Reviews (16)

Great!
I think this is a great book for someone wanting to get started in their personal financial planning. It is easy to read and not boring like other financially-oriented books. You'll be ready to develop your own financial actions plan after reading this!

If you don't want to die poor, you'll read this book.
At the time this book was given to me (by my Father), I was a Research Analyst for a mutual fund company. I thought I knew all there was to know about investing....but boy, was I wrong. In addition to working in a financial field, I was also married and had children. Reading this book showed me in such a simplistic and entertaining manner, how incredibly EASY it is to build wealth no matter what your income level is. I also learned about wills, life insurance, and other things that I never gave any thought to, but reading the book gave me insight as to just how important these things are...not to me, but to my family. My father is a very intelligent individual and has great money-sense. He is 51 years old and has never paid a single dollar in interest on his credit cards ! Now that is someone who knows how to properly manage his money ! He himself said that this book is propbably the most important and eye-opening book he has ever read - and that's why he gave it to me as a gift. If you are someone who has always been leary of investing, have no plan for retirement, or have a family, then you MUST read this book. It is written in a story-book format and reads just like any novel. This is not a financial lingo, how-to-get-rich-quick type of book. The "story" WILL show you how to build wealth....slowly, so you will be able to retire in style, not having to worry about money. Do yourself a HUGE favor and read this book. I guarantee that you will not regret it.

A Must Read!
Provocative, engaging and riveting are not normally words associated with a book on financial planning; however, I do not hesitate to use either one to describe this book. I was definitely not excited about financial planning until after reading the first edition of this book.

Chilton continues to uses a narrative style using characters that just about anyone could relate to. The Wealthy Barber breaks the age-old mind-set that only the rich can be rich. An excellent primer, you can apply techniques in his book today to ensure a better tomorrow. He also encourages further exploration and learning in order for anyone to become wealthy. Whether you're an executive or a gas station attendant, given patience and a little fortitude, you too can be wealthy!

I urge you, read this book!

AN AMAZING BOOK ABOUT HOW WEALTH IS BUILT
David tells us in this book how to build wealth. The tip he gives us is this...for us to save money out of every pay check. He recommends saving 10% out of every pay check. This is a very good idea and i strongly recommend this idea. If for some reason you can't save 10% out of each pay check, then i think that any amount that you can save should be adaquate. Please remember that saving money is just a small tip of the ice berg. You must remember that once we save our money, then the next step is to invest this money. Money needs to be growing at all times. Were you invest your money will be up to you. I personally invest in the stock market. I would strongly recommend this book. It can put you on the right track to financinal success.

Absolutely Amazing
This book provides the common working class man a opportunity to smartly and efficiently save money and achieve financial independence. The book itself uses a story to convey its message, and is easily understandable and readable. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get ahead in life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Motley Fools David and Tom Gardner initially made their mark by offering humorous but savvy investment advice online. They leapt out of the virtual world with their first book, The MotleyFool Investment Guide, which spent several months on the New York Times bestseller list. The Foolish ones are back in print with You Have More Than You Think: The Motley Fool Guide to Investing What You Have. It goes beyond the standardspecifics on stocks and mutual funds to tackle overall financial issues in the typical Motley manner. The Gardners show readers how to tidy up their finances (trimming creditcard debt, spending more wisely on big-ticket items) before delving into the nuts-and-bolts of traditional investing. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Great info for beginning investors.
If you are under the impression that investing is screaming "Sell!" or "Buy!" on your cellphone as you barrel down the highway, or getting sage financial advice from some suit named Carman Winston III, this book shows you how wrong you are.

The section on how to buy a car in of itself is worth the price of the book. Some of the information is common sense or information that I found using the internet. But there were sections that were wake up calls, showing me why my investments have sucked and how to take charge.

It's an easy and quick read. Knocked it out in one weekend. Plan on becoming a Fool this week after some research on brokers.

Great Entertainment! But Average Investment Advice
Investment books are rarely entertaining. The Gardners and Andy Tobias are the exceptions. If you can't bear to read about investing and know nothing, you should give this book a try. You may find it to your taste.

The weakness of the book is a bias towards encouraging you to be out of debt and into common stocks, based on formulas and your professional knowledge. If the financial markets were at an average or below average price level, that would be all right. But the financial markets are at an all-time high, so future returns should be below par.

There is a historical ratio between household wealth in stocks and housing that favors buying housing right now rather than stocks. Few will be able to buy a home without a mortgage.

The most frequent path to major wealth in this country has been to found one's own business. Few can do this without incurring reasonable debt to finance receivables and other needed investments. The Gardners don't really address this investment opportunity.

The formula the Gardners propose for buying high yield stocks in the Dow has had to be revised every few years to be a good way to invest. This formula probably won't work well in the future either, because too many people follow the formula. Markets are bested by only a small percentage of all investors over time, and this rule is no exception going forward.

The advice about avoiding credit card debt, saving wherever you can, and so forth is quite good. You'd find it in any decent investment book.

If you decide you want to go into the stock market, I suggest you also read John Bogle's book, Common Sense About Mutual Funds, to round out the perspective that the Gardners provide here before buying stocks. Be sure to consider first how much you want to do with housing and starting your own business. Good luck with your investing.

Good Advice - Irritating Tone
I tried to listen to this audio book and couldn't. While the advice in it is good - I've subscribed to the e-mail newsletter in the past - the arrogant tone of the reader is too much for me. Gladly David Gardner reminds you that the recommendations that he is giving you are simple and any Fool should be able to do them and become rich. But after being reminded of this time after time in the introduction you wonder what they REALLY mean by calling themselves Fools. You are talked down to and some start to wonder why would you submit yourself to such irritating drone.

My advice: Don't be a Fool, buy the book, skip the arrogance, and go straight to the financial advice.

an nurturing approach to gaining control of your finances
I've read the other Fool books -- this one is much more basic and covers much more than just stock picking methods. If you believe that your financial advisor is a real expert, or you have credit card debt, or you don't know how to get the best price on a car, this is a must read. I knew all the basic stuff until I got to stocks which I'm far from an expert in. What I like about the Fool books (besides the humor and light tone which is always appreciated) is that they explain in plain English the meaning behind the numbers. Want to know what a dividend percentage yield really MEANS? You get the idea. Their basic Dow 4 strategy seems a bit oversimplified, but the point is that we should all realize that WE have all the information we need to make well-informed decisions for ourselves and do not need to rely on others. That idea alone (and a common theme running through the books) is worth the price of admission.

"Great book on investing-too many snide remarks"
These two Foolish brothers are a Godsend. They are doing a great service for anyone interested in investing, or building a strong financial future in general. It seems that nowdays there are so many 'shisters' out there, so willing to take the last crumb of food from our lips, that it's frightening. From what I've seen on the Fools website, Dave and Tom are both Foolishly excited about us (jr. Fools) becoming financially educated. This book is waaay to full of puns and cynicism. If you can get through the funny business, however, you will find a gem of a book. Sometimes their humor is actually laughable. Advanced investors may find this treatise on investing somewhat simplified, but that's the way it should be. Why confuse a bunch of simple Fools! Good book with a happy ending! ... Read more

Book Description

Lurking somewhere amidst all the figures in a financial report is vitally important information about where a company has been and where it is headed. But without a guide to isolate and interpret those numbers, the dizzying array of columns and rows doesn't add up to a hill of beans. That's why thousands of professionals and savvy individuals have referred to this bestselling resource that shows anyone how to make sense of all those numbers.

If you're someone who works with financial reports or needs to understand them—but have neither the time nor the need for an in-depth knowledge of accounting—this book will help you cut through the maze of accounting information to find out what those numbers really mean. It steers you quickly and painlessly through the basic accounting concepts and line-by-line explanations of the basic financial statement. Complete with a visual guide that leads you through the intricacies of financial reporting, How to Read a Financial Report shows you how the three essential parts of every financial report—the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement—fit together and what it all means to you and your company.

Updated throughout, this new edition addresses the many changes in the financial world in the past few years, including new pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, new income tax laws, and emerging financial reporting problems. Also, all exhibits have been made easier to follow.

Features updates on:

• Tax reform
• Recent FASB rulings
• Depreciation methods
• Spotting fraudulent reporting

"If you would like to have a minimal understanding of the numbers that make up a balance sheet, income, and cash flow statement . . . then How to Read a Financial Report might be just what you are looking for. Mr. Tracy's book explains in plain English the meaning of the major terms used in financial statements."—The Wall Street Journal

"What distinguishes Tracy's efforts from other manuals is an innovative structure that visually ties together elements of the balance sheet and income statement by tracing where and how a line item in one affects an entry in another."—Inc. magazine

"An excellent job of showing how to separate the wheat from the chaff without choking in the process."—Miami Herald

"A wonderful book—organized logically and written clearly. For a Fool to be an effective investor, she has to know her way around a financial statement. This book will help you develop that skill. It's the clearest presentation of many accounting concepts that this Fool has seen. "—Selena Maranjian, The Motley Fool ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Indispensable
John Tracy outdoes even Benjamin Graham's "The Interpretation of Financial Statements" with this work, which makes basic financial analysis accessible to anyone who wants to take the time to learn about it. Beginners should not expect to pick up everything this deceptively brief book has to offer on first reading. But the text's thoughtful layout fosters quicker learning than would otherwise be possible. This is an indispensable guide for anyone who wishes to buy securities but lacks formal training in financial analysis.

Well Written Overview of Financial Statements and Accounting
This book is great for anyone ranging from beginner to intermediate knowledge of financial reports. I have taken accounting and finance classes in college. This book tells the same things that 600 page textbooks and hours and hours of lecture can tell you, but it does so in an easy to understand and concise manner.

Most important it explains the relationships clearly between the income statement, balance sheet, and cashflow statement. This book would be great for anyone starting an education in finance or for any investor trying to broaden their knowledge base. If you invest in stocks, you should learn how to read financial statements. This book will give you some much needed knowledge that you can use as you scour for companies to invest in.

This author takes pride in his writing. John A. Tracy is a professor of accounting, but his knack for concise explanations and the clear use of the English language is evident throughout.

excelllent intro
This book is excellent in the following ways :

-succeeds in explaining in a concise (+- 100 pages) and clear way the basic principles of financial statements.
-the special format of the book is excellent in that it shows most examples and related text without having to turn the pages.
-there is enough white space, allowing you to make annotations.

Strongly adviced for anybody owning a company or for management / accounting students.

disappointed
John Tracy does explain the 3 important "sheets" of a complete financial report. But he failed to help me understand what can be ascertained from more abstract concepts like cash flow or depreciation. His (lack of decent) explanation of why depreciation expense shows up in cost flow calculation appears to account twice for the same $ (once in profit and once in cash flow). His explanation of trying to use EPS & P/E ratio to determine the value of a privately held company share went no futher than this: "you could try to sell my your privately held share at any price you want, but I wouldn't have to accept it". That's not an explanation, just a statement of the obvious. The book needs more prose and examples of how the concept of a healthy (or unhealthy) company can be determined from a financial report. In fairness to Tracy, perhaps the latter half of the book addresses my needs, but I quit at page 76 (1/2 way through the book) after an inadequate explanation of depriciation expense as positive cash flow. I'll give another, more rigourous text a chance at that.

Won't Help You Understand ENRON.
Concepts such as pro forma statements and restatement of earnings just aren't addessed in this 1999 book. Time for another update! ... Read more

Book Description

Now you can profit from this whole new way of investing in a growing number of companies like Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, Home Depot, and McDonald's. Written by the man who coined the term, this brand-new edition includes detailed profiles and author commentary on more than 125 companies with no-load stock plans, plus up-to-date techniques and strategies to help you maximize profits. a "must-have" publication for every do-it-yourself investor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Back To The Basics
"No-Load Stocks" was a very informative book. What it teaches you could be very worthwhile when you go to invest in the market. It uses great real-world examples to relate the stock market and investments to the "novice".

I didn't realize many things before reading this book. It cleared up some very murky waters for me, so to speak. First off, it tells you just how much the brokers take away when you have to go through them to invest. I didn't realize that you have the ability of making so much more money with no-load stocks. Some of the only drawbacks it points out are no-load stocks have maximum amounts you can invest, and the administration fees they charge for them tend to be high on average.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to first time investors. Perhaps even well-schooled investors looking to "freshen up".

A must read for anyone wanting to invest in stocks!
After reading this book and following through with the information it gives, ANYONE can invest in the stock market. Not just second rate stocks either, FIRST rate companys. Research and patients are all that it takes.

An excellent book
Like "Buying Stocks Without A Broker" This book is a must read for new and experienced investors. After reading it, I have contacted three companies and am waiting their prospectus and application.

Anyone can own stocks after reading this book.
This book takes the mystery out of buying stocks. Even though I have dealt in mutual funds for years, stocks were only for brokers. No longer! Anyone can buy stocks and with any budget. Thank You Charles Carlson for bringing stock buying to the average guy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Falling in love with your investments is easy to do. You spend lots of time looking for that perfect company worthy of your money, then you buy it. The more the stock goes up, the more you like it. If the stock goes down a bit, you're usually pretty forgiving. But if it goes down a lot, you find yourself in a big dilemma. Should you hang on, hoping for better days, trusting that your reason for buying the stock in the first place was sound? Or should you admit your mistake, dump it, and move on?

In The Unemotional Investor, Robert Sheard, author of the Dow Dividend Approach and Foolish Workshop for The Motley Fool, offers a way around this dilemma. He notes that the obvious requirement for making money in the stock market is to buy low and sell high, but that most people simply can't do this."What does it take to buy low and sell high? Surprisingly enough, it takes the polar opposite of normal human emotions."

So rather than try to reverse this investor psychology, Sheard sidesteps it altogether and advances two successful systems for buying and selling stocks. The first follows the Dogs of the Dow, which looks at the highest yielding stocks in the Dow 30. The second invests in growth stocks that also have a high degree of price momentum. Both systems require no knowledge of the companies in which you're investing. Instead, decisions to buy and sell are based on easily-acquired information. Sheard demonstrates how over the years these systems have consistently beaten--by a wide margin--all of the major stock indices.

If you've never consistently made money in the stock market, or if you're tired of the measly returns offered by your mutual fund, consider this book. It's good for all level of investors (except the most jaded) and typifies the best of The Motley Fool. Sheard's writing is clear and easy to follow. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Very good guide for beginners
Nice books for a beginner investor like me. Used very simple formulas, which an ordinary people could understand. The interesting thing in the book was the transition from one approach to another, which led the reader to capture all approaches in his mind by the end of the book.

Even though Sheard did not use many technical terms, I would prefer that if the book had a glossary at the end for some financial and technical terms listed in the book.

I felt that Sheard was very optimistic about the stock market, he displayed the market as a road of roses and did not give much concern for risk analysis.

Still early to judge all his approaches, as he relied on hypothetical models and history data. The coming years will prove his methods. The FAQ at the end of the book had added value to the book.

Finally, it seems that the book was written mainly to US residents, as a reader from outside US some hidden cost had been excluded from the evaluation of the approaches, like the currency exchange rate, the cost of the investment information resources.

I recommend this book for any beginner investor.

Excellent background knowledge to help the novice investor!
It is an easy-to-read book that can be get the novice started in under a week. I also found it a great summary of other books I have read and with references to additional information that can benefit people looking to learn about the market.

The book provided a solid background for an investor with minimum knowledge to take the first step into the market (unemotionally). The Fool's way to trading is quite fundamental and strives for simplicity. Anyone looking for a simple mechanism for investing a portion of their portfolio into the market without worrying about timing the market should read this book. It discusses multiple approaches (Dow, Unemotional Value, Unemotional Growth, etc.) - all purely mechanical - that have proven the test of time.

All have their own inherent risks (as do all investments in the market) but the gains far outweight he risk. An investor who is looking to invest for the long haul (5 years to life) should read the book. It can be a great portfolio starter!

Additionally, I feel the book is written for the independent, self-confident and disciplined person. These traits will help to keep the investor on target with their long term goals and more importantly, suceed in all aspects of their life.

Buy, Read, and Invest with the best! And always remember your in it for the long haul.

a great Dogs of the Down strategy
This book takes as it's premise that you can beat the market. Efficient Market proponents will find it hilarious.

This book is worth it's purchase price for a detailed analysis of variations on the Dogs of the Dow strategy.

The section on growth investing is to the best of my knowledge complete hogwash, data mining at it's worst. But the DOD part I think provides some reasonable investment ideas.

It works
If you're like me and don't have time to pore over the Wall Street Journal every morning or stay online 10 hours a day watching the stock trends, this book is for you. It gives a simple, easy to follow, and "unemotional" system for picking top performing stocks. If the market is doing well, you will too. If it isn't, he describes when to get out. I made money with this system at a time when many of my friends were losing money on their stock "hunches."

Motley Fool rip-off
If you have any of the Motley Fools investment books, then this book is a waste of time and money. Robert Sheard, a former Motley fool employee, basically just takes the Motley Fools investment systems and puts a new cover on it, and sells it as a new book. He even re-uses the same jokes. Don't waste your money. ... Read more

Book Description

To get rich from investing, the stock market is where your money has to be! Financial expert Jeremy Siegel's Stocks for the Long Run has been celebrated by financial professionals and investors alike for its proven, no-nonsense approach to growing wealthy in the stock market. Nowhere else will you find this book's wealth of market-related data, and at the same time its shrewd (yet practical) advice, tips, and guidelines on how to strike the optimal balance between stock market risk and return. Packed with nearly 100 charts, graphs, and tables-many dating to the early 1800s and impossible to find anywhere else-Stocks for the Long Run gives you: The Nifty Fifty-Highly capitalized stocks that continue to outperform their rivals, and which companies could be the next stars of your investment portfolio!; a fascinating analysis of the October, 1987, stock market "crash"-how and why it occurred, and ways that savvy investors profited as others panicked; an in-depth analysis of opportunities in foreign markets-how to find them, and safely invest in overseas markets, to ultimately increase your long-term returns. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

The stock market cannot make everyone rich!
An interesting and educational book about stocks, but it could be dangerous for some people who may come to believe the stock market will make them rich if only they have the patience. To warn these people, I quote Professor Siegel himself from an article: "In a severe inflationary period, real estate tends to do better than stocks, as the 1970's demonstrated. By contrast, severe inflation would devastate bonds, just as it would stocks."* Elsewhere in this article, the Professor makes it clear that over a 30-year period you can expect real estate (in his book I can't find a place where he considers real estate as a viable investment alternative) to outperform stocks and bonds. I know inflation has been under control now for quite awhile, but no one knows what inflation will be like in 10 years, let alone in 30 years.

I recommend this book for the education about the stock market it provides the reader.

*Jonathan Clements, "Investing Isn't Just Happily Ever After," The Wall Street Journal, March 2, 1999, p. C1.

The Definitive Guide to Investing in the Stock Market
I cannot put into words how valuable this book is to investors and those wanting to learn about investing alike. Whether you've invested your entire life or are curious about it from the recent stock market boom, Dr. Siegel clearly expresses why one must be in the market over the long run and how to do it.

With comprehensive graphs and easy to understand explanations, this book delivers an "all in one" knockout about equities. From international markets to the heated debate of growth versus value stocks, "Stocks for the Long Run" covers the entire spectrum of opportunities that exist for investors.

Readers will also gain an understanding of how monetary policy works in the United States. Wanting to know why the stock market boom has been occurring, why there is widespread misunderstanding about stocks, or the advantages and disadvantages to small caps? All are carefully detailed in this book. Dr. Siegel draws upon a plethora of historical evidence dating back to the early 19th century to make a compelling case for stocks so that people can live their lives instead of worrying about their financial future.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to reap the huge benefits of the stock market. Dr. Siegel is one of few people who understands how the market works and has the ability as an excellent writer to convey that knowledge. I guarantee you that this will be the best 20 bucks you've ever spent.

Best Beginners Book (imho)
This remains one very, if not "the most" comprehensive, approachable, vast overview on stocks & bonds, inflation & money markets, the business cycle & market psychology.

The arguments presented in this book are grounded in long-range empirical historical results backed up with carloads of analytical data to back up its assumptions.

One of Jeremy Siegel's main points is that the time-frame horizon of various investment vehicles and strategies can be quite decisive in determinating your financial goals and end-results. In the end, a lot (if not everything) depends on the time-frame you are willing to consider... The more time you have available, the safer you could/should feel towards your principal, and that more especially if it consists of stocks.

Another of Jeremy Siegel's arguments, which is incumbent on the precedent one, is that the greatest long-term erosive power of wealth remains inflation (an undesired by-product of growth), and that the safest cushion towards and fence against inflation is still the stock-market, followed closely by real-estate property.

The final and conclusive argument is that the best way to index the global generation of wealth and general progress of civilization (get a fair share of the pie, if you wish), is to own stocks in the long run. This reveals itself as the best way to piggy-ride the world's long-range generation of wealth, and the safest way to park your wealth long-time, more especially if you have a few decades ahead of yourself before you eventually need or want to get your hands on it... so that it can be said with a certain amount of certainty that this is definitively not a book for the hot-blooded, quick-buck day-trading artists and other various market-wizards, although some of the information it contains could (could) eventually (eventually) be put to some (good) use by some (some) of them, at one time or another.

The fact is that, apart from historical points and empirical arguments, the work is spiced up and loaded with a great plenty of market wisdom (the vanity of attempting to predict or time the various business cycles), market and investor psychology (the vanity of following the heard, and how difficult it is sometimes not to do so), various historical anecdotic facts of which some of them are almost useless although interesting (sell on Fridays and buy on Mondays, Octobers are bad months for the stock market, the January effect, etc.) and others relatively intriguing (the stock market generally fared better under Democratic than under Republican presidencies - is it because the hands-off attitude of Democrats which do not claim to understand the Economy, and to be its well-intentioned friend, is more reassuring to investors at large, giving them a long-sought relief and allowing them to finally concentrate on their subject without being disturbed and distracted by various demagogic ramblings?), and a few useful facts (in a global market downturn, it can be quite handy to short spiders amongst other things, as these are exempt of the prohibitive downtick rule), the importance of dividend streams in roughly assessing market valuations (valuations based on dividend yields, like the valuation of bonds, are at the cornerstone of many other valuation techniques such as the cash-flow and free cash-flow valuations), the different behaviour of small- and mid-caps compared to that of large-caps in various periods of the business cycle, the relative safety of nifty-fifty blue-chips, the self-cancelling effect of various widely applied financial strategies (in the end result, all the smart and active negators of the efficient market theory tend to establish a theory they see as and would like to prove as flawed), the relative attractiveness of various index-based passive investments, etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, to cut matters short, if it cannot be said that this book constitutes a must-have for all sorts of audiences under the sun, I believe one can venture to state with a certain amount of safety that this book may certainly constitute a must-read at one point or another of one's personal financial education.

Although some of the historical-empirical-analytical work contained in this book has at times been used as an advocacy of the historic legitimacy of the explosive bull-market in the late-nineties (remember Alan Greenspan stating at the turn of the century that it may well be "possible" that the "new economy" has now allowed us to enter a new era of perpetual and unrestrained growth, just like others claimed that it was the case in the late twenties before the crash), its almost scientific empiric groundings make it still a highly recommendable book today, and that to a great variety of audiences, so that all irony and sarcasm apart, it can be safely asserted that its broad and historic approach allows one to state that it remains a book for the long run, regardless of the momentary market downturns and/or stagnations, or maybe especially because of them (remember that when everyone is a bear, it usually pays to be a long-term bull, although the reverse might not necessarily be true).

Read it, study it, apply it, reap the rewards
Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel is one of the most credible, most astute stock market analysts in the world. He is not a mindless stock cheerleader; in fact, his March 14, 2000 Wall Street Journal article entitled "Why Big Cap Tech Stocks Are a Sucker's Bet" persuasively pointed out how the high tech stock emperor had no clothes, and helped burst the insanely overvalued tech bubble. This was at a time when the vast majority of Wall Street analysts were inventing new valuation methods to justify insane stock prices, while other more pessimistic analysts had declared an "irrational exuberance" years before the market actually topped.

"Stocks for the Long Run" is Siegel's seminal work (now in its third edition), an excellent introduction to investing for the average investor looking to save for retirement. If the SEC were to choose one book to force people to read before they were allowed to invest their money in the stock market, this book would be it. In fact, the people who lost their retirement money because it was all invested in one stock such as Enron or Worldcom (or a bunch of dot-coms), or who lost a fortune day trading when the market tanked, would have been so much better off if they had just read this book and applied its lessons. They would be better off, the market would be much less volatile, the allocation of capital would be more efficient, the economy would be stronger, and the world would be a better place, if only more people would read this book.

"Stocks for the Long Run" gives you all the knowledge you need to implement a solid investment strategy. Siegel educates and informs (this book will teach you all the basics you need to know to watch CNBC and to understand the market), and he packs his book with as much long-term data and supporting evidence as possible. He is a firm believer in the scientific method and data; he does not posit recommendations unless they are firmly supported by historical evidence.

The good news in the third edition (post 1990s/2000 bubble) is that the case for investing in stocks is still a strong one. Siegel presents extremely persuasive arguments why, long term, stocks hold their value and gain value better than any other type of investment (fundamentally, we must never lose sight of the fact that stocks are claims on real assets and the cash flows generated by enterprises). Surprisingly, stocks are lower risk, long-term, than bonds. Siegel presents some good arguments why stocks now deserve a higher-than-long-term-average P/E, but also shows how index investing (which he still heartily recommends) is distorting the market, and how our expectations for returns from stocks need to come down slightly. He correctly identifies TIPS as the best investment for those seeking short-term safety.

Siegel's main argument is that investors should get into stocks in such a way as to match the overall return of the market, which will provide them with a healthy long-term return on investment. He does show a number of ways to improve on that return and beat the market, such as by recognizing when the market is under and overvalued, thereby buying low and selling high. Thus, I would recommend that a new investor first read, study and apply "Stocks in the Long Run", and then move on to Ben Stein's "Yes You Can Time the Market" as a way to optimize the lessons from "Stocks in the Long Run".

The Best Introduction and Reference, Praise is Deserved
Siegel's third edition is the best introduction to the traditional assets classes (i.e., stocks and bonds) that I have ever read, hands-down. This book has two strengths: One, it is a rigorous empirical study of historical market returns and their components. Two, it is broad and accessible introduction to various investment theories and styles, economic influences (e.g., inflation, business cycles, economic data) and newer product categories like exchange-traded funds. This is an ambitiously broad anthology chock-full of important topics, so it serves as a great starting point for new students of investment theory. For example, his Chapter on "Gold, the Federal Reserve and Inflation" is a brief, helpful introduction to the history of monetary policy. Another great Chapter is "Market Volatility," which illustrates that market volatility has been remarkably stable over the long run, with some violent exceptions.

What I really love about Siegel is his intent: he wants to educate the average investor and he is not dogmatic. I understand that a handful of negative reviews arise from a credible concern that the stock market could be a lot more hazardous in the future than in the past, but Siegel is not blindly extrapolating into the future. It is pretty unfair to call this "naïve empiricism," by the way. His conclusion is more specific and relative: he believes stocks should outperform bonds, but they will downshift from the long-run historical pattern to outperform bonds by about 2%, give or take.

He reaches this conclusion by showing how the stock market has historically averaged roughly 7% percent in real returns over any long-run stretch. He then presents various alternative valuation models and shares his carefully qualified conclusion: that economic factors justify an modest upward revision in the price-earnings ratio (P-E ratio) to the low 20s, and from that starting point, we might look forward to real equity returns of "4 to 5 percent." Granted, he then goes on to discuss some factors that could well propel returns even higher, and one big unfavorable factor that could send them lower (i.e., the demographic problem of fewer investors in the developed world). But you get to see how his model works, and he serves up each assumption logically and in balanced form so that you can consider the conclusion for yourself. In this vein and offered as a minor critique at the margin, I happen to question his assumption that higher equity valuations per se lead to increased earnings (via cheaper stock offerings and hence cheaper investment capital) because I do not think you can necessarily assume that more capital leads to better investments. Also, he does not address or incorporate the dilution effects of employee stock options.

Similarly, his case for "buy and hold" is balanced. The data in the Chapter on "Stocks and the Business Cycle" could in fact be used to advocate market timing. Siegel shows that successful timing (or more specifically, buying near the bottom) produces impressive returns. He just thinks it is really hard to predict business cycles.

This is the bible of traditional classes, and so I would note that there is no discussion of so-called alternative investments (e.g., hedge fund, private equity, real estates). Also, I missed the lack of an explicit discussion of asset allocation; can we maybe get that in the next edition? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Informatively intresting
This book, profiling America's largests businesses shares history and information of some of the biggest and most popular and important businesses throughout America's history. The book is quite intersting, and informative. A great book to have around, at a great price aswell. ... Read more

Book Description

There's never been a better time for the individual investor to take control of his or her investments. Anybody with a computer and a modem can monitor stocks, access real-time quotes, get the latest company financials, and much, much more in short, you can get all the same data as Wall Street's Wise Men. And you can do more with it than they ever dreamed.

The Motley Fool is the most popular online financial forum on the planet. It's the place where hundreds of thousands of individual investors go to get what they need to maximize their investment dollars. And for good reason. Since the Gardner brothers took their act online in 1994, they and their fellow Fools have been helping these investors crush the market averages. In their national bestseller, The Motley Fool Investment Guide (and in You Have More Than You Think, their latest assault on the Wise and latest advice for the eager investor), the Gardners have introduced their readers to the investment strategies and financial tactics that enabled them to beat the very best that Wall Street could manage.

Now, The Motley Fool Investment Workbook will take you step-by-step through the process of putting to the lessons learned in these two books. Here, you will pick up a pencil and: Build yourself a budget Figure out how much you have to invest Work out which investment strategy is best for you Discover the best sources of stock market information and what to do with them once you find them Find out where and how to buy stocks the cheapest and fastest way possible Learn when to hold on to your investment and when if ever to let it go

And that's not all The Motley Fool Investment Workbook will show you exactly how to take control of your own monetary destiny in the simplest possible way.

Reviews (20)

Go from a 'fool" to a "Fool"
I consider reading about investing about as dull a subject as I could imagine. This book has me looking for more. An absolute breeze to read and understand. I actually knew the answer to a question asked on TV's "Win Ben Steins Money" because of this book. Forget about winning money, after reading this you'll be excited about investing it!!

Read the other Fool books, not this one
I'd thumbed through this book a couple times at the bookstore, but had always decided against it. I should have said that again when another Fool book "Rule Breakers, Rule Makers" came up as a ... bargain hardback book and succumbed to the whole in my wallet and got this book too. It's too condescending even for the investing novice, and the workbook part is scant and carries little value beyond the writing. Stick with "The Motley Fool Investment Guide" which has almost the same info, plus more.

Good study guide, but answers shouldn't be on the same page.
This is the investment workbook which goes along with The Motley Fool Investment Guide. However you do not need the Motley Fool Investment Guide to use this book.

I like that this book gets you down in dirty into the actual analysis of companies, they have you analyse P/E ratios, P/S ratios, growth rates etc... Howver I don't like that the answers are written write next to the question. (Kind of defeats the whole purpose.) I also think its ok to have some humor in a book but this one is overloaded with silly questions from the Fools.

Unless you want to have a book to just for filling in the blanks I recommend not buying this book. I think one of the other Motley Fool books such as their "Investment Guide" or "You have more than you think" would be worth it instead.

Reed Floren

Great book ...
This book is great, really ... how many investment books (especially for us novices) actually impart useful knowledge to the reader while also making him/her laugh? That's what keeps the reader reading, rather than drowning in a sea of completely dry text (pretty much any other book) they are instead led to the next page out of enjoyment.

would help you get your financial act together.
If you have loved TMF website, you can certainly gain a lot from this book. Be prepared to face the music when you are filling out the workbook to figure out your networth! I was pleasantly surprised though.

This book is practical and every adult should read and work through it to figure out one's financial standing. The guys are straight forward and tell you like it is.

You can use it to figure out your budget, spendings, how much you can actually invest and how to pay off your high interest debts.

Talks about DRIPs and DSPs, mutual funds, index funds etc etc.

I recommend to all my friends who are thinking about investing in stock market but are buried in debt from their fancy car purchases! ... Read more

Amazon.com

An authoritative and comprehensive financial analysis of the major players in the Internet market written by members of the Wall Street firm that managed the now legendary IPO of Netscape. Full analyses of the stocks, the technologies, and the various markets associated with the Internet market. Begins with an investor-oriented "essentials of the Internet." This report is anessential investment for anyone investing in the Internet and fascinating reading about the behind-the-scenes players for anyone who uses the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A MUST BUY
Simple no nonsense approach. Cuts thru all the hyphe and explains the market in laymans terms

Essential book to understand the Internet and related tech.
"The Internet Report" is excellent and will give you the most timely and accurate picture of everything involved with the Internet. As one who teaches Internet classes, I can tell you that this book is just full of great facts about Internet history, Internet infrastructure, Internet technologies, and where various Internet-related businesses will succeed (and fail). If you only buy one technology book in the next six months, it HAS to be this book! It is essential to read this book because your competitors and your customers will read it ... Read more

Book Description

This book shows how to successfully research a company who to--see and what to ask--before investing any money. It shows investors how to use innovative techniques and fundamental business analysis to spot Wall Street bargains. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Focuses on PSR as a valuation tool
I was first introduced to Fisher's concept of Super Stocks about 10 years ago. The idea behind the concept is buying stocks with a low Price-to-Sales Ratio (PSR), typically 1.0 or less. Simply having a low PSR is not sufficient to be a Super Stock. The valuation tool is combined with fundamental analysis (e.g. growth, margin analysis, balance sheet analysis, etc.) of companies to identify stocks with favorable characteristics that will make them Super Stocks. Fisher also introduces a complementery tool Price-to-Research Ratio (PRR) which is a measure of the company's reinvestment rate into growth.

Fisher spends a lot of time discussing how to make money off the "Glitch". Basically, he believes that many Super Stocks are stocks that have been hit by a "Glitch". A "Glitch" is a temporary setback experienced by a company that makes the out of favor (e.g. product life cycle delay, revenue short-fall, etc.) This attitude is indicative of his value-orientation in investing. In other words, his fundamental analysis may find a great stock, but he will wait for a pull-back from a "Glitch" to a more appropriate PSR before investing.

Overall, the concept of PSR is not so different from other valuation measures for "low-priced" stocks such as Price-to-Earnings or Price-to-Book. However, it doesn't hurt to have another tool in the kit.

On a more interesting side-note, Wall Street analysts have definitely not read this book. It is amusing to note that analysts in the hey-day of the Internet boom touted stocks with PSRs in excess of 10x. A careful fundamental analysis would have resulted in concluding that the growth, margins, and balance sheets of these companies did not justify such high valuations. Nothing in the business models indicated superior performance on any dimension. Even if a business model was found to be superior, prudence would have dictated waiting for a "Glitch".

A good book that teaches true, disciplined value investing
If you've read a few of Fisher's regular columns in Forbes, you know that he 1) is primarily a value-oriented investor, 2) applies numerous, diverse tools in formulating his opinions, and 3) is quite self-confident. I think most people would objectively agree that a combination of all three of these qualities is key to being a successful long-term investor. Super Stocks, which I read a decade ago and still refer to today, effectively captures and displays Fisher's approach. Fisher does an admirable job of describing his investment philosophy, then providing a detailed walk-through of how he implements it - that type of focus is lacking in so many other investment books. Beyond that, Super Stocks introduced me to several investment resources that I was not aware of and Fisher even closes the loop by providing advice on selling out of winners. Two primary concepts that have stuck with me over the years and still weigh heavily on my thinking today are the idea of what margins a company with a low PSR SHOULD produce on its sales and the opportunities presented by product/earnings glitches. In both cases, it allows me to look past a company's current difficulties and determine what the magnitude and probability of upside is going forward. Though my core approach is as a buy and hold, small cap growth investor, I can attest to the numerous profitable stocks I have uncovered thanks to the tools this book gave me. So, don't let any preconceived notions of the author get in the way of your enhancement of your investing skills. Buy the book, learn from it, and I honestly believe you'll pay yourself back many times over.

Ok but similar to Common Stocks...
This is a good intro book to this type of investment. It is similar to his father's Common Stocks Uncommon Profits. If you want to do seriously what he is describing then find more detailed books. He righly emphasises the business not the numbers, as they change each quarter and its the mangement within a 'fundamentals context' who will make them change. He currently runs Fisher Investments.

Okay at Best
It was not one of the "seminal" investment books that the author believes it is. Very modest of him wouldn't you say. However, price to sales ratio analysis can work wonders for your portfolio. O'Shughnessy's book illustrates that in the fullness of time, the ratio is one of the best ways to value a stock. It would have been better if Fisher could have provided more historical insight into the ratio. But it is the only book that i know of that delves that deeply into this technique. I am just turned off by his arrogance.

The Ego that ate San Francisco
Is it just me, or does Ken Fisher's review of his book above seem a wee bit much? Maybe he didn't get the fact that the reader would know that it was he writing, but golly, this says loads about the guy...Too bad too, because I thought his book was pretty good. No doubt the book appears on any "must read" lists that Mr. Fisher comes up with, but is it really "one of the seminal fundamental investment books?" For anyone other than the author, NO. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive biography that transports readers into the world and mind - of the legendary Warren Buffett. The financial world's ongoing fascination with Warren Buffett is insatiable. Of Permanent Value hits bookshelves as the most comprehensive, informative biography yet on the investor who, through knowledge, savvy, and hard work, became the world's second-richest man. Avid investors will even find a chapter detailing Buffett's unprecendented investment record, quarter by quarter. Filled with fascinating strategies, compelling stories, and rare photos, Of Permanent Value delivers a hard-hitting but highly readable story of how Buffett built his empire - and what he plans to do next. It gives investors and Wall Street enthusiasts at every level: Behind-the-scenes stories of Buffett's remarkable rise; Personal details of Buffett's best investment moves; A candid examination of history's most successful investor. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The encyclopedia od all things Buffett
This book is the reference manual for any serious student of Warren Buffett. Besides all the inside scoops and anecdotes, there is a lot (and I emphazise lot) of thought provoking information within. Don't let it's size fool ya! It's an easy read. No investor should be without a copy of this book.

We all know Warren Buffett is the greatest investor.
I have tremendous respect and admiration for history's greatest investor. Andrew Kilpatrick chose a different style, short chapters of other people telling stories of Warren, and not a dry traditional biograpghy.

Mr. Kilpatrick did his homework on this story, but I was annoyed at the length of this biography. Yes, there was some humor and interesting insights in to Warren's life, but I got the picture about half way through the book. That picture is simple, Warren Buffett is the best.

Kilpatrick needs an editor
If an editor took out all the repetitious, irrelevant waste from this book, it would only be 200 pages. There are much better books about Buffett and BRK, and the annual reports are fabulous, but this book is a waste of time. It is poorly written and badly organized. It is as if he had written 100 short newspaper articles, and strung them together into a book about himself and his own relationship with BRK. He is obviously a nice man, and I am sorry he has not written a better book.

Hero worship.
The other biography of Buffett is by Lowenstein and is far superior to this disorganized, fawning, but very detailed work. The flattery of Buffett gets so thick in this book it's sickening. Some of the other reviewers have done a good job of describing the other problems with the book so I won't go into detail. It does have its strengths -- exhaustive detail and excellent sources -- the guy did serious amounts of research. My suggestion: by all means read this if you are an "intelligent investor" (but use a library copy). If you want to buy a book on Buffett, get Lowenstein.

For "Berk-Heads" Only
This is a relatively well-written book, telling the story of Warren Buffett in great detail. Let me emphasize this last part by repeating it: it tells the story of Warren Buffett _in great detail_.

Author Andrew Kilpatrick has tackled his subject with the dedication of a stalker. Throughout _Of Permanent Value_ readers will be told, not just how WEB has accumalated a mind-boggling fortune, but also how well he tips (or doesn't), who his favorite philosopher is and what type of car he drives. You'll learn of the different groups of Buffett fans, the relatives of Buffett, the foundation that will spread around his wealth after he's no longer tap-dancing to work. And you'll read accounts of (random) people who saw Buffett in China, who taught or went out with him when he was younger, and so on and so on ad infinitum.

As such, the book is primarily for those who want to know more about who Warren Buffett the person is, than about how one can be more like him financially. To those, then, who want to know how to invest like Buffett I do not recommend you read this book--at least not until after you've read the other, better books on this subject. These are _The Warren Buffett Way_ (my favorite), _The Making of an American Capitalist_, and _How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett_.

If you, however, _do_ want to know much more about Buffett than the average person, this book can not be recommended highly enough. Everything has been written down in the pages of this book--the only thing that wasn't discussed was whether Buffett wears boxers or briefs. (I'm sure Kilpatrick's saving this one for the next, revised edition however.) ... Read more

Book Description

In 1991, Michael B. O'Higgins, one of the nation's top money managers, turned the investment world upside down with an ingenious strategy, showing how all investors--from those with only $5,000 to invest to millionaires--could beat the pros 95% of the time by putting 100% of their equity investment into the high-yield, low-risk "dog" stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. His formula spawned a veritable industry, including websites, mutual funds, and $20 billion worth of investments, elevating the theory to legendary status.

Reflecting on the greatest bull market of our time, this must-have investment guide has been revised and updated for a new economy. With current company and stock profiles, as well as new charts, statistics, graphs, and figures, Beating the Dow is the smart investment that you--and your portfolio--can't afford to miss

Reviews (16)

Sounds too good to be true
This is a classic book describing a simple method for achieving outstanding results in the stock market by investing in a selection of five stocks from the Dow Jones Industrial average. There is one little problem. The method hasn't worked very well recently. Taking some data from the table on page 204 of the O'higgins book we see the % gain or loss of the selected five stocks compared with the Dow Jones Industrial Average: (Year, Five stocks, Dow Jones Average);(1994 8.6 4.9),(1995 30.5 36.4), (1996 27.9 28.9), (1997 20.5 24.9), (1998 12.3 17.9). The method has faied to Beat the DOW every year since 1994. My own calculations shows that this under performance continues into 2001. The Motley Fool Group has done extensive research on this method and after their initial enthusiam they have recently terminated their recommendation. Serious students of the market should buy this book. Further study of this approach may lead to new methods for "Beating the Dow".

Investing sensibly
Some people might laugh at this book specially the brokers who make living by sucking the commision out of an average investor. What had happened in the NASDAQ in 1999 before the correction was absolutely mind blowing and this book might have looked like a bad joke i.e. advocating to invest in companies like International Paper! but now that the dotcoms are down the drain, the valuations are somewhat back on earth, the margin-debt bitten people are done crying, maybe it is time that us i.e. average investors read this book.

This book as the name says is all about investing in Dow companies, the giants of the US and global economy. The companies which I truly believe that world could come to an end but GE would still be there. The book covers all the Dow components individually along with their historical financial performance, weaknesses, strenghts and their power to stay in business by being profitable over years and years. There are many different 'low risk' investment strategies covered in this book such as 'High Yielding 5'. These are the 5 Dow stock that you pick annually based on the criteria described, HOLD it for 1 year, redo the math (barely any)and pick your 5 stocks again. You also sell some at this point that didn;t meet your criteria and pick the new ones to fill their spot.

Sounds simple, yes! and that's the way it should be. Not only you can ride out the swings of the stock market in this way but also save a ton on commisions, taxes and most importantly be less stressed.

If you read the Motley Fool, you'll notice some of their strategies are derived from O'Higgin's methods.

A must read for all investors, specially younger people like myself who want to start building the nest yesterday!

Not a totally bad method of choosing stocks
"Beating The Dow" by Michael O'Higgins offers the following simple investment strategy. You simply buy the ten highest dividend paying stocks among the Dow Industrial Averages. The Philosophy is that as the value of the stocks increase, via stock price lagging or falling below the market, the dividend yield will tend to rise. (i.e. the assumption is that dividend yield is a proxy for value. One problem is that not all Dow stocks pay out the same level of earnings, so some stocks will tend to have higher dividends.)

While I tend to be skeptical of any investment strategy that is too simple, if you must use such a simple strategy, then you could do far worse selecting the highest dividend paying stocks from the Dow. Of course, the other option is just to index your money in a mutual fund that buys the entire stock market. Vanguard Funds is the leader in such index funds. But, I like dividends.

The difficulty with simple investment strategies is that they tend to be arrived at via data mining. The proponent of the investment method asks "What worked in the past?" and then tries to draw up a canned investment method. Almost always, the proposed method then starts to lag behind in the present and future stock market performance. (the recent performance of this strategy is discussed in another person's great book review. See that.) This is not due to market efficiency or that the method is becoming well known. It just means that the method wasn't entirely valid as a predictive method.

There is the old joke about the "X investment strategy." When a computer was asked to vigorously evaluate the stock market and look for predictors of future investment success, the computer spit back the answer, "Invest in stocks whose name begins with an 'X' and whose name ends with an 'X.' " Xerox was the top performing stock over the period.

"Beating The Dow" is one of those books, if read all by itself, might mislead a new investor into an over-simplified investment strategy. Yet, you might enjoy reading it. And, as stated, you could do worse than holding the ten highest dividend-paying Dow stocks.

"Beating The Dow" also mentions what Michael O'Higgins calls the "Penulatimate Profit Prospect (PPP)" which involves buying just one stock. The Stock with the second lowest price among the ten highest yielding stocks. I consider that Penidiotic. We conservative investors do love our stock dividends, and the focus on dividend yield gets "Beating The Dow" a solid honorable mention.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "Becoming An Investor: Building Wealth By Investing In Stocks, Bonds, And Mutual Funds."

Beating the Dow, Still an Unbeatable Read
Michael O'Higgin's investing classic holds up as well in the New Millenium as it did when it first hit book stands 10 years ago.

He maintains that it is still possible to beat the DOW by buying the 10 highest yielding stocks and tweaking your holdings each year, with correspondingly greater rates of return with a two- or five-stock selection from the group. O'Higgin's admits in the new eidtion that the strategy has been muddied by a drop in the relative importance of dividends as a part of total yield of the DOW. Dividends and payouts have lost lost out to stock buybacks, in part because dividends are taxed at a higher rate than long-term capital gains from stock sales. Changes in the DOW have also reduced the overall dividend payout. Of the most recent additions, Microsoft pays no dividend and Intel and Home Depot have nominal payouts. O'Higgin's strategy may also be less effective because it's simplicity and past returns attracted the attention of Wall Street money managers and of many, many individual investors. There is at least one web site devoted to the Dogs of the Dow and a number of similar investment strategies were profiled for several years on the Motley Fool website.

Nor is the most valuable part of O'Higgin's book his thumbnail sketches of other value strategies for beating the market with a basket of DOW stocks. Several seem downright ridiculous. I remain skeptical that investing based on presidential election cycles or end-of-year asset sales by fund managers can yield meaningful, long-term results for individual investors.

The value of this book is O'Higgin's championing of value investing in general and his highlighting of the resilience of the DOW stocks in markets bull and bear. Most people aren't professional investors and lack the time and resources to profit from a strategy of active trading. If the efficient markets guys are right, then buying all 30 DOW stocks and holding on long-term will beat returns of most professionally baskets of stocks, with less risk and less payouts for taxes and trading costs to boot. Or maybe buying the highest yielders in any given year and holding. Anyway, you get the picture.

Regardless of whether you think the high-yield 10 is still capable of outgaining the overall DOW, O'Higgin's book is, to me, as valuable in 2001 as it was when I first read it in 1993.

Solid, Perhaps 1st Book Mentioning Yearly Good Season
This may be the first book that mentions how the stock market usually performs much better Nov. 1-May 1. This is a more important observation than the "Dogs of the Dow" strategy this book became famous for. Sy Harding's "Riding the Bear" thoroughly covers this "seasonality" feature. Though the manic bull market of Oct 98-March 2000 TEMPORARILY made this book seem outdated, it holds up well (had the non-updated version) and is a solid effort that is well thought out (which immediately puts it above 80% of stock market books). A keeper, re-read it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hoover's Guide to Media Companies is basically the world's mostcopiously annotated Rolodex-schmoozefest for anyone working in or with any form of media--from print to broadcast to Internet. Covers nearly 700 information and entertainment enterprises. Identify the best resources for your marketing and PR work, determine details about your competitors, or figure out where to invest your money. ... Read more

Book Description

Something for nothing? On Wall Street, no less? It's true! Even small investors can take advantage of "perks" galore from the companies they invest in and the financial services firms they do business with. This pithy insider's guide will not only lead them to their goals-it comes complete with 25 coupons for discounts on financial services! As he did in his successful Buying Stocks Without a Broker, Charles B. Carlson clues small investors into little-known secrets that can pay off big. He allays skepticism by explaining why companies offer perks (mainly to build good will and test products) and by analyzing the investment merit of the businesses behind them. Then he presents a cavalcade of perks that are there for the taking. Readers will learn how to: Identify "the leaders of the perks"-the firms that offer the best discounts and freebies, and tours; Buy stocks at a discount, just as Wall Street executives do; Get satisfying perks from brokers-from free investment publication subscriptions, to lavish dinners, to rock-bottom commissions and fees; Build clout (and reap even more freebies) by attending annual shareholders' meetings; Cut out the broker (and high commissions) through investment methods known as DRIPs-dividend reinvestment purchase plans and direct purchase plans; Gain benefits for the environment, education, and charities through social investing; Unearth similar perks from bankers and insurance brokers. For high rollers and small investors alike, Free Lunch on Wall Street is a delightful banquet of money-saving satisfaction. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Free Lunch on Wall Street - Great Christmas Gifts!
While the book suggests not buying stocks based upon the "freebies" given, we've been able to make up some nice gift baskets for family and friends - based upon the companies' holiday offerings. If that weren't enough, we've made a nice profit on the stocks to boot!

too out of date
I think that there are a lot of other ideas on how to get involved in Drips using the company and your own savvy of computors and go online to save money or build a portfolio with out the high costs. I personally would like to see such a book.

Stick with classics - Benjamin Graham and Peter Lynch
Investing requires research and WORK. Free Lunch on Wall Street is not a free lunch. It still requires WORK on your part. You get out of your investments exactly what you put into them. You can read Fr