Book Description

A proven path to success for anyone seeking financial freedom in today’s challenging world

Discussing everything from effective budgeting to breaking into the lucrative and fulfilling world of self-employment, nationally renowned cash flow expert Fred Rewey addresses the financial problems everyone faces and then offers a practical guide to turning the corner from paying everyone to getting paid instead. People can find themselves so bombarded by bills, from credit cards to mortgages to college tuitions, that they find it impossible to focus on truly solving their money woes, once and for all. Winning the Cash Flow War provides readers with tools and knowledge they need to fight back. His unique step-by-step battle plan reveals how anyone can dramatically transform their attitude about finances, and shore up their monetary well-being, by learning to see money not so much as a goal but as a tool—a tool of self-empowerment that virtually anyone can master.

Fred Rewey is one of today’s most sought-after speakers on entrepreneurism and financial success. President of the American Cash Flow Association and publisher of the American Cash Flow Journal, Rewey is seen by millions each month on television, and has helped people at all financial levels take control of their lives and turn their cash flow into a net positive. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Winning the Cash Flow War is a Winner
This is a needed topic for every household to address. Fred Rewey captures the issues and solutions for personal financial needs and goals in a very practical and effective way. If someone doesn't have financial plans to win the cash flow war this book will give them the groundwork to get on the road to financial stability and if someone is already disciplined they are probably not practicing everything and can learn some new applications from this book. Everyone is in a cash flow war, this gives people the battle plan to win the war.

This book stands out in a crowed field....
WOW, what a pleasant surprise! The most common sense book on the subject of personal finance I have ever read!More insight than I expected on the subject. I especially like the section on credit cards debt. Should be required reading in schools.

A User-friendly Tool to Win Your Own Financial War
The concept of a battle with your finances is an excellent theme; there are so many of us down in the trenches trying to get through this stuff on a daily basis. And although I am in a better position in my life personally than in my younger years, I still have a ways to go to actually win my own war. But Fred's book gives me hope that I can make that happen.

I love the layout of the book, Fred's great sense of humor, and all the special icons (Allies, Enemies, Action Items) and callouts that point to bits of important information, making the whole book easy to digest as well as super helpful.

I am recommending this book to other family members and friends who I know would benefit from the great "ammo" provided within these pages.

Winning the Cash Flow War
Great book! This is a personal finance reference guide. Love it!

This is a must read for anyone concerned about cash flow
I have read many books on cash flow and managing your own money, but this is absolutely one of the best.It is easy to read, it is a fast read, it is very easy to understand and most of all it is very easy to implement what the author is recommending to better yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

With an introduction by Robert T. Kiyosaki By knowing the five basic breeds of people--the Pit Bull, the Golden Retriever, the Poodle, the Chihuahua, and the Basset Hound--readers will have the necessary insight to improve their business and selling savvy.

SalesDogs will:
- Introduce Five Breeds of SalesDogs!
- Reveal the five simple but critical revenue- generating skills to generate endless streams of qualified buyers and life-long sales
- Teach you how to identify your breed and play to your own strengths
- Give you the steps to inspire and direct any group of sales people into a charging pack of blue-ribbon SalesDogs
- Show you how to reduce your sales effort, increasing your sales results
- Teach you how to radically change your attitude in thirty seconds or less so you can direct your financial results ... Read more

Reviews (28)

An enlightening novel
I haven't yet begun a career in sales, but I am going to begin tis summer. In preparation I have been reading books that I think will help me. So some of the ideas he talks about were harder for me to relate to, but he explains everything really well. The first part of the book, identifying which breed you are, was the most difficult for me to figure out, because I haven't tried to sell anything yet. But the rest of the book, I enjoyed immensely. My sales manager has been talking to me about dealing with rejection and objections, and Singer goes into great detail about how to deal with both. Additionally, Singer stresses the importance of a positive outlook.

Some of this book was over my head, but I plan to read it again at the end of the summer. Even though some of it was hard for me to relate to, he did a great job explaining what it takes to be a successful salesman. He also does a great job of building anticipation for a career in sales. The book is well written and easy to read.

The Dog's Have It!
I was first captivated by the title of this book and then was drawn in
more deeply by the no-nonsense approach I read throughout.

I actually laughed outloud about some of the Myths about
Selling which are argued (humorously -- I might add) with
facts.

Ahhh, I have heard this one COUNTLESS times before:

"What does selling have to do with building businesses,
managing people, raising money and investing?"

Rich Dad's answer -- "EVERYTHING!"

I also appreciate the section on who your most important sales
contract is with... YOURSELF... as you are your own harshest
critic, your own most difficult client and your own
personal objection and rejection machine -- all wrapped up
in ONE body!

The Five Sales Dog types are outlined more fully in the book
but even in their titles you may begin to recognize yourself
AND your staff (if you are a manager.)

Pit Bull - stereotypical, aggressive sales person

Golden Retriever - bundles of love customer service is everything
BEGS for the PRIVILEGE of selling to YOU, my fav customer!

Poodle -- Intellectual and high strung with the focus on looking good....

Chihuahua -- Don't be fooled by their small stature, they have TEETH!

Basset hound -- they look like they will roll over and take anything, what
they are really doing is building long term, loyal relationships.

and then... there are the BIG DOGS.....

The Sales People who want the biggest stage, the brightest lights,
the packed crowds and the FAST TRACK DEALS. They will put them
together, get the signature and for goodness sakes, get someone
else to follow up.....

The book goes on to teach the reader how to leverage their own
Sales Dog style to make the most of the bottom line.

With this book you can learn a LOT and enjoy the lessons as
you go. Its all delivered in the Rich Dad style PLUS yes, there
is even a free audio download available.....

A sure winner -- "The Dog's Have it!"

Sales' "Dogs Comics"
This is a good PR book for small and medium business owners, especially retailing, e.g. flower shop, grocery shop, etc¡K

As a business owner, you may have to do many messy stuff that they just stop you from thinking ways for your shops to make more money. This book will really touch your nerve, ¡§Ops¡KI should have thought of this long time before, why I cannot think of it?¡¨ E.g. invite media to have a shop visit of your candy shop; contact reporter for the latest promotion that you shop is running; promoting your product in newsgroup; organize a ¡§one-day¡¨ tour with a community organization for seniors if you are engaging in travel business, etc.

PR beginners would appreciate this book very much as it provides tips for practicing PR that some other PR books may overlook. E.g. tips for dealing with media, and preparing speech, etc. This is actually a PR handbook with blanks for you to fill in so that you can participate in the book and find your own way to do PR with its guidance.

I like the 12-week plan at the end of the book as it even prepares a matrix for you to fill in your PR plan in 12-week. It pushes people to take action right after finishing the book.

Awesome Book!!!
This is a great book. I am new in Direct Sales and this has helped me tremendously. I now know how to target prospective clients and identify their natural tendencies. This helps me out on how to sell to certain 'breeds' of clients and how to close them. This is GREAT!!! Thanks Blair Singer.

WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
I probably read 100 or more books each year, including a significant number of business and sales books. I enjoyed some of Robert Kiyosaki's other advisor books, but this one really [is bad].

It is full of vague analogies to whatever kind of "dog" you are -the point that you do not have to be aggressive to be in sales is also foolish and false. You can certainly bring your own personality to sales or any other profession, and you SHOULD, but all this psychobabble about "being your own dog" or whatever is just that - silly psychobabbly designed to seperate you from your money and put it in an author's pocket who really has nothing useful to say.

If you really want to learn something about selling that you can actually USE, read Zig Ziglar's "Sales 101" or Donald Moine's "Ultimate Selling Power". ... Read more

Book Description

Building a High-End Financial Services Practice is for top-producing financial advisers who want to capture the affluent investor and build strong relationships that are profitable in both up and down markets. This book provides proven strategies for dealing with increased market volatility, new technology hurdles, more—and more-complex—financial products, and competition that seems to be coming out of the woodwork. It also contains invaluable advice on working strategically with broker-dealers and other professionals to expand your services and grow your business. In addition, the book includes valuable surveys of top financial planners and industry studies that identify trends, opportunities, and successful techniques. Having built a hugely successful financial advisory practice as well as a thriving broker-dealer, authors Cliff Oberlin and Jill Powers have firsthand insight into what works in today's tough environment, and what you need to thrive in tomorrow's. Whether you are already enjoying success or just starting out, Building a High-End Financial Services Practice gives you the map to maximum efficiency and profits. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nothing new here.....
As someone who is currently on the path to becoming qualified to manage money for the super-wealthy (I currently have or am attaining CFA, CPA, CFP, JD), I do agree with the book's mantra that E = MC2 , or education = more compensation. My career goals are mainly focused on creating my own boutique firm specializing in wealth management. With that in mind, I read this book hoping to get some real insight into what the wealthy want from a financial planner / problem solver, but in the end came away highly disappointed.

The book seemed to repeat itself at times, which wouldn't be bad if the information was profound. Instead the book is very vague and simplistic. For example, any planner who has even minimal experience knows that you should go after fewer, wealthy clients in order to maximize profitability, but the authors seem to think the reader wouldn't know this before hand.

Further, the time devoted explaining how personalized letters and attention will make clients happier is a no-brainer. Examples of types of products the wealthy prefer, such as hedge-funds and other nontraditional investments vs. the front end load mutual funds and annuities that most brokers/planners sell would be much more appropriate in this book.
There are also no hard numbers such as what the average fee structure is on certain sized accounts.

One part of the book that made me down right angry with the authors was the example of the "personalized letter" they sent to their clients and published in the local newspaper after 9/11, which they purchased from a marketing firm! Savvy clients see through these sorts of cheese ball attempts to get more money. Truly successful (not just monetarily) planners rely on competence, knowledge, sincerity, and results, not corny sales and marketing tactics like these authors recommend.

If you are thinking about getting into the financial planning business for the first time, then this book might be helpful, especially the chapters on maximizing the broker-dealer relationship. However, if you are truly interested in learning how to "build a high-end financial planning firm," look elsewhere.

VERY practical approach
Cliff and Jill have written a very practical approach to building a high net worth customer business. They understand that in order to be truly successful in this business, one must be a personal solution-provider, not a financial product purveyor; and customers' needs are constantly changing. Staying in touch and in sync with customer needs is the key to a succesful apporach. As I read this book, I tried to think of myself as a current wirehouse or independent contractor rep who was in the process of deciding whether it made sense to join a firm like Oberlin Financial. If one has any inclination to take more control over his or her daily business activities, and take more control over the path to financial rewards -- this book serves as a "how to" guide for that process.

Nice job, C & J. Best of luck in all your endeavors.

Insightful!
Financial advisors are hard-pressed. They used to be the investor's primary source of market information and investing counsel. Now investors can get information and advice for free on the Internet or from a variety of financial publications. Moreover, some of the best free advice that investors get warns them against dealing with financial advisors, who may or may not be acting in their best interest. It's hard to compete when other people are giving away what you have to charge for, but authors Cliff Oberlin and Jill Powers say it's possible. How? Focus your practice. Don't resist change - embrace it. And, we recommend, read this book for a detailed and easy-to-follow roadmap to financial advisory success.

Clear Business Practice, not only for financial advisors
When I read this book, I personally was not so interested in the subject, but the important message here is not only for those working in the financial/investment world, is for everybody willing to develop good business practice, clear guiadance for clients, trust and sucess as a restul of making and keeping satisfied clients for long-term relations. These principles are applicable to any business, is business common sense. An excellent book for this reason. ... Read more

Book Description

Feel like you’re trying to dig out from under a mountain of debt without a shovel? Tired of working your tail off just to break even? Is the high cost of living taking all the joy out of life? Unless you’re one of the top two percent of wealthiest Americans, all of the above should sound painfully familiar. While they’re trying to decide between the ski lodge in Telluride and the Tuscan villa, for the rest of us, it’s an endless litany of corporate lay-offs, stagnant wages, crushing credit card debt, skyrocketing medical costs, exorbitant utility bills, the high cost of higher education.... And they call this “the good life.” Is there a better way to live? Can you get what you need and what you want without killing yourself to get it? “Absolutely,” says frugal-living guru Deborah Taylor-Hough, and in Frugal Living For Dummies, she shows you how.

In this warmhearted guide to living the good life on less, Deborah shows you how to live within your means and enjoy doing it. Among other things, she shows you how to:

• Eat like a king on a peasant’s budget
• Take the sting out of gift-giving
• Dress well on a shoestring
• Save big bucks on family expenses
• Slash household expenses
• Save on medical expenses
• Involve the whole family in saving money
• Save more for the things you want

From basement to attic, cradle to grave, Frugal Living For Dummies covers all areas of life with common sense advice and guidance on:

• Working with your partner to achieve financial goals
• Going to the grocery without being taken to the cleaners
• Quick and thrifty cooking techniques
• Providing kids the basics on a tight budget
• Putting kids through school without going broke
• Looking good and feeling good on a tight budget
• Frugal holiday fun year round
• Saving money around the house and driveway
• Finding quality in pre-owned merchandise

Packed with tried-and-true techniques for cutting costs and stopping the insanity, Frugal Living For Dummies is the ultimate financial survival guide for the rest of us. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Best Things in Life Are Nearly Free (And Timeless Too!)
Congratulations, Deborah Taylor-Hough, on another book well done! Simplicity, frugality, good old-fashioned common-sense. It's all there in one very easy read.

There are two things about this book I'm most impressed with. First, this book tackles the solid, time-honored principles associated with frugal living head on. The author knows first-hand the information generations of reckless spenders need to develop new habits and consolidates these time honored ideas really well. Second, Deborah's honesty and enthusiasm for simplicity is contagious. Who knows? I may even give make-ahead cookery another try!

If you're looking for quick fixes, frugal fads, or the latest and greatest ideas on how to live cheaply without having to sacrifice or change your spending habits, I can promise you there is a lot of junk out there to read which will continue to amaze you and amuse me. But, dearly beloved fellow dummie, if you want to know what works-- read this book. You'll be glad you did!

Money-saving solutions for every aspect of your life!
Whatever your reason for wanting to save money (job loss,
suddenly single-income, another child on the way, rising
college tuition costs), arm yourself with Frugal Living for
Dummies for super saving success.

This book details so much more than coupon-clipping. Some
of the chapter topics include ideas for frugal family fun,
thrifty cooking tips, ways to cut utility bills, setting a
budget and lots of inexpensive gift ideas. And that's just
the beginning! Frugal Living also provides icons in the
margins that alert readers to important reminders, tips,
super savers, special warnings, great ideas and handy
checklists.

Each section is jam-packed with cost-cutting ideas for baby
showers, back-to-school needs, dinner parties, gift giving,
auto maintenance, home cleaning, dining out, laundry,
family trips.... Basically, Deborah Taylor-Hough offers
money-saving solutions for every aspect of your life.

Frugal Living for Dummies is an essential reference for
your family collection. This book will make a practical and
thoughtful gift for young couples just starting their lives
together, college students on their own for the first time,
single-income families, new parents, and anyone who needs
proven ways for cutting costs while keeping their sanity.

A must-have guidebook for the novice penny pincher as well
as the seasoned dollar stretcher.

Keep in mind, this is a "FOR DUMMIES" book!
Just a quick reminder for all of those reviewers who seem to have forgotten this one little fact: "FOR DUMMIES" books are written for self-proclaimed "Dummies" ... people who know nothing about a given topic, but want to learn the basics.

For example, when I wanted a basic book on birdwatching (because I knew NOTHING about the topic but wanted to get a good, solid start with basic, accurate information) ... I bought "Birdwatching For Dummies". When my teenage daughter needed help with her classes in Algebra and Biology ... I bought her copies of "Algebra For Dummies" and "Biology For Dummies".

These "FOR DUMMIES" books have a particular place in the book market ... they're written for BEGINNERS -- people who know absolutely NOTHING about a topic. "Frugal Living For Dummies" accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do ... it provides a basic introduction and simple framework for people unfamiliar with frugal living basics.

Keep in mind when reading reviews of this book that say things like, "It barely scratches the surface of frugal living," that this book is part of the trademarked "FOR DUMMIES(R)" series ... it's a book that's obviously NOT written to people who've been living frugally their entire adult lives and already know a-thousand-and-one ways to recycle styrofoam meat trays.

If you're a long-time frugal person, buy a copy of "Frugal Living For Dummies" as a gift for your spendthrift friends ... but if you've read every frugal book on the market, you'll honestly be happier just sitting around hugging your Tightwad Gazette books.

REMEMBER: Don't buy a "For Dummies" book on ANY topic if you're not looking for a simple overview of the absolute BASICS! I just hate seeing people bash a perfectly good book just because they don't "get" the purpose of the book. Silly, silly people. What are they thinking?

But ... if you're brand new to frugal living and are looking for a basic introductory overview, then THIS, my friend, is YOUR book! If you have a sense of humor, can laugh at yourself a bit, and need a simple introduction to frugality, run -- don't walk! -- to the "Buy Now" button on this webpage. You won't be disappointed!

Not worth buying; barely worth reading.
Frugal living is such a broad topic that one really can't expect all advice offered to apply to them; however, this book was evidently aimed at people living in at least moderatly large cities, and with families. It is also much more oriented toward the homeowner as opposed to the apartment dweller.
Even granting that, it is not really a worthwhile book. Some of the information is questionable; much of it that is really valid is so basic it's really below even common sense level (buy generic brands...duh!).
The book is in several parts, each of which I will review independtly.
Part one is about the adjustment to frugal living. It's really a mixed bag. I don't have kids, and my fiancee and I agree on the budget and goals, so most of the tips on how to cope with combative family members are lost on me. However, most of it is incredibly basic: catalog your expenses. Catalog your income. Decide what your priorities are. The one decent section is where she talks about how to maintain a positive outlook after the shift to being a cheapskate. Suggestions include a log of good things in ones life, and ideas of that nature. Still basic, but a step up from the other sections of Part 1.

The rest of the book is based on saving in differing areas: saving on groceries and food, saving on education, saving on clothing, saving on furniture, etc.
These sections really aren't all that great. For the grocery/food section, a large percentage of her ideas depend on having a lot of freezer space; the buying in bulk (esp. of perishables), the cooperative cooking (wherein a group gets together one day week, everyone cooks a full meal per group member; you freeze the meal and eat later). Probably at least half of the possibly good ideas dictate a chest freezer. If you want to impliment most of them, you might need two chest freezers. For those of us in apartments or small houses, that ain't happening. Lots of the other advice on foodstuffs is at best simplistic: buy generic brands. Buy (and freeze) massive amounts of stuff on sale. Duh. Buy stuff on clearance.

As for her advice on saving money on clothes, furniture, etc. most of it boils down to buy it second hand. The problem here is that many smaller towns don't have any decent second hand shops, and are frequently short on garage sales. I currently live in a town of maybe 10,000 people. I doubt that there are full million people within a 2 hour radius or better. We simply don't have the number of people to support the type of second hand market she's apparently used to having. If you live in or near a decently sized city, it's potentially good advice. However, one needs to be carefull, as searching high and low for clothing and furniture can actually wind up being expensive in terms of transportation, time, etc. Also, for people who have odd dimensions, second hand shops for clothes don't work too well. I have a hard enough time finding shirts that fit a short, thick torso with long arms as is. There's also the problem of quality. She mentions this in her book, and says to keep an eye out for the "gold nuggets", but in my experince, pawnshops don't have enough of those for it to be relaible.

Most of her advice on budgeting for kids and family stuff is beyond my reach; I've never had kids, and I'm not yet married. However, she fails to mention many good ideas for cheap recreation--memberships to zoos and gardens typically pay for themselves after a few visits. The National Park service sells annual passes for parks and refugess. Most states sell annual park passes. All of these are good cheap recreation, which my family used while I was growning up. None of them are mentioned.
Also, her idea of fun sounds odd, at least. She metions scheduling tours of resturants, factories,a nd the like as a fun family outing...I'd rather have a root canal than tour a factory or resturant (after working them...).
The advice on how to save for college and whatnot is sound enough, but basic: consider a two year school for the first year of college. Take AP and CLEP test, etc.

For those of us without families...well, at least 1/2 this book is about family expenses (education, proms, etc.). For those of use who live in rural settings...well, this book seems to written for a house owning city dweller, who can actually get to a good second hand market and keep two or so chest freezers in thier home. Even for those people, the info is so incredibly basic it's really laughable. I mean, c'mon, buy generic brands. Watch the sales. Prioritize your budget. Ya think?

Just the information I needed to live more sensibly
I have been a stay-at-home mom for the last three years, after working for 18 years and spending money foolishly. I am always looking for ways to cut corners and this book has been a God-send to me. My boys are 19 years apart and I was determined to find a way to raise this child myself without relying on daycare and after school care. Thanks to the tips in this book, we are able to afford for me to stay home, and the best part of it all is we are almost debt-free, we are eating much healthier foods, and I am finally learning how to appreciate the simple things in life without really feeling like I am losing out on anything. This book and the author's other resources have been inspiring me to do what really matters--being a loving wife, mother, daughter and friend to those I love. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Considering how hard people work for the majority of their lives with an eye towards retiring, it's surprising to find that many give little thought to actually funding their retirement. In You've Earned It, Don't Lose It: Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make When You Retire, financial advisor Suze Orman addresses this sad fact and "goes beyond the usual financial primer to describe how to safeguard your financial future." A specialist in retirement issues and a Certified Financial Planner, Orman knows her stuff, and she shares it in a straightforward manner that's especially helpful for those new to navigating the often-confusing course of retirement planning. Beginning with an overview of investment advice and what to look for in an investment counselor, Orman moves on to eight chapters filled with financial planning wisdom--offering focused discussions of trusts vs. wills, long-term care insurance, early retirement, durable power of attorney, estate taxes and probate costs, minimizing your expenses/maximizing your income, joint and survivor benefits, and a successful retirement. Also included are resource lists, handy quick tips, informative graphs, and personal accounts, making this an invaluable tool in planning for one of the most important turning points in your life. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Not to be read in one sitting
Suze Orman wants to help you make the most of your money. In this book, it is not so much how to make more with what you have, but she wants you to keep what you have. This book walks through different scenarios and cases to show you how to do this.

As mentioned before, this is not to be read in one sitting. Orman begins each chapter with a testimonial from someone who has lost assets due to poor planning or bad circumstance. These stories will make you angry and sad. Reading them all at once will wear you out. Orman uses these scenarios to walk you through estate planning, wills, retirement, and benefits.

There is also a section on minimizing your expenses while maximizing your profits. This section has worksheets to help you visualize where you stand. Likewise, Orman is very good at giving specific examples to explain an idea to you. This is great, but read it a chapter at a time to allow the information to sink in.

I would recommend this book for everyone. These are things we all need to know.

Essential advice!
We believe this book is invaluable. Everyone can benefit from Suze's advice regardless of whether you are now retired or planning for your retirement. Suze addresses pitfalls most people may not be aware of and how to avoid them. Contains great estate planning advice. Everyone should read this book to safeguard what we've worked so hard to obtain and ensure our estates are passed on the way we intended.

You don' t have to be approaching retirement to read this
This book was so imformative even though I am no where near approaching retirement. I am in fact entering college, and I still found this book interesting. I was introduced to the difference between a will and trust, long-term life care, and the rights of survivorship and gifting. This was an east read to start familarizing myself with these terms and ideas. I know for a fact now that I will need to either read this book again later in my lifetime, or research retirement even more. This has inspired me, and even my parents to investigate all aspects of retirement.

I did not like it. There are better books
Try these books: Retirement Bible, J.K. Lasser's Your Winning Retirement Plan, or Ernst & Young's Retirement Planning Guide (Ernst and Young's Retirement Planning Guide).

Must READ!
I have recommended this book to countless children of aging parents. Mistakes made by others can be incredibly instructive and interesting to read. Orman has done well here to tell stories of such mistakes made by people not so unlike me and my friends. Such stories could draw in even the most reluctant of financial readers. I get the sense that many of my friends would rather perish than read about money management, but the stories in this book grab you! You want to keep reading just to find out how to avoid skipping blissfully and ignorantly down the same path. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Right on!
I read the hardback edition of this book soon after it was published. I considered it an interesting hypothesis at the time, but never expected it to be as accurate as it has proven to be. Not only have we had the incredible boom Mr Dent predicted, but now we see ample evidence of global recession orginating out of asia.

Fascinating hypothesis. Read the first 30 pages!
In his book, Mr Dent pretty accurately foretold the current economic boom we are in currently. His central hypothesis is extremely believable, and easy to understand. He also forecasts a coming major depression that follows this boom. I hope he updates this book! Timing is everything. Caveat: there is a lot of the vertical pronoun used throughout this book. I still recommend it for any investor.

An Update
An update on this 1992 book "The Great Boom Ahead" from the perspective of 2003. First, Harry Dent is the eternal optimist and this earlier book correctly predicted the bull market of the 90s, while Robert Prechter, Martin Weiss, Nick Guarino, etc. were all wrong (in their timing at least) in predicting a downturn and depression to occur. But wait....the 2000-2002 downturn that cost so many investors money has at least opened a few eyes. And on pages 16, 18 and 34-36 of this book Harry Dent himself predicts the "Mother of all Depressions" to arrive around 2010, when the baby boomers' spending spree is over and they begin to retire. So the eternal optimist Harry Dent AGREES with the eternal pessimists and "doom-n-gloomers" about the inevitable outcome. They just disagree on the timing. So somewhere between 2004 - 2010 we can expect the largest downturn in U.S. history since 1929-1932. Enjoy the rest of the boom !!

A Real Eye Opener
Well supported by fact and Examples. Just wish I had read it years earler as I could have saved many $. I just couldn't put it down. Now I wouldn't be without it.

Highly Recommended!
Harry S. Dent, Jr.'s book is remarkable both for the overall accuracy of its predictions and for the simplistic model upon which those predictions depend. Written in 1993, it claims a niche within the general family of "trend" books written by the likes of Alvin Toffler and John Naisbitt. The work anticipated our current era of super bullish markets, which it predicts will continue through 2007. The crystal ball drops a few items, given that a few years have passed since publication. Nonetheless, it offers a clear macroeconomic forecast and investment tool. If you sense the Fed just doesn't get the New Economy, this is the book for you. We [...] recommend this book to those seeking to understand the United States' era of record-breaking economic gains (and Japan's current hard times).
... Read more

Book Description

"As an asset protection lawyer, I think Mandell and Jarvis brilliantly explain the most effective wealth protection strategies. A must-read for advisors and clients alike."
–Arnold S. Goldstein, PhD, LLM, JD
author, Asset Protection Secrets

"I really appreciate the ‘Risk Factor Analysis.’ It is a unique tool for diagnosing–and then solving–some of the toughest problems in maintaining and protecting your wealth."
–Gordon Klein, JD, CPA, lecturer, UCLA’s Anderson Graduate
School of Management, frequent CNBC Commentator

"Chris and David’s concept of a ‘Personal Economy’ should be heeded by every individual investor. If you want to grow and shield what’s yours, this book is a great start."
–Jonathan Guryan, PhD, Asst. Professor of Economics
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business

The interest in protecting one’s wealth is universal. Wealth Protection: Build and Preserve Your Financial Fortress serves as the ultimate handbook for readers who want to build their family’s financial fortress and shield it from potential risks. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great advice, for just about everybody
I just finished reading Wealth Protection and found it to be extremely valuable in planning for my financial future. I am a business consultant and consider myself to fairly aware of the various financial tools, strategies, and techniques...

However, the book offered me numerous new strategies for more effectively protecting my wealth. The best thing about the book is that it is structured in a way that will allow just about anybody to find specific, tailored advice.

Good work Jarvis and Mandell! I look forward to your next book!

Clear and easy read book
I could not believe how easy it was to read and understand some of the complex issues in this book. The authors not only really know their stuff, but they can explain in a clear fashion. It's excellent!

Nice Outline But VERY LIGHT On Detail!!!!
This book will be good if you want to review the components that might make up your wealth protection strategy. However, the book comes up short on the detail needed to understand those components well or to structure a comprehensive plan for yourself.

To get a feel for the lack of detail take a look at the Table of Contents, note that it seems very comprehensive but when you look a little closer you will see that most of the chapters are LESS THAN 5 PAGES! The subtopics in each chapter usually make up a single paragraph with a large font bold heading that takes up a lot of the page.

In short, if you want to get an overview of the components you might ask your advisor to explain to you, this would be a valuable purchase. If you want to understand these things yourself, you will be disappointed.

key reading for safeguarding your money
i am privy to working with Chris personally and I can assure you he is one of the most respected, capable and knowledgeable persons in the area of wealth protection. the book's true magic lies in the fact that it is intended for anyone interested in protecting their assets, and it shows you how to do it in a very down to earth, easy to understand manner.

this is not designed for the technically advanced financiers out there, so don't fret. it is literally for anyone who wants to protect their wealth.
a highly recommended book.

Outstanding Insight and Detail
This is one book that I will keep close at hand over the next several years. Finally someone has put together the critical components of financial growth and asset protection. I particularly liked the focus on assessment, strategy and tactics. Excellent publication for the financial advisor and personal investor alike. ... Read more

Book Description

As the daughter of one of the founders of H&R Block, Barbara Stanny grew up depending on her father, and later her husband, to manage her money--until a devastating financial crisis became a dramatic wake-up call. She knew she had to take control. But how?Stanny began her inspirational journey to financial enlightenment by interviewing successful women from diverse backgrounds. As a result of her research, she discovered a surprising series of common-sense ideas that smart women shared. In this informative financial guidebook, Stanny uses these insights to show women how to go from feeling helpless to being knowledgeable and confident about money. Prince Charming Isn't Coming weaves together sensible advice, refreshing anecdotes, and the author's own poignant experiences. It addresses the psychological stumbling blocks that prevent many women from managing their own money and offers savvy, practical checklists to guide them toward financial stability. This is the book that can take any woman from an unsure future to a secure one--before a crisis strikes. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Worth reading!
I'm not sure how she did it, but by the time I finished reading *Prince Charming Isn't Coming*, I was inspired to pull my head out of the sand and start paying attention to my money. There was no "a-ha!" moment, nor did any lightbulbs go off over my head, but I now feel more confident about investing and have started reading financial magazines. Joan Rivers points out that others may be smarter about money than you, but no one will care more about your money than YOU will. That stuck with me. This is definitely a book for beginners, but Barbara has a list of suggested reading, as well as some organizations worth looking into at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book to any woman who has always let her husband (or some other man) take care of the finances for her. If the women profiled in the book can become successful investors, so can you!

A wealth of financial advice for women.
Balancing my checkbook makes me crabby. The
word "investment" gives me cramps. Fortunately,
*Prince Charming Isn't Coming* is the perfect
panacea for women who suffer from financial
phobia and monetary pain.

Barbara Stanny's book is worth reading! Her
advice is grounded in experience, which makes
it valuable. She shares how her own fiscal
disaster led to her financial self-education.
Now she is educating others.

Financial wisdom is an essential goal for all
women, insists Stanny. She identifies "The
Seven Realizations of Financial Enlightenment,"
priceless insights that serve as the basis for
her motivational money guide. The book
includes sound investment advice, great
resources and fundamental reasons for why
we should take charge of our financial situation.

Before reading *Prince Charming Isn't Coming,*
the only stock market I shopped was a local
grocery store. Halfway through the book, I
was perusing Wall Street Journals, browsing
the web for investment sites, and correctly
distinguishing between Peter and David Lynch.

"When a woman...makes financial decisions
based on who she is, not on what she should
do, and when she acts firmly and confidently
on those decisions, then she becomes a very
powerful woman," Stanny writes.

Power,eh? I like that.

*Prince Charming Isn't Coming* is more than a
financial fairytale, but it has a happy ending.

Recommend this one!
This book was fun to read and inspiring. I'd recommend it for any woman, (and a few men I know) who need to get their arms around the whole money issue. I'm about to buy her newest book. Hope it's just as good!

Got Smart
I read the book and I read the reviews. Would like to add that today's generation of women don't need this book. It was written to address those who grew up in a generation when men's and women's roles were categorically divided and there was no blurring of gender roles.

Many of us aren't so ancient. In our forties or older, but we are out there and Barbara Stanny addresses this large portion of the population. We are single, divorced or widowed and suddenly faced with educating ourselves about issues today's women grew up learning about. Lucky you.

Thanks, Barbara for your insightful and helpful book that is meant only as a door opener. And it does that beautifully.

A Motivational Speech Minus the Motivation
I bought this book thinking that it would offer tips and strategies pertaining to how to begin investing, planning for future and retirement, or even just how to better understand financial jargon. It offered none of the above.

The book details (repeatedly) how women grow up thinking some man is going to come along and take care of them. Sure, I get that. The book is, after all, called "Prince Charming Isn't Coming". Ok, so I get it in chapter one. Why then is the author still going on about societal brainwash and female dependancy halfway through the book? We, the readers, are still stuck on the same lesson started on page one! I found that frustrating and condescending.

Instead of educating the reader about IPOs, Stock Mutual Funds, IRAs, or even general budgeting techniques, the reader is dragged through murky and irrelevant topics such as the psychological stages of learning: Unconscious Incompetence, Conscious Competence, Unconscious Competence, and Conscious Competence. Hmm... thought this was a book on money, not psychology!

Perhaps most infuriating is the assumption that the reader, a woman, will not be able to comprehend anything that a financial pro might say to her. For example, this charming passage insinuates that even the author, daughter of one of the founders of H&R Block and the 'guide' who is leading us through this 'journey' needs to have it 'dumbed-down'.

"Sometimes when I met with financial professionals, I brought my statement along. 'This is a very conservative portfolio,' they would say. I had no idea what that meant. They would patiently explain everything, but their words, like rising steam from a boiling kettle, floated right over my head."

The only saving grace of this book, in my opinion, is the Resource Guide in the back of the book, where the author tells you where you can find information that will actually be useful.

I strongly recommend against this book if you're looking for solid information and trying to learn about the world of financial planning and investing. ... Read more

Book Description

The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Personal Finance gives you clear, simple explanations of the complextities you face every day in your financial life. This revised and updated edition also includes the information you'll need to make smart decisions about -- and avoid the pitfalls of -- banking, credit, home finance, financial planning, investing and taxes. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Limited introduction to finance...I expected more from WSJ
I've just graduated from college and wanted to learn how to not be poor anymore. I bought this book because I knew about Wall Street Journal's reputation for expertise and in-depth analysis of the economy etc. What I didn't expect was a book equivalent to a children's primer on personal finance. It's not bad, per se, it's just not what I expected from the Wall Street Journal.

The book covers a broad range of topics from paper money to mortgages to stocks and bonds. Unfortunately, the coverage is shallow, mostly giving definitions of what things are. The book consists of teen magazine-like layouts of pictures, graphs, and diagrams. Some of the information is helpful while some of it is interesting but trivial, and all of it is in colorful, bite-sized portions. While it's entertaining and easy-to-understand, it's also quite "fluff"-y at times.

It's a good introduction to personal finance for someone who doesn't know much about how money works beyond how to buy things. It may be ok for new high school or college grads, either as a reference or a first book on personal finance but it's not at the level for anyone who actually wants to start investing and already knows the basics. Ironically, it seems to be below the level of Wall Street Journal readers. I have since given my copy away. For someone who already knows the basics but wants a introduction to investing, I enjoyed "The First Book of Investing: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Safely" by Samuel Case. It's the only other book on investing I've read (I bought it on sale on a whim), but it was clear and informative, albeit a little optimistic.

a great introduction, but that's all
this book is a great introduction to personal finance, including banking, loans, investing, taxes, and retirement planning. it covers all of the basics, provides a nice, clear description of the processes and the structures of documents, and a glossary of important terms.

however, it's just an introduction. the book doesn't spend more than a few pages on any subtopic (ie the structure of a paycheck, the basics of a tax form). for details you'll have to go elsewhere, so keep that in mind.

as such, i'd reccomend this book to someone who is just learning the basics of money and the world of personal finance. it's a big world, you don't need to start with all of the details, so this is a good place to start. but very quickly you'll find you need more information, and you'll outgrow this book.

A desk reference.
I found this book, and the companion piece Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing, practically worthless. I have heard raves about this book's presentation. I think the presentation is far too simplistic. This book did not hold my attention one bit and I quickly put it down. If you are looking for a mature introduction to the Market and or Personal finance I recommend you keep looking past these two books.

Highly recommended as well as the other books from WS journa
I highly recommend thsi book, I live in Mexico, and altough some things are different in my country regarding to investing it works for me a lot (85%) I suppose that this is a great book to American people, it helps a lot understanding issues that you do no get, like calculating all kind of interests and yields.

How to turn your dough into bread.
An excellent first step to understanding your financial activities. It really does start at the beginning: your local bank and its services, checks, ATMs, savings, monthly statements etc. In the other five chapters (Credit, Home finance, Financial planning, Investing, Taxes) most of the other money matters that you'll encounter are explained.

Finance seems to be a mystery to a lot of folk so the writer's and designer's of this book have done their best to make it as straightforward as possible and rather than have page after page of what could be very dry text each spread has lots of smart graphics, colored panels and jargon-free text that flows between these visual elements. It is all very controlled and as a publication designer I can appreciate the creative input that has gone into these pages. (I liked it so much I included it in my Listmania 'Ten of my favorite well designed books').

If you think you know all about your money this is not the book for you but if you don't then get this book and find out about your finances in these very user friendly pages. The same editorial folk have done another excellent book, 'Guide to Understanding Money and Investing', using the same straightforward language and graphic techniques and although the subject is a lot more complex it is still easy to understand. ... Read more

Book Description

AT LAST, SOUND, INFORMED, REALISTIC ANSWERS FOR RETIREMENT FINANCE

Use the simple, step-by-step guidance in J.K. Lasser’s Your Winning Retirement Plan to double your money for your golden years. Whether you’re forecasting how much you need to be saving for retirement or are deciding how much you should be spending once you’re there, acclaimed planning expert Henry K. Hebeler can get you the results you need. You’ll analyze your investments and start getting the highest possible returns––with the least amount of risk; take a real-world look at your total financial picture, without inappropriate planning assumptions; and make use of a new concept called the Retirement Autopilot, which can help you budget more wisely today and ensure that your investments will last a lifetime.

Key coverage will help you:

• Beat reverse dollar-cost averaging so your money will continue to grow
• Make use of modern feedback theory to secure your finances today––as well as tomorrow
• Find solutions to different retirement scenarios, including early retirement and when only one spouse is retired

Reviews (4)

Sage advice that will keep you on track
Hebeler's approach answered for me my most challenging questions: 1] Will my retirement assets allow me to spend what I need (want) to spend each year during my years in retirement? 2] Can I grow my assets at my desired rate while simultaneously lowering the risk of my portfolio? 3] How can I evaluate my financial health each year in a meaningful and action-oriented manner?

All your family members should read it. And if after reading Hebeler's book you still feel the need for professional financial planning, insist that he/she read it as well.

An Outstanding Book on Retirement Planning
Mr. Hebeler was a practicing engineer and manager at Boeing for many years before he retired and his engineering mind with its attention to details shows through. Of significant note is his discussion of reverse dollar-cost averaging and his retirement autopilot method to provide a feedback mechanism. Nothing more than simple mathematics is used and his principles can be used without buying expensive software. This is one of the best investment books I have read in years!

A no-nonsense guide.
I read everything I can get my hands on about retirement and this book is one of the best. Best because it's one of the most objective and factual accounts I've read. Hebeler backs up what he's talking about with fairly easy to understand charts giving different case senarios so you're bound to find your particular situation. His autopilot program explains how to keep your pre-retirement program on course. For the already retired, he shows what's necessary to keep from "out-living" your money, a fear many of us have in trying to decide when to retire. Hebeler provides worksheets at the back of the book for you to copy and do your own planning. Been thinking of hiring a retirement planner; now I think I can try it on my own. At the very least I'll be better prepared if I do decide to go to a financial retirement planner.

Five Stars Plus--Excellent for truth seekers.
Recently I saw a film titled The Pledge. One of reviewers said it was an excellent movie but people wouldn`t like it. That's the way people may feel about Mr. Hebeler`s book. This is not a book about the joys of the golden years.This book is all about having enough bucks to get through the golden years. If you are planning or in retirement and want some excellent guidence then this book is for you. Mr Hebeler is critical of most financial programs and his research has led him to believe that most of them are too optomistic. There are plenty of tables with loads of figures in them regarding bull and bear markets. He does an excellent job on showing the reader how inflation has hurt the investor over the long run. His advice on how to set up an auto pilot regarding drawing down funds in retiremnt is worth the price of the book alone. His description of reverse dollar cost averaging will help the retiree determine what it really means to preserve their money. Mr.Hebeler has a very heavy math background. He has a degree from MIT in engineering.This should not deter you. There are plenty of tables and Mr.Hebeler takes the space and time to guide you.I have a general high school diploma and found the tables as well as the book very enjoyable. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn How To:

Master the Mindset of a Professional Trader.

Profit from Tony Oz's Highly-Acclaimed Money Management System.

Effectively use MTF Charting Techniques in your Trading.

Write and Execute a Trading Plan Successfully.

Take Advantage of the Tony Oz Stock Market Calculator to Forecast Stock Prices.

Utilize Real-Time Scanning Strategies to Find High Probability Trades.

Time Your Entry and Exit to Capture Higher Rewards while Maintaining Lower Risk.

Differentiate Between Classic Swing Trading Strategies and Oz's Low Risk Strategies.

There are several key elements that Tony explains in a very digestible fashion. They include:

A well-defined money management system.

Significant but not overwhelming technical analysis indicators.

Risk/reward ratios with defined entry/exit points.

Trade setups to watch for.

And a how to use his new proprietary real-time scans. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Well Done
Hi, I am an international student from Japan. So there will be alot of grammer mistakes. sorry for in advance.

First, I really like Mr. Tony Oz system because it is really simple. In most of the books which I've ever read (approximately 15 books.) somewhat made me weight on indicators. On the other hand, this book never talks about even an indicator.(besides Moving Averages, Bollinger Bands and Volume.)

On this book, he concentrates on Support and Resistance lines, trend lines, and Volume. He also talks about money management in very simple form and his actual setups.

I think this book is not for those who have already built thier own trading system and constantly making money in stock market, but I strongly recommend this books for beginners who want to build fundamental just like me.

And I wish I had read this book before 15 books I bought.
I could have skip 5 , 10 or even 14 books. (I would still want to read "the Master Swing Trader" by Mr Alan S Farley)

Forgot to mention, his strategy is a swing trading method holding stocks for a day to weeks.

Thank you for viewing my review.

NORI

this is how a pro would trade
this is an easy to read, straight forward book.

tony oz simply shows you how he trades in one month. this is what's in the book. tony oz opens a new account for writing this book. in the next month, he recorded all his trades on this account. giving you every detail about his trade. it is like living in his mind (during trading hours only, of course...) for this month. he tells you how he chose entry and exit points, why he chose them, how he manages his trading money etc everything you need to know to trade well.

this book is about as close as you can get to understanding how to make day trading successful. assuming the author is honest in his writing here (i dont doubt him), he has just shown us how you can make money on ONLY on the long side of the market in one of the most bearish months for decades (he made some pretty decent profits!).

read this book, if only to get some inspiration!

searching for non-randomness
I always find it amusing when someone publishes a book detailing a specific trading strategy. Why, because although certain behaviors never change in the markets (fear and greed), the market internals are always changing and evolving. What this means is that virtually all trading strategies become useless over time. This is the most recent of Oz's three trading books, and although published in 2002, it was written mid-year 2001.

Oz started trading during the Roaring Nineties, and in all of his books he states that his trades are always based on support and resistance levels. Support and resistance levels are self-fulfilling prophecies, in that if a critical mass of enough traders believe in such levels, they will cause these levels to materialize by entering and exiting trades at such levels. This works great in powerful markets when such a critical mass of traders are present. However, the 2000-2002 bear market effectively purged the markets of this critical mass of traders, and hence I no longer see consistently tradable support and resistance levels in the major indexes, and also in individual stocks.

Traders are always searching for non-randomness, that is any pattern that repeats itself enough of the time that it can be profitably traded. I have reviewed Oz's system of support and resistance trading, and also his use of scans to find breakouts, reversals and gaps, and have not found them to be viable in today's market. I also note that his website does not appear to have been updated since 2002, which makes me wonder if he is still able to trade profitably using this system. I doubt it.

This book is worthwhile as an introduction to using scans to find specific stocks to trade, if one is interested in trading stocks rather than indexes, which are inherently more risky (for example, Oz mentions that he once was long in a stock at 13 when it was halted for trading; it opened several days later at around 5). Also, his practice of seeking a minimum 3 to 1 return on every trade is important, because it allows you to be profitable even when only 50 percent of your trades are successful. I would not, however, pay the inflated price of the book.

Amazing Book
This is an amazing book - in fact it is one of the better trading books that I have ever read.

If you're a novice trader, however, I would recommend you read one of the many introductory books and then a more advanced book on technical analysis before reading this one.

This is a marvelous piece of work by someone that can convey the message to his readers in a very clear way. The book is an easy one to read, it's well put together in simple English. It has a lot of charts and well classified.

Wasn't expecting this good
From some of the negative reviews I was kind of expecting a book that was probably useless except for maybe a few helpful tips. Boy was I wrong. This book is right up there with Alexander Elder's books as far as giving you a widespread view of trading, along with detailed views of Oz's preferred methods. Excellent coverage of money management and risk evaluation. He includes a link to a free download of his risk calculator.

Oz even takes you into his daily world, both psychologically and technically, and has a ton of examples of real trades with detailed explanations of why he made them, why he entered them when he did, and why he exited them when he did. He even includes some of his failed trades. There is plenty of coverage of chart patterns, including candelsticks, and what Oz considers to be the most important indicators.

I found this to be an honest and detailed look into the mind and procedures of a trader. I know he pushes some of his other services, but you really don't feel that too much from the book, although his screening parameters might make you want to subscribe to the Oz Screener if you use Real Tick. He also mentions that the screening formulas are available in his earlier books, but for some legal reason he can't print them in this one (maybe some kind of agreement with Real Tick, since the other books are out of print). He goes into detail about his screens and why he uses them. You could probably figure out the formulas without too much effort just by understanding what he's screening for.

The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was its concise nature. Oz is an excellent author. There is no filler here. He writes simply and to the point. Unlike many other authors he seems to understand that clear communication and not showing off his IQ is the goal of writing a book. For those who have read a lot of trading books you know how rare that is. Oz is a relaxing read, not a tension-filled one.

I've read a lot of trading books, but along with Elder's books this is probably the only book I've read that by itself has enough to get you started on the right track in trading. ... Read more

Book Description

No matter how bad things might appear right now, flawless credit is within your reach, and it does not require credit counselors, debt consolidators or lawyers. BestCredit empowers you to take control of your financial situation, turn things around and ultimately win the credit game. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best Advice
I have this book and have read it through a couple times,and I think it is probably the best help someone could get that has a need for this type of advice! Period! The section on how to negotiate was of great help to me because it more or less tells you how to respond to the questions that you WILL be asked by collectors and such.It helped a lot also in preparing a deal that I would offer and then responding to a counter offer by the collector if indeed one was. I would recommend anyone wanting to deal with their own affairs in debt negotiation to buy and read this book and follow it as close as possible and see the results,it's great!

Bestcredit : How to Win the Credit Game
Mr. Neal's book is packed with helpful, insightful information. It is a real education on understanding the credit industry and how to deal with it much more successfully. I highly recommend this well written guide to anyone who wants to improve their credit rating, or maintain a good one.

Educational, Insightful and Enjoyable Reading!
Before I read this book I was at a loss as to how to deal with Credit Bureaus. Many years before I had a few credit problems but I'd also worked hard to clean my credit up. Still, I could not understand why my score was not higher. After reading Mr. Neal's book, I took some of his advice, took a much closer look at my reports and found one of the agencies even had the year I was born incorrect! The book was easy to read and I not only learned how to have improved interaction with the Credit Bureau's, but also how to understand them better. Thank you Mr. Neal!

A Must for Those In Debt
This book - speaks plainly and will allow a person to make real changes to their credit standing....

Do it now//

Most simple to follow//

Best Credit... best advice!
C. Linn Bower, a small business owner, January 26, 2004,
Definately a 'results oriented' book
This author deserves the highest praise. I used to have bad credit, and now it's flawless. This book revived my ability to acquire credit; gave me the confidence to apply for credit with out fear of being denied. Neal's techniques helped to clear both inaccurate credit ratings from unscrupulous creditors as well as my own credit mistakes. His real life examples were the shot in the arm I needed to initiate credit repair on my own. Now, I can take full responsibility for great credit and keep it that way. My story began with a payment delinquency with Bank One. I was falling behind on my bills shortly after a difficult divorce, and Neal's technique for credit repair got my relationship with Bank One back on track. They even agreed to remove the bad mark. Also, I was able to clear erroneously reported information from First Union Bank and GMAC. Now they are completely removed. It really worked! And the chapter on identity theft prevention/recovery was top notch. I should also state that I've read other books on this subject. None came close to being so complete and easy to follow. (There was also some refreshing humor in there, something we can all use.) Neal was also accessible by answering questions via email- very surprising. This book isn't for the unmotivated, though. There aren't any silver bullets or snake oil methods for fixing bad credit. I highly recommend this book to anyone wise enough to recognize and take great advice. A+ ... Read more

Book Description

You've been screwed.

You've been bludgeoned, skewered, crushed, mutilated by the stock market. Every day you read about another corporate scandal: loans to CEOs that didn't have to be repaid, accounting "irregularities," profits that never existed. You think the stock market must have been rigged. And you're right.

You were betrayed by the stock promotion machine -- the mutual fund managers, the brokers, analysts, strategists, and stock gurus who brainwashed you into buying and holding and believing that stocks, like parents, always come through and bail you out in the end.

So now what do you do? Where do you put your money? You can't just leave it in the bank or stuff it under the mattress.

For fourteen years Jim Cramer ran a hedge fund that compounded money at a rate of 24 percent annually after fees, and then he got out at the end of 2000. He knows that there are ways to make money, smart ways that don't require you to own stocks blindly. There are other investments that won't send you to the poorhouse.

This book will tell you what went wrong, who the bad guys were, and what you have to do to restore your financial health. You can't just close your eyes. Ignoring Wall Street isn't the answer. Cash alone isn't the answer. This book has the answers. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Getting Streetwise
This work by Jim Cramer is a short depiction of the recent tragedies of Wall Street and many of the events which collaborated to help them bring down the Stock Market. This overview will help any reader understand what happened and why. Jim takes each case and explains what went wrong and how individual investors can better recognize bad companies and nasty business practice. The final section is a short recommendation of trading strategies through diversification, balance sheets and other tools to help one understand the benefits and pitfalls of investing and make wiser decisions through their use. This book is a fast read but should be reread several times and it's lessons never forgotten.

Sweet and Short
I have undergone usual love-hate type feelings towards Cramer multiple times. It is really diffficult to understand him, especially when he was writing his trading diary on realmoney.

Now that the greatest bear market is (probably) over, and I lost my share of money in it, I understand what Cramer was saying back then. I mean in 2000. In March. In 2001.

This book is small, and I had missed a lot of games that wcom and enron played with unsuspecting people. I was already out of markets as I could not survive earlier waves of selling.

I went back and read Cramer's writings in March, 2000. Most people think he is just a pumper - I was surprised that he repeatedly urged people to get out of markets - "cash is king" was his mantra during the bearish cycle. And he nailed it both, the great bull ride and the bear ride, with almost correct timing.

You can hate him, he did what he had to do at his hedge fund, a lot of what may be immoral - he had to, it his job. But his writing has been on the mark - you can't deny that.
As for the plug, he mentions thestreet.com few times which is a FREE news site. I do not recall him mentioning realmoney.com ever in this book, which is paid content. At the end, he just "mentions" his own investment product "alerts", but that is only if you want to do it with him. His first choice is always a seasoned investment adviser whom you can trust.

I am not his employee, just a general trader. I would now trust Cramer more than any other Wall St analyst or a journalist who doesn't know a thing about the markets.

Who's Screwing Who?
You just gotta love Cramer. Whether he's on his knees confessing to being a stock market addict or crawling across the table, ranting and raving on CNBC, he entertains, invigorates, and educates. But he's also a bull in the china closet - so now, after the 2000-2002 debacle, we get his condemnation of the whole Wall Street scene inscribed with the immortal words, "You Got Screwed," as he picks over the underbelly of the tainted beast. Yes, it's a short book, but that's its selling point: Cramer crams everything into something you can sit down and read in a couple of hours - and actually understand via his take-no-prisoners style. His brash attitude is more of the street fighter than the wood-paneled office executive, and this train wreck of a market comes alive with real personalities backed up against the wall as Cramer blasts them to bits. No words wasted. Just typical Cramer. You either love him or hate him, but you can't ignore him.
First he tells you why the system reeked and rotted, eventually collapsing under the weight of fakery and fraud. Then he ends the book by advising you how to never