Ever since I have been working in the finance industry, I have always been asked about investments espically stocks. Funny thing is that most people who ask me have a good sense of what the markets are like, but one thing I think everyone overlooks is research.

You need to get to know a company's story well before feeling confident enough in its prospects to pull the trigger on its stock.  One thing that is often overlooked is about a publicly-traded company is the conference call held with Wall St. analysts following quarterly earnings reports.

Professional and individual investors alike, provides raw numbers on the company's performance, its strategic planning, and its general outlook on the competitive landscape. The Q & A sessions with analysts can be particularly interesting, as executives are challenged on how things are going. These transcripts of the conference calls have always been made free to me, but private investors either had to listen to an entire call (when it was made available at all), or purchase a transcript for approximately $75 a pop.

You can also browse the latest incoming conference call transcripts.  Happy reading, its worth your time, after all you are putting your life saving into it.