"Chicks Laying Nest Eggs" Hatch A Site

Karin Housley wanted to learn more about investing, but she didn't want to do it alone. So she pulled together nine far-flung female friends and relatives and launched an online-investing group with a catchy name, Chicks Laying Nest Eggs Investment Club. Two years later, these Chicks have proven they're no financial birdbrains. Their ten-stock portfolio, which includes Cisco Systems, Nokia, and General Electric, has returned 47.5% from its inception through Sept. 15, vs. 17.7% for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. "We've had so much fun and learned so much that we want to get the word out to other investors that they don't have to do it alone," says Housley, a writer and former TV producer who has four children and is married to hockey player Phil Housley of the Calgary Flames.

The Chicks have begun to get the word out through their Web site, www.chickslayingnesteggs.com, which they launched on Sept. 5. Right now, the site just reveals their portfolio, investment strategy, and member communications. But it's gearing up to provide services for other investment clubs, including message boards and portfolio-tracking tools.