LONDON (AP) -- Cadbury PLC revealed Monday it has received approaches from The Hershey Co. and Italy's Ferrero International SA as it launched a robust defense against a hostile 9.8 billion pound ($16.3 billion) from Kraft Foods Inc.

Cadbury Chairman Roger Carr said the statements of intent from Hershey and Ferrero were too preliminary to start proper talks as he warned shareholders not to let Kraft "steal your company with its derisory offer."

The British chocolate and gum maker also raised its long-term performance targets to play up its position as a strong independent company.

The prospect of the 195-year-old company falling into foreign ownership has caused some consternation in Britain were it is a much-loved brand -- a member of Cadbury's founding family has been publicly critical and the country's leading labor union fears large-scale job losses.

But Carr left open the door for some kind of tie-up, saying that Cadbury was open to discussion with any potential suitor -- Kraft included -- that made a compelling offer that fully valued the company.

"As yet, we've only had one offer, which is far from compelling, it is ... derisory on a good day because it's falling, and we've had a statement of intent from two people that are yet to come forward with an offer," Carr told reporters.

"We have told them very clearly what the rules of the game are, but until they come forward ... that

Everyone knows the secret to investment success is to buy low and sell high. The problem is most of us lack clairvoyance.

We weigh in on some of the most common mistakes investors make, and while it's easy to see that chasing hot stocks -- the most frequently cited mistake -- would be an exercise in futility, there are other pitfalls to watch out for on the road to retirement.

There are never any guarantees when investing, but avoiding these seven missteps will better your chances of success.

Mismatching Investment With Goal

Need that money for retirement in the next couple years? Don't put it in a hot emerging-markets fund.

Consider when you'll need access to your money. This will help you avoid unnecessary transaction fees, penalties and risk.

For some goals, such as paying for college, it may make sense to use a mix of investments, says Gail MarksJarvis, author of "Saving for Retirement (Without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery)."

"If you are saving for college and your child is within three years of going to college, you've still got seven years until that last year of college," she says.

So while the bulk of short-term college savings should probably be very safe in CDs or short-term bonds or

If you want to be rich, you need to stop acting like you have money in the bank and start living beneath your means. That's the message in the most recent book from Thomas J. Stanley, author of "The Millionaire Mind" and the "The Millionaire Next Door."

Bankrate asked Stanley to explain what's fueling America's hyper-consumptive ways and unquenchable thirst for top-shelf brand vodka -- among other indulgences.

Q: In your book "Stop Acting Rich...and Start Living like a Real Millionaire," you say that rich people don't necessarily act the way that the rest of us might think they do. In fact, millionaires are more likely to be extremely frugal. Why is that?

A: There are many factors that explain frugality among the rich.

First, their parents tended to be not only frugal, but well-disciplined. Most millionaires today came from middle-class backgrounds. Their parents were not wealthy, but somewhat comfortable. Millionaires tell me that they never felt embarrassed by where they lived or the type of home they had. To a considerable degree, it is the uniquely American upward socioeconomic mobility that fuels much of the hyper-consuming engine of the market for luxury goods, prestige products, upscale brands, expensive homes and so on.

Beyond income, one's vocation has much to do with accumulating wealth. Educators, engineers, business owners and retail store managers have a tendency to live below their means and to be quite efficient in