Contrarians' Day: Profiting From Independent Thought

If any country should celebrate a contrarian streak, it's America.

As we observe Independence Day -- is anybody actually reading today? -- this holiday week's Financial Education column will highlight our running series on contrarian investing, the ultimate expression of market independence.

Contrarian investing -- buying the stuff that everybody hates, or betting against the stuff that everybody loves -- is one of the best ways to aim for performance-enhancing returns. There are a million ways to go against the herd, and today's package of stories highlights some of the best bets these days: ...