Not a math geek? No problem, you can still be a successful investor, here's how...

Its seems to be human nature to over complicate things so it's no surprise that corporate america has turned investing into a high stakes game of poker infused with advanced calculus and mind boggling mathematical formulas, I assure you that an IQ of 150, or even 120 isn't necessary to invest successfully over a lifetime, over the next few weeks i'll be dishing the inside scoop on what makes a good investment, lets start with three:

1. A Strong Brand: Look at companies like Starbucks and Apple, what do they have in common? Turns out that both have a powerful brand/image behind their name, Strong brands create loyal customers and loyal customers allow companies to charge people 5 bucks for a cup of coffee when they can get the same thing down the street for half the price, a strong brand is what separates the good companies from the great ones.

2. Low debt: Companies with low levels of debt tend to be in a better position when things hit the fan (i.e.  recessions, etc). Companies that have low levels of debt are less likely to go out of business if things slow down, imagine a company with a high level of short term debt that couldn't be paid due to a bad quarter, that smells like disaster...

3. Excess Cash flow: A company with excess non-borrowed cash will not only be in a position to withstand any possible economic decline but they can also use the extra cash to reward shareholders.