Amazon.com
Like many savvy business people of the 21st century, David Bach offered his first pearls of financial wisdom to women, in his bestselling book Smart Women Finish Rich. Recognizing that these women are often accompanied by significant others and that money arguments are the number one cause of divorce in America, Bach has now broadened his scope. Presumably intended to help change this depressing statistic, Smart Couples Finish Rich is a well-written financial planning tool, packed with useful charts and information, inspiring examples, and practical advice.
For people who've been disappointed by the shallowness of some of the "quick tips" self-help books out there, the subtitle of this book is a little misleading. Bach's nine steps are not instant change techniques or chirpy little quips to recite to yourself whenever you go to balance your checkbook. Instead, the first few steps include a series of exercises that will help you determine what you know (and don't know, or understand) about saving and investing, what role money should play in your life (which includes understanding your values), and how to work together toward a common financial goal. From there, Bach teaches his readers how to account for "disappearing" money, how to build retirement, security, and dream baskets of wealth (providing detailed options for all three), and how to avoid the most common financial mistakes most couples make. Though the focus of the book is predominantly on working with your existing income, Bach includes a final chapter entitled "Increase Your Income by 10 Percent in Nine Weeks."
Bach's writing style is engaging and his advice is user-friendly. A successful financial planner, he obviously believes passionately in all the "fringe" benefits of being financially responsible but employs a no-nonsense approach that makes financial smarts available to everyone. So whether you're 25 and just starting out on the earning, saving, and spending road or you plan to retire next year; whether you've recently got hitched for the first time or you've just entered your fourth marriage; and whether financial planning comes first or last on your list of fun things to do, the advice in Smart Couples Finish Rich is worth heeding. It's not about becoming a money-obsessed bore, it's about getting smart... and rich. --S. Ketchum
Book Description
From first-time newlyweds to people on their second or third marriage, couples face an overwhelming task when it comes to money management. Nationally renowned financial advisor and bestselling author David Bach knows that it doesn’t have to be this way. In Smart Couples Finish Rich, he provides couples with easy-to-use tools that cover everything from credit card management, to investment advice, to long-term care. You and your partner will learn how to work together as a team to identify your core values and dreams, creating a financial plan that will allow you to achieve security, provide for your family’s future financial needs, and increase your income. Together, you’ll learn why couples that plan their finances together, stay together!
Download Description
Fighting about money is the number-one reason for divorce in America. David Bach knows that it does not need to be this way. In Smart Couples Finish Rich, David Bach makes his tips available for everyone trying to navigate the complex joint-finance waters.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty Good. Pretty, pretty good........2007-10-20
Since reading this book, I have earned a 10% raise--no small feat as we're in the middle of a corporate merge and have increased my contribution to my 401K from 6% to 10%. I have also opened a money market account where I keep my emergency fund. The book motivated me to take the necessary steps to do so. I have also focused in on my dreams and try to make sure the money I spend is helping me achieve them. I've made small steps so far--and I know that if I stay focused it will happen. Bach emphasizes the importance of small steps--not just in achieving financial goals--but in achieving life goals as well. I plan to re-read this book in a year's time to re-motivate myself and of course congratulate myself on the progress I've made. :)
Helpful for all couples planning a future.......2007-09-04
Much of this information can be found elsewhere. I like his idea of dividing savings into the retirement, security, and dream 'baskets'. Many people do not understand that there are different types of savings and that they are all needed to live a happy and healthy life. He even gives advice on the types of investments for each 'basket'. Most of his advice is invaluable and the book is well worth it.
Self Help Finance.......2007-08-25
If found this book very helpfulas a new married couple. It is an easy read without all the financial jargon and is something you can read and actually put into use. Great resource!
Time Waits For No One..............2007-07-12
I originally purchased this book for my son and his wife, but after a month went by and I discovered that it was still laying near the computer where he left it, I picked it up and read it in one day. The information contained is concise, relevant, on-time and indispensable for any couple at any stage of their relationship, hey, as indicated by a scenario by the author, it might even save their relationship. My son and his wife are young, she budgets and is a spend-thrift but he is Houdini with his money, it just diappears: he can never account for his spending and he has not disciplined himself to save. I take the blame for this lack of discipline because I did not always actively encourage him to save his money. The book even addresses this issue, advising parents how to actively involve their children in financial matters. I wholeheartedly agree with David that financial issues should be taught in school. There should be a curriculum designed to address this deficiency in the American educational system. I just wish that I had had this book when I was married. It would have given me a head start, a tremendous guideline, a map, a light in the tunnel to the financial issues that have confronted me over the years. Young couples, married or not married, sit down and read this, it's practical and it is doable and you will not regret it, believe me...time waits for no one.
get control of your finances.........2007-06-27
This is the book which helped me priortize and organize my financial records and life. The information is organized into 3 baskets(retirement, security & dream) based on their priority. It has helped me immensely to
have discipline and control in my financial life. I followed the steps, plan to maximize my retirement contibution this year, now have a security fund, bought life & disability insurance to secure my family and organized my financial records using inventory planner.
Customer Reviews:
Not pragmatic. Too much talk........2007-07-28
The ratio of talk to concrete examples is 85% to 15%. I like straight to the point books, that can and should reinforce important points but keep the fluff to a minimum...
Option Trading for the Conservative Investor.......2007-07-21
Great book if you are considering doing options in your IRA or Roth. Author is very straight forward in pointing out pit falls with a number of option stradegies that could get one into trouble and on the flip side those that work that will build your portfolio over time. I also liked that the author spent some time on tax implications of Options that other authors never speak about. Author could have spent some time on how one searches for stocks that fit the conservative option stradegey, i.e. how to use filters and screeners in various web sites.
Not so conservative.......2007-06-17
Overall lots of information, but Thomsett does not fully explain the risks involved with selling covered calls. Essentially all of his model portfolio would have been in the money after selling the Leaps wtih in weeks. Rolling would not be practical as one could only roll up for the 27 month Leaps. Selling a Pepsico 27 mo. Leap at 50 with a current price (in Sept of '02) of 48.48 netted a $4.30 premium. The stock hit $50 within a month or so and was at about $63 by expiration. The only way out would be to roll up (at an ever increasing cost), hold for two years, or buy back the call. For the average investor (including myself) seems a bit complicated. If after selling a call, the price falls, the risk is even greater. One would need to close out the call by purchasing it back before selling the shares or risk having a naked call. The stradles described later in the book may reduce risk but for most trading accounts managing margin is not for the faint of heart. Definitely read this book with a large grain of salt and thourghly understand the risks associated with such options trading.
Conservative in Some Respects.......2007-05-28
Essentially a book that attempts to frame options trading in a world where your fundamental analysis of a company will drive strategy. The basic assumption of this book is that you can effectively analyze the fundamental strength of a stock and that you can execute several options strategies to increase the income generated from the stock. However, many of the strategies presented still require one to utilize technical analysis (e.g., choose strike prices based on support-levels), as well as provide little in the way of strategy modiifcation if the company's fundamentals change during the life of a call. This is a good book for developing some new investment strategies, however the reader will benefit if they have a good understanding of technical analysis as well.
Good advice but too repetitive.......2007-05-20
This is one of those books that while it has good advice and might actually be nice for someone not knowing that much about options (of which I am one) the book repeats itself over and over. The same ideas could have been presented in one fourth the number of pages. The author's other book "Getting Started in Options" covers more basics, gives better examples, is much better for beginners, and is a much much better way to spend your money.
Book Description
Are you a sinner when it comes to investing? During his long and successful career at Salomon Brothers, Maury Fertig witnessed many smart people making very bad investment decisions--all because they let their emotions influence their judgment. He realized that whether the result of ego, competitiveness, or just plain laziness, these dire behaviors were rooted in seven common and recognizable human weaknesses:
* Envy: focusing on the success of others * Vanity, or Pride: an unwillingness to take advice * Lust: an infatuation with an investment, despite warnings that it is not sound * Avarice: a tendency to hold onto a stock for too long, decreasing its return * Anger, or Wrath: irrational behavior that sacrifices steady progress for a quick hit * Gluttony: compulsive and excessive investing * Sloth: ignoring finances altogether
The Seven Deadly Sins of Investing helps readers recognize their investing vices, and offers practical strategies to help them correct the error of their ways. Illustrated by real stories about real investors who have given in to temptation, the book provides solid financial advice for avoiding common pitfalls and staying on the path to "salvation"--and wealth.
Customer Reviews:
Probes the psychology of investors and investments.......2006-10-16
SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF INVESTING: HOW TO CONQUER YOUR WORST IMPULSES AND SAVE YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE probes the psychology of investors and investments, sharing the knowledge Maury Fertig has gained from a long career at Salomon Brothers to help save investors from their self-defeating impulses. Each investment decision holds possible dangers: the author analyzes common problems and paths and offers up solutions based on psychological insights.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
the light bulb went off.......2006-08-27
This book was a revelation, I see too much of myself and mistakes I made. A must read for any investor!
Critically Important Book for Investors.......2006-08-24
This is an unusual book on investing, as it provides neither advice on investing nor investment strategies. Instead it focuses solely on explaining the negative impact of specific investor emotional traits on investment performance. It is written in an easy-to-understand, friendly, conversational style.
Specifically, Fertig covers seven psychological factors that result in causing investors to perform poorly. These factors include: envy, pride, lust, greed, anger, gluttony and sloth. He covers these topics one at a time, and includes interesting personal stories and examples that clearly illustrate his key points.
From my own investment experience spanning 49 years, I can attest to the critical importance of keeping your emotional behavior and psychological weaknesses in check, otherwise investment results suffer. Too many investors buy at the top and sell at the bottom, because they were never strong enough to overcome their weaknesses. Hopefully, by reading this enjoyable book and thinking about their own situations and need for discipline, and taking corrective ACTION, the reader will improve his/her investment performance.
We live in an age of instant gratification, instant messaging, and an overabundance of stock market commentary from the TV talking heads and media outlets. All this extraneous information (not knowledge) negatively impacts investors thought processes. Investing is not a game and should be considered a place to have fun. Investors need to get control of their internal weaknesses and realize what factors need to be overcome to be successful. This book fills that need very well. Along with books on charting and stock market strategies, this book is part of the trilogy of books that potential investors need to read to become successful.
Overall Great Finance Read.......2006-08-11
It is a must read for anyone who is serious about investing. Great investment details with personal stories, and it can be beneficial to both experts and beginners.
Great rule book for loaded issue.......2006-08-10
It was helpful to read an investment book that understood what my investment tendencies were, and yet, talked me out of repeating what hasn't been working so well. The psychological yet rational approach really spoke to me. It wasn't too dogmatic either. Enjoyable examples too.
Book Description
If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck and are looking for ways to create new wealth, then come on, girl—it’s time to make your money grow! In this timely follow-up to the bestselling Girl, Get Your Money Straight!, author and financial expert Glinda Bridgforth teams up with investment expert and stockbroker Gail Perry-Mason to deliver power-packed, sister-to-sister advice on how to master the stock market, grow your income, and start investing in your biggest asset—you. Girl, Make Your Money Grow! presents their step-by-step plan to help you clear away debt, create new streams of income, buy prime real estate, map out a personalized plan for retirement, and build an investment portfolio that’s right for you using bonds, mutual funds, and blue-chip stocks to lower your risk without sacrificing profits. Filled with Bridgforth and Perry-Mason’s warmhearted wisdom, and complete with exercises, affirmations, and inspiring stories of African American women who’ve successfully grown their financial gardens, Girl, Make Your Money Grow! is a fresh, fun, and eminently practical guide to achieving the next level of financial security and funding the future of your dreams.
Customer Reviews:
Fuels you up and points you in the right direction!.......2007-08-29
One of the best things this book does is points out that it is a CHOICE to live an abundant life. The book points out those wrong mental footprints of to handling finances can be corrected. Then it shares easy to understand, sensible steps to follow in making one's financial abundant life a reality. I read the book the first time and made notes. Now I am rereading it the second time and doing the exercises. I see the rewards are right around the corner.
You go, Ladies!!!.......2006-10-10
This is the first popular book on finance I've ever read that didn't make me want to go out and cut my throat because I'd been so stupid and now it was too late! Instead, the authors explain how to think in terms of abundance, not deprivation, and explain how it's NEVER too late.
Another great thing about this book is that it integrates saving and investing into your life, not just your lifestyle, and shows how they can actually enhance your value system.
Buy it. It's the WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE of investing.
Need more books like this for us........2006-09-25
I brought this book last year and I still refer back to it. It is a must have for all women who are trying to get it together.Good luck ladies we can do it.
GIRL, YOU'D BETTER FIND A WAY TO HANG ON TO IT TOO!.......2006-07-16
A truly wonderful book. However there is a crucial element that must be addressed in light of what is coming down the pike at us "Girls". If you read Arnold's The Great Bust Ahead (or visit the book's website at thegreatbustahead.com) you will gain insights into what may be the greatest depression in history beginning just a few years from now. This will probably affect women the most, and women (and men) of color more than others. So, whatever us Girls can make by following Glinda's advice needs to be protected (i.e. not lost in the coming depression) by reading Arnold's advice.
Buy Now. For Every Woman trying to Live Abundantly.......2006-06-11
I love this book so much. Glinda breaks down investing step by step. I love her encouragement and belief in the success of the reader to learn more about investing. I'm starting to follow her advice and reap the great rewards. I bought her first book after reading this treasure. Buy Now. Stop living Check to Check.
Book Description
In
Take on the Street, Arthur Levitt--Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission for eight years under President Clinton--provides the best kind of insider information: the kind that can help honest, small investors protect themselves from the deliberately confusing ways of Wall Street.
At a time when investor confidence in Wall Street and corporate America is at an historic low, when many are seriously questioning whether or not they should continue to invest, Levitt offers the benefits of his own experience, both on Wall Street and as its chief regulator. His straight talk about the ways of stockbrokers (they are salesmen, plain and simple), corporate financial statements (the truth is often hidden), mutual fund managers (remember who they really work for), and other aspects of the business will help to arm everyone with the tools they need to protect—and enhance—their financial future.
Customer Reviews:
You Owe it to Yourself to Read This Book!.......2006-05-27
What if... the former head of the American Stock Exchange... the former president of the Shearson brokerage giant... or the former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission...
CARED ENOUGH ABOUT SMALL INVESTORS TO WRITE A GREAT 'HOW TO' BOOK ON INVESTING? WOULDN'T YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO READ IT?
Arthur Levitt is the man who filled all of these positions and the guy who cared enough about small investors to write this book. While Levitt covers some well-trodden ground, he also gives investors-- including experienced ones-- superb advice about selecting investments, monitoring brokerage fees, obtaining best execution on stock trades and on reading corporate financial statements. He also provides useful tips on retirement investing and on the publicly-available information that will help investors to plan their finances and enhance their returns. And better yet, Levitt and his accomplished co-author accomplish all of this clearly, without jargon. If you own stock, even a small amount held in a company retirement plan, you owe it to yourself to read this book.
Levitt's book also provides an illuminating discussion of how the accounting and securities industry lobbies in Washington to limit regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), often to the detriment of investors. Some of the material is comical-- most notably a September 2000 letter from then-Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay stating that Enron's accounting system is state-of-the-art in its ability to protect shareholders against corporate fraud.
Levitt's efforts to stand up for individual investors during his term as Chairman of the SEC are also described in detail. These efforts are heroic, poignant and frequently hilarious. You see, the securities and accounting industries just do not expect an industry insider like Levitt to actually... strengthen... the protections for retail investors at the expense of industry profits. When Levitt tries to do so, he is treated like a guest dropping a dead mouse on the serving platter at a formal dinner. Arthur couldn't really care about the investing public... could he?
Levitt is equally candid about his post-SEC activities, which has included service on corporate boards-- at least on the boards of those companies sufficiently comfortable with Levitt's exacting standards on board conduct. Again, to the shock and dismay of some corporate titans, Levitt actually believes that the directors of a publicly-traded firm should act in the interest of shareholders rather than as a rubber stamp for management. In an especially revealing and funny episode, Levitt's invitation to join Apple Computers' Board of Directors is rescinded the day after Levitt presents Steve Jobs with an essay detailing Levitt's views on corporate governance. Arthur couldn't really care about the investing public...could he?
Fortunately for you and me Arthur Levitt cares passionately about the investing public and has written a superb guide to lead non-insiders safely through the hidden perils of Wall Street. You owe it to yourself to read this gem of a book.
Levitt's Life Story.......2005-09-13
This book is mostly about Levitt's life story. There's not a whole lot of stuff you can learn by reading this book. It mostly says the same things other books say.... know what you buy, research what you buy, etc.
However, there are 2 chapters in the book that were really good. One tells you how the ECN system works and the other one tells you what to look for and how to read financial statements. I would buy the book for these two chapters alone. The book is fairly cheap anyways. There's also a chapter about 401Ks that may interest those that haven't given much thought to retirement funds.
Most of the book is about Levitt's life story. He bashes both Republicans and Democrats for obstructing the regular joe (or jane) investor. His life story is interesting but that's not the reason I bought the book.
*****.......2004-06-09
(...)when I say I was completely impressed with this book and applaud Clinton for having appointed Arthur Levitt as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, you can be sure I mean it! This book is absolutely required reading for anyone even thinking of investing in the stock market. It was a total eye opener and written in an accessible, readable style. I highly recommend it.
Pithy and Informative.......2004-04-14
Sometimes the truth hurts. In "Take on the Street," Levitt tells it like it is. A sobering account of Wall Street's hidden mishaps, the book examines such things as the opaque accounting practices that precipitated the Miltonic fall of Enron and Worldcom. The real merit of the book resides in a chapter Levitt devotes to the reading of financial statements, wherein he recapitulates the necessity of doing one's due diliegence before investing in any company. A classic, indeed.
Must Read.......2004-02-02
I've been reading a lot of books about personal finance and the markets, and Levitt's is my favorite. He explains technical concepts in simple terms that are understandable to the average person. His stories about his years as SEC chairman wonderfully illustrate his points. If you insist on believing that basic intergrity prevails on Wall Street and in corporate America, don't read his book. As Levitt so ably demonstrates, it's like believing in the Easter bunny.
Book Description
Personal Finance for Overseas Americans is a personal finance guide written for Americans who live overseas, or plan to. The basics of financial planning and money management are included, but so are many little known and little understood aspects of financial life for Americans living outside of North America.
Customer Reviews:
Not about living overseas at all!.......2005-05-20
I am seconding the earlier review posted which made the point that this book contains largely generic financial advice, with almost nothing related to living overseas. A _big_ disappointment.
Deceptive Title.......2003-07-20
A better title might be: Basics of Personal Finance
I did not find this book helpful at all with regards to the financial considerations of moving and living abroad.
Solid, concise advice for expats.......2003-07-08
For those of you who live abroad but often times find yourselves too busy to pay close enough attention to your finances, this compact book is for you. I've lived overseas for over 15 years, and Ms. Frew's book helped me better grasp not only the basics I needed to better understand my investments, but also more advanced taxation and retirement issues. I found the worksheets particularly useful. Bottom line is that if you live abroad and don't have time to take a seminar in personal finance, you'll find this book to be a great primer, and a useful resource.
Little to do with liviing abroad.......2002-12-19
I couldn't have been more disappointed by this book. It was 95% basic finance topics and 5% dealing with finances for living abroad. And the 5% was so basic that it was barely worthwhile. Not only was the book mistitled for it's content, but the style was condescending and repetitive. It's the first time that I'll be returning a book to Amazon.com
The Fundamentals of Managing your Finances from Abroad.......2001-05-06
Barbara Frew covers all the fundamental points and strategies for managing your finances - whether abroad or in the U.S. The distinction between the two is increasingly that, while abroad, you cannot go to see your bank manager and must rely on other resources for advice. Personal Finance for Overseas Americans is that other resource. Ms. Frew covers the big picture - putting first things first - without forgetting to plan for retirement and unexpected events that may happen when you are away from your hometown. The expertly designed book takes you through all the steps from getting your life in order to planning your future in terms that do not assume anything about the reader. Readers with some background in the field will read the book for the expert advice while novices will learn the basics of their own financial health, how the worlds of banks and insurance work and how to review your own financial situation. After reading this book you will be ready to plan and monitor your financial health and to enjoy living overseas without wondering how you will fare when you come home.
Book Description
Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide already have benifited from the fanancial expertise of Jonathan D. POND---author, speaker, radio and televison host and commentator, and one of america's most respected authorites on investing. In just four easy steps, Pond effectively demystifies the investing process, offering simple, step-by-step guidance for assembling and managing a well diversified portofolio that will enable you to reap substantial monetary rewards without having to pay exorbitant commissions, loads, and management fees.
No matter what your age, means and background---whether you wish to invest $500 or $1million---the key to YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE is 4 EASY STEPS TO SUCESSFUL INVESTING. Here are all the valuable strategies to help you achieve your financial dreams, and in language that is easy to understand and follow, so that any potential investor can effortlessly grasp even the most complex investing concepts
Exploring every viable option---from stocks, bonds and mutual funds to CDs, IRA's, 401(k)s and real estate---Jonathan D. Pond helps your figure out how much to invest, where to invest it, and when and how to rebalance your investment allocation most profitability.
Customer Reviews:
Great book on investing.......2003-10-30
With such a preponderance of lousy information out there by so called "financial experts", I found it refreshing to read Ponders book and find advice that actually worked.
I also enjoy your commentaries.
Thank you Mr. Ponder!
MORE FOR THE OLDER INVESTOR.......2002-03-11
I agreed with alot of what he had to say,but I think his approach is too conservative for the younger investor.He is very strongly into bond funds and feels that everybody should have at least 6 or 7 different bond funds.Are you kidding me? Why should a 30 year old have bonds at all? I prefer to be a little bit more aggressive at least until I'm 50, then maybe bonds would make more sense.Just my opinion.
Okay, I have to ease off a little.......2000-02-04
I'm going to ease off quite a bit here from the (previous message) on the book and author...there, I've taken most of the headlock squeeze off of little J Jonathan ... and say that I think these books; like JPs for example, can set a good financial foundation for kids, adults, and successfully retire you at 65; BUT if you were wrecked by reading Market Wizards or New Market Wizards where everything else now falls short AND you're now looking to make..... 200 BILLION DOLLARS..... in 3 to 5 years, like ME and DR. EVIL, then it might not work. I'm always looking for the next real level so I toss most stuff back on the shelf. Now where are the REAL experts who can get us THERE? I can hear them laughing already.
Mr. Pond on Channel 23.......1999-04-25
I was watching Mr.Pond's commentary on Business Channel 23 about the great market we've had and three choices if it doesn't stay great: stop loss orders, options, and diversification. He's full of it! I have a page full of blue chip stocks that stopped me out 7% plus, then soared without me. It doesn't work. Most people lose on options and I lost out on thousands to the indexes from being diversified. This guy makes his money selling books. I'll tell him to his face he's full of it.
Great investment guide - especially with rocky stock markets.......1998-10-14
If the very idea of learning about investing gives you a headache, take a deep breath, then relax and read this book. Personal finance expert Jonathan Pond lays out all the strategies clearly and simply, then guides you toward creating a balanced investment portfolio. His chapter, "Oh No! Surviving a Market Decline," will help you sleep nights even when the Dow takes a big dip.
Book Description
Financial planner and broker Julie Stav took the world by storm with her PBS financial series and New York Times bestseller Get Your Share-showing women how to strike it rich in the stock market. Now she speaks to everyone-men and women, young and old, new and seasoned investor alike.
In this updated edition of Fund Your Future, Stav shows step by step how to set financial goals and examine your current investment plans to determine if you are investing as profitably as possible. Her signature blend of supportiveness and expert practical advice takes the fear out of investing and puts the roadmap to riches within easy reach.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding book!.......2004-06-12
This is an amazing book - it clearly explains how you can plan for your retirement and help you to actually calculate the numbers yourself without depending on a planner. The book made me feel very empowered with my own finances. Thanks for writing this book - its awesome.
No Index.......2002-02-10
I found the book clearly written but was surprised to find no index.
get your share: the everyday woman's guide to stocks.......2002-02-05
I too am a hispanic woman. I was quite intimidated by stocks and expecially that scary stock page in the newspaper. I could not believe it. I am a college graduate and a bank employee and here I am completely baffled by investments. I work in a bank. But I caught the last 15 minutes of her PBS special and was captivated as to how simply she explained it without being condisending. I needed someone to explain how to take control of my own finances and all of those dummy books were not as helpful as I had hoped. I truly felt like a dummy!! I especially liked the road lane analogy. Because now I know in what lane and what speed to go. Even though I am 27 and the recommended/investing age starts at 25. I am confident that my retirement will be smoother than most of today's retirees. I thank you very much Julie, you improved my life by allowing me to understand it more clearly. Thanks again. If you are ever in Chicago, look me up. I owe you a cup of Starbucks mochaccino or something!!
BEST FINANCIAL PLANNING BOOK OUT THERE!.......2001-12-06
Wow! Julie Stav is really a financial writer for our times. She speaks in clear language and provides a special (and easy!) system for you to figure out how to plan for retirement, save for a college fund, or even just get the most out of your 401(k). My favorite part was the exercise she had us go through to find "hidden assets" that I didn't even know I had! I would recommend this to anyone who is numbers shy but who knows that it is time to take their financial future into their own hands!
Book Description
Property ownership can create a comfortable retirement income.
Stock market volatility is causing people to examine different investment options, and real estate is emerging as a leading choice. Learn how to create a fulfilling, predictable, and prosperous nest egg.
Secure Your Financial Future Investing in Real Estate, by two leading practitioners, Martin Stone and Spencer Strauss, presents time tested principles of planning, appraising, financing, purchasing and managing almost every type of profitable real estate investment. Secure Your Financial Future Investing in Real Estate advises readers how to build a retirement portfolio using techniques such as leverage, compound interest, and tax deferred exchanges. The authors believe that anyone who uses the moneymaking techniques can safely and successfully create a fulfilling, wealthy, and abundant retirement.
Customer Reviews:
Real world information on investing in real estate.......2003-10-25
This book is very helpful in figuring the proper way to look at profit potential in purchasing rental property. I also emailed the author Martin Stone asking some specific questions regarding particular types of properties and he was kind enough to respond with suggestions. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase his other book the unofficial guide to real estate investing.
Thanks Marty.
The right real estate investment book.......2003-08-09
'Secure your financial future investing in real estate' is a book that I recommend very highly. I have read over 25 books related directly to this topic and I have to tell you, I thought it was so good that I read it twice. I am what some would call an 'intermediate investor.' This book gave information that not only motivated me to do more with my real estate investments but how to aquire better and more properties so that I would have the future that I have always wanted. It is a more direct approach that gives you tools to go out and start the next day with the confidence that one would need in order to be a successful real estate investor. A more realistic approach aside from the other 'how to get rich' mentalities or the 'no money down' approach. It was an honest focus on not only the 'why' but the 'how' to get started and why you should not wait. If your intentions are to supplement your retirement with a few smart investments or develop a career in the real estate investing industry, this is the book for you. It covers the entire scope and lays the foundation for a profitable venture. The authors speak from experience and prove it by giving their personal email address that you can ask specific questions and get answers needed to succeed. It is like having a mentor at you finger tips and there is no way you could fail with support and advice like that. I strongly encourage anyone who is even thinking about the possibility of using real estate investments to achieve their goals and dreams. You + this book + a little desire = success!! Good luck!
A great place to start.......2003-07-06
There are many positive things about this book that should be noted. First, it is presented in a way that is simple and easy to understand. Second, regardless of where the reader is in his/her life there are facts and suggestions that are thought provoking and appropriate to that stage of life. Finally, it's good to see in print ideas that some of us may have embraced, but never had validated by anyone other than friends.
One of my childrren graduated from college last March, and the other should graduate this coming March. Because of the easy to read format, clear examples, and un-textbook like style, I plan on giving each of them a copy of this book - it will be "a great place to start" the next phase of their lives. With degrees in hand, it will be worthwhile for them to now get reality based instruction/information.
Talk about eye-opening!.......2003-06-12
This book is wonderful. I'm a 31-yr-old computer programmer with a good income and lots of equity in a townhouse. I'm a reasonably good saver and make regular contributions to my 401k. Will this put me on the path to retirement riches? Not by a long shot, and this book clearly explains why in simple and plain language. This book makes too much common sense to refute. But fortunately its purpose is *not* to stir up doom and gloom.
It's real purpose is to illustrate the riches to be made from the low-risk high-return world of long term real estate investing in income properties. The authors emphasize a long term investment plan, not the quick flipping pitched by so many marketing gurus. Through leverage we can turn a modest 5% property appreciation into a whopping 40%++ return on our money. How does that compare to 2% for your savings account, or 10% long term in the stock market? Throw in tax writeoffs, deferred capital gains, loan reduction and positive cashflow at the same time and I am hooked.
This is a great eye-opening book for those new to real estate, and for those who their think social security and 401k will provide a secure retirement.
Buy this book........2003-06-05
If you only buy one real estate book in your life, make sure it is this one. Clear, concise, easy to follow. You cannot lose money buying this.
This is not just a rich dad/poor dad book. This one works.
Product Description
Guaranteed Success will show you how to rewire your brain to make thinking and acting at the next level automatic. It will inspire and it will instruct. It will fire up your heart and provide light for your path. It will reawaken you to the possibilities of your life--and will provide the tools to turn those possibilities into reality. At one level Guaranteed Success will provide you a new way to win old battles. And at another level, Guaranteed Success will supply you the outlook, knowledge, and tools to go from success to success, tackling new challenges that previously seemed out of reach. Guaranteed Success will help you change you. And in doing that, it will help you change your results for good.
Books:
- Smart Couples Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner
- The Act of Marriage
- The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out
- The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival
- The Complete Credit Repair Kit (+CD-ROM) (Complete Credit Repair Kit)
- The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing: Answers to All Your Questions - From Opening Escrow, to Negotiating Fees, to Signing the Closing Papers
- The Credit Secrets Bible
- The Credit Secrets Bible
- The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks
- The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Business Communication: Process and Product
- Survey Of Historic Costume: A History Of Western Dress
- Grid Computing: Practical Guide To Technology & Applications
- Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass: A Survival Guide for the Recently Unemployed
- Mike Meyers' MCSE Windows
- The Heat of the Day
- Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
- Basic Accounting for Small Groups
- Geopolitics in a Changing World
- Insight Guide East African Wildlife
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Start Late, Finish Rich: A No-Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age (Finish Rich Book Series)
Smart Women Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams (Revised Edition)
The Automatic Millionaire : A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich
The Finish Rich Workbook: Creating a Personalized Plan for a Richer Future (Get out of debt, Put your dreams in action and achieve Financial Freedom
The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner: A Powerful Plan to Finish Rich in Real Estate
