Skip navigation
MOST POPULAR RELATED TAGS
  • TOPICS
  • SECTORS
  • COMPANIES
Road Rules
Road Rules Video Gallery
Investing can be confusing. Luckily, Cramer has mapped out some road rules for all you Home Gamers trying to navigate the jungle that is Wall Street. Think of it as "Mad Money 101" –- some fundamental advice to keep in mind as you play the market. Whether you're a first time investor or a seasoned financier, it's always good to remember the basics.
Font size:

The Fed gave Cramer -- and the rest of Wall Street -- what he wanted Wednesday afternoon when the central bank announced a 50 basis-point rate cut. In a split second, the news turned the Mad Money host from doomsayer to cheerleader.

Cramer was -- to put it mildly -- vocal about his displeasure with the Fed's lack of response to the credit and housing woes that have gripped the markets since last summer. But now he's so confident in the economy he's considering buying what might be "the most loathed and toxic investment around": a house. The additional cut, which came just a week after another 75 basis-point emergency cut, has made a turnaround in housing "inevitable," he said.

But the benefits of the Fed's decision should move far beyond just housing, Cramer pointed out. Financials, retailers and even industrials should go higher, he said. That means Costco [COST  Loading...      (%)   ], Urban Outfitters [URBN  Loading...      (%)   ], Citigroup [C  Loading...      (%)   ], Bear Stearns [BSC  Loading...      (%)   ], Goldman Sachs [GS  Loading...      (%)   ], Washington Mutual [WM  Loading...      (%)   ], Wachovia [WB  Loading...      (%)   ], Ford [F  Loading...      (%)   ] and General Motors [GM  Loading...      (%)   ] are worth a look now.

So are stocks that pay dividends. They'll return more to investors than the interest on a bank's savings or checking account, Cramer said. Go with Altria [MO  Loading...      (%)   ], which boosted its dividend today, or AT&T [T  Loading...      (%)   ] and Verizon [VZ  Loading...      (%)   ], which offer attractive payouts as well.

And don't let the Dow's dip this afternoon discourage you either. With such an uncertain market these days, Cramer said, traders couldn't help but take profits when they had the chance. Anything that used to be in a bear market should now be in full bull mode.

"The Fed has given us a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make big money right now," Cramer said. "Don't be scared away."

Jim's charitable trust owns Altria, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

Questions for Cramer?

Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website?

© 2008 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Permalink: /id/22917362

HOME  |  NEWS  |  MARKETS  |  EARNINGS  |  INVESTING  |  VIDEO  |  CNBC TV  |  CNBC PLUS  |  CNBC HD+
About CNBC   |   Site Map   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service   |   Advertise   |   Help   |   Feedback   |   Video Reprints
  Data is a real-time snapshot   *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes

Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Mar