Lisa DeAngelis and Randall Cobb look like investing geniuses right now. While the S&P 500 has dropped more than 40% since last year's peak, the Atlanta couple's retirement portfolio is sitting pretty, earning 4% or so a year.

Question: I hear the market is a good bargain right now, but I'm still very nervous about losing my money. Is there a way to get some market returns without taking so much risk?

If you were counting on your fixed-income funds to prop you up in tough times, it's been a cruelly disappointing year. Although the news headlines focus on falling stocks, the fear of bad credit is at the heart of this financial crisis - and a bond, after all, is nothing but a loan. Every category [...]