You are familiar with the old adage, "A fool and his money. . ." Well, you know the rest. For anyone investing in tech stocks these days that axiom might hold an especially harsh truth. For those foolish enough to invest without the benefit of good counsel, extensive research, and careful planning, its truth becomes exponential.

There is another use of the term "fool" that has merit, especially as it pertains to the stock market. During the Elizabethan era only the court jester (the "Fool") could tell the King the truth without getting his head lopped off. An investment information web portal has borrowed that metaphor to do precisely that - tell the truth as it pertains to investing in the stock market. That furtive truth, according to Fool.com, is that the financial world preys on ignorance and fear.

In the words of its founders, brothers David and Tom Gardner, Fool.com exists to educate and enrich individuals in search of the truth. It does so using a unique brand of humor, not unlike the court jester of the middle ages. In other words, the folks at Fool.com have fun (or should we say "pfun"). After all, if you're going to lose money, you might as well have fun doing it!

Seriously, this is a website that any investor, novice or seasoned, should have at the top of their favorites folder. It contains a huge knowledge base of information including articles on retirement planning, cutting taxes, getting out of debt, and selecting a broker. The best part is that the information is written in language the layman can understand.

For the novice investor Fool.com is a dream come true. The "Fool's School" features a "getting started" section that contains basic investment information, the ABC's of stocks, how mutual funds work, and more. The downloadable "13 Steps to Investing Foolishly" interactive guide is worth the price of admission to the site which, of course, is Free!

Becoming a Fool.com member (they refer to it as "becoming a fool") offers many perks. For example, when you register you can opt to receive trial issues of such business and finance stalwarts as Barrons, Investors Business Daily, The Economist, and Sports Illustrated. (Well, SI may not be, but you can't spend all your time investing!) One of the biggest and best perks is a 10-week Free subscription to the Wall Street Journal! The folks at Fool.com show some consideration in offering these incentives too, as they come with no strings attached. In other words, you won't be billed after the trial subscription period is over.

Your investment portfolio won't be complete unless you include in it a membership to Fool.com. Go ahead, have some fun, become a fool. . .and learn how to invest wisely.