Introduction to the world of finance   Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to invest your assets safely and profitably at the same time. Some countries have even introduced punitive taxes on traditional savings accounts. The traditional practice of simply putting the money in the bank hardly earns any interest and quickly becomes like hiding the money in your savings stocking at home or under your mattress. This stagnation of capital is exacerbated by inflation, as money loses value if it is not channeled into alternative forms of investment.   In the past, many people have been blinded by seemingly fantastic returns and lost sight of security. Returns of ten percent or more have stimulated greed and overruled rational considerations. Don't get me wrong, such returns are certainly possible, but not with the conventional financial instruments that are available to the general public. Most resulted in abrupt losses of wealth, particularly in high-risk investment products. A good example of this is speculative bets on the future price of the dollar at a certain point in time. Such approaches are more similar to a visit to a casino in Las Vegas or a lottery game with a million-dollar chance of winning the jackpot.   The gambling mentality often blinds investors to reality and leads to unsafe investments. In this context, the following often applies: less is actually more. Security comes at a price, and investors looking to recover their capital should settle for moderate returns. Long-term stability of four or five percent is far more desirable than the risk of speculating on ten or twenty percent and endangering your capital unless you have the necessary knowledge or a coach.   This dilemma is similar to what one has experienced while playing cards or at a slot machine. You win occasionally and get cocky, betting that the winning streak will continue. On the other hand, you want to bet against losses and win back the stake. However, the mathematica