When you get the opportunity to speak with a successful investor you want to make sure you take advantage of the occasion to learn stocks. While it may be tempting to ask common news questions like "What's on your IPOD" odds are these guys and gals are busy and knowing that Mr. Lynch likes Sir Mix-A-Lot isn't going to help you or your readers portfolio one lick.

Here's five questions that might be more affective:

Money management can be one of the most difficult skills to master. Often we want to earn so much per year from our investments when our nest egg is small and that puts us at extra risk. When you get the chance to speak with a professional don't just ask their allocation, but ask how you would decide on the right allocation. Your situation is different than theirs, mimicking them may over diversify your small account or put you at too much risk.

This question will help give you insight into the path they went down to becoming the investor they are today.  You or your readers are most likely at their early stages of becoming an investor and they will love hearing about the pro's early days.

It's easy to get talking about the great purchases that have returned 15% per year for the last 20 years, but there is two major components to stock investing, when you buy and when you sell. Make sure you take the opportunity to ask about when to bail out of a bad purchase or take your winnings off the table.

This is especially important if you intend on replicating some one's investment style. You may purchase like someone, but if you're used to riding the downs until they turn around, but their style says bail out at a 2% loss no matter what you could be in for some big surprises.

Have you ever studied a new investment plan, made your first purchase, made big money, then everything after that is so-so? There's a lot of skill, knowledge, and experience in learning when a new method is better than your old method. Speaking with a pro is a great opportunity to snag some of their knowledge and experience without you having to take so many lumps.

You're still on your own with the skill portion though.

All great investors require information. You might as well learn where the experts get their infor sooner than later. Working with invalid, irrelevant, or irregular data is going to hold you back. Besides, you may get a great soundbite or two out of this conversation if a publication other than investing related comes up.  Alway nice to know where the pros get their stock trading tips.

No matter what questions you decide to ask, remember great stories of success will only be interesting for the moment, but nuggets of knowledge or experience will help you or your readers through their own investment endeavours.