Capsule: Larry Carroll, Carroll Financial Associates Inc.

LARRY CARROLL President Carroll Financial Associates Inc. Charlotte, N.C. Assets under management: $1.1 billion Forecast: The stock market hasn't hit bottom yet, but by the end of 2009 it will have turned positive. Preferred stocks, which like bonds pay a fixed cash payment, are in many cases a better way to go than common stocks, because investors get the cash payment, along with the potential for appreciation. Bonds also will do well. "Products such as convertibles, and to a lesser extent, high-yield bonds, could provide you with a 10% to 12% return fairly easily," Mr. Carroll said. The 2009 finish line: The Dow: 9,647 The Nasdaq: 1,718 The S&P 500: 986 Tip sheet: Favorite stock: Preferred shares, Telephone & Data Systems Inc. (TDA). Favorite sector: Biotechnology. Next big thing: Once the money the government has pumped into the markets works its way through, the markets will stabilize pretty quickly. Biggest concern: The continued loss of jobs will have a destabilizing effect on markets. Reading, watching, listening to: Book: "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America" by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2008). Newspapers: The Wall Street Journal, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer and The Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald. TV: CNBC. Website: cnbc.com.