Dear Readers:As the Southern California investment market...

Dear Readers:

As the Southern California investment market continues to grow, more people are looking to the Los Angeles Times for financial education and daily guidance. I can’t think of a better way of serving our readers than to give them the information they need to invest wisely and plan a secure financial future.

That’s what this section is all about. But it’s also just one of the ways we are expanding on what we offer you daily on the very important subject of personal finance and investing.

This weekend’s Los Angeles Times Investment Strategies Conference is sold out and promises to be a tremendous success. We’re bringing together 10,000 people like you--people who want to know more about planning their personal finances--with some of the nation’s top financial experts. The conference, designed for the novice and experienced investor, will provide insights on a wide range of financial issues--from planning for retirement or a child’s college education, to choosing a financial advisor or investing for the first time.

I hope you enjoy our new Tuesday Business section feature, “Wall Street, California.” It builds on our daily coverage of investment news and trends and is devoted to personal investment topics. Launched last October, this popular feature goes beyond the news and offers expert perspectives from our own columnists as well as prominent portfolio managers, financial advisors and other specialists in the field.

Someone at The Times referred to this special investing section as a “keeper,” and I couldn’t agree more. I hope you hold onto it, and refer to it as you go about your investment planning. I also hope you continue to let The Times be your daily source for personal finance information.

--Richard T. Schlosberg III

Publisher, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Times