But this week he outlines what would be a daring play on a small company awaiting a big FDA decision. Read "Should you double down on biotech?"

OUTRUNNING THE MARKET: Stocks are on a wild streak right now, but four of the six players in our Strategy Lab stock-picking game are managing to beat its pace so far (if not by much.) To see how the pros do it, start at our Strategy Lab summary page.

Next week on MSN Money:

DÉJÀ VU: On Monday, Bill Fleckenstein takes a look at today's surging market and suggests it looks a lot like the charts just before a couple of infamous crashes. (You can always find his latest Contrarian Chronicles columns on his index page.)

CHEAP THRILLS: On Tuesday, Jim Jubak explains how cheap money and deep debt fuel the market's advance and your portfolio's growth. If only it could last, but it can't. (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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