STRAIGHT TALK
By Jeffrey Zaslow
Issue date:
January 23-25, 1998
Long day:
Bartiromo covers the stock market for CNBC each morning. Then, at 7 p.m. ET, she co-hosts the network's new show Business Center.
Maria Bartiromo: TV's hottest business reporter says investing is all about "following the money." Her role? Providing maps.
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Don't know where your 401(k) money goes? Get a clue, says the "Econo Babe."
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 ARIA BARTIROMO, the CNBC anchor who is fast becoming the most famous face in business news, is bearish on ignorance. Though Americans are jumping into the stock market in record numbers, she finds that too many jump without looking.Admit to her that you pay no attention to your investments and she'll reprimand you. "So every week, money comes out of your paycheck and into a 401(k) plan," she says. "Do you have any idea where that money goes?" Not a clue, you tell her. She's exasperated. "People assume, 'It's over my head! It's not for me.' That's the worst assumption you can make. The market is a lot easier to understand than you think." To make her point, she reveals her passion for Oreo cookies. "A lot of people love Oreos. So [their manufacturer] is making money. That means more dividends for shareholders." Bartiromo, 30 and single, studied journalism and economics at New York University, and began her career as a "very driven" production assistant at CNN. Then she moved to CNBC, where she made her name delivering live reports from the New York Stock Exchange. Traders, entranced by her resemblance to Sophia Loren, soon were calling her "Money Honey" and "Econo Babe." On the Internet, people track how stocks tend to rise when she wears red or changes the part in her hair. CNBC is counting on Bartiromo to appeal to younger viewers who are just starting to make investments. She certainly uses the language to lure them. "Business news," she says, "is sexy." If there's ever a major market crash, Bartiromo promises, she'll be a well-sourced voice of calm. "My birthday is Sept. 11. That's 911." And if it'll help, maybe she'll even wear red.
ASK BARTIROMO FOR ADVICE Bartiromo will write or call a reader who seeks advice. By February 1, write to "Straight Talk," P.O. Box 3455, Chicago, Ill. 60654 (fax: 312-661-0375; e-mail: talk@usaweekend.com).
Women, get control:
"Most women outlive their spouses. Divorce remains at record rates. It's important for a woman to be able to control her finances."
Try female brokers:
"Some studies show that women can be better money managers than men because they tend to be more conservative and [do] their homework. Men tend to take more risks without the research."
Stick to business:
Bartiromo's popularity helps her hit up sources for tips. Starting at 6:45 a.m., "I pound the phones -- maybe 25 calls in the first hour. People know I don't want to chit-chat."
If the stock market drops, "don't panic. You never know what triggered it."
It's your money:
"Too many people say to their brokers, 'I can't deal with this. Take my money. Do what you want.' That's the worst attitude you can have."
Zaslow is an advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
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