Reviews (1)

An Insult To Women
No man would put up with this kind of condascending advice or tone.Ms. Bodnar is bossy and abrasive and advocates positions that no self-respecting woman would or should take.Her voice is even worse. Instead, stick with the common-sense and good judgment in "Making TheMost of Your Money" by Jane Bryant Quinn. ... Read more

Book Description

These three accessible volumes provide clear explanations and practical guidance to help you understand the fundamentals of today's financial trends. Included in this special set are:

Getting Started in Stocks, 3E has been praised as the definitive guide for new investors and is packed with updated material on mutual funds, and dozens of real-life examples to help you set clear financial goals.

Getting Started in Bonds includes an in-depth coverage of a variety of products, from thirty-year treasury notes to high-yield junk bonds.

Getting Started in Online Investing covers everything from finding investment ideas to managing your portfolio to keeping up with the market. It provides inside information on brokers, online trading, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and futures, as well as the best sites for news, portfolio management, education and research. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Textbook
This book is written well enough to be used in a college course on the stock market. I cant say its helped me make money in the market with all the problems that have come about recently. This book will teach you enough about the technical side of stock trading, but not about managing a portfolio of stocks and mutual funds.

great beginner book
I had no idea that there where more than one stock exchanges before reading the book. Now I know how to hedge investments using options. the book covers every aspect of the stock market that the novice should know about. I read the book in 2 days because it was written in a format that I could comprehend. I can now amaze my friend with my knowledge of stocks.

Very good beginning investment book
This book was an easy read to learn the basic terminology. And it's a nice reference book with a good "stock" glossary at the back of the book. After this, you'll be ready to read something a little for philosophical like Peter Lynch's masterpiece "One Up On Wall Street".

An excellent book for the beginner investor.
This well written book gives the beginner investor the information needed to understand investing in stocks.

The book goes through setting your goals, assesing your risks and rewards. It teaches you about common and preferred stocks and the basics of buying and selling stocks.

There is a chapter on different investment strategies and then the book takes you into fundamental and technical analysis of a stock.

Finally the book touches on mutual funds, rights, warrants, and options.

All in all this is an excellent book and is one that any beginner investor will learn a lot from.

Great beginner book
I had no idea that there where more than one stock exchanges before reading the book. Now I know how to hedge investments using options. The book covers every aspect of the stock market that the novice should know about. I read the book in 2 days because it was written in a format that I could comprehend. I can now amaze my friends with my knowledge of stocks. ... Read more

Book Description

The experts agree: REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) should be a part of every serious investor's diversified portfolio. All the essentials are there—low volatility, consistent and steady profits, impressive dividends, convenient liquidity, low correlation with other asset classes and, most importantly, professional management—yet to take advantage of this investment vehicle, understanding the unusual features and performance characteristics of REITs is key. Investing in REITs—Revised & Updated Edition is an enlightening, practical look at what REITs are, how they work, what properties they own, and why they deserve an important place in any diversified investment portfolio. Ralph Block's classic is newly updated to reflect all the latest changes in the industry. Block provides cogent analysis of what is unique about REITs and cuts to the chase on how to make money with them while avoiding common pitfalls. Succinct, informative, and user-friendly in its layout and presentation, this guide makes the world of REITs accessible to all investors.

This essential guide offers: • The ABCs of successful REIT investment • How to spot blue-chip REITs • A concise history of REITs and how they compare to other investments • How to build a diversified REIT portfolio • REIT mutual fund opportunities and performance • Important new developments and strategies in the REIT industry, including specific sectors of real estate, asset recycling, and joint venture strategies • And much more ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Good introduction, but...
While the book serves well as an introduction to the sector, it devotes a mere single chapter, the last, to what could go wrong. What a missed opportunity.

The author could have brought the caveats of REIT investing to life by using more real world examples, even some drawn from real world SEC statements.

The author spends an inordinate time selling the idea of investing in the sector. My guess is people who reach for this book are already interested or even invested in REITs, and are looking for help in navigating the potential minefields.

The book needs a second edition, to bring it more current.

Per KPA's 10k, President Clinton signed a new law Dec 99 that allows a REIT to own up to 100% of stock in a taxable subsidary. How does this impact paired share reits? What will be the long term impact of this legislative change on the REIT landscape?

A good effort, yet one that can be improved upon.

Block gives a lucid, educational and humorous view of reits.
Ralph Block shows the way through the morass of FFOs, AFFOs and P/AFFOs to the basic concepts of reits. I like his clairty; he speaks to me by written word, yet as if one- to-one.The entire subject matter (which at first approach seems incredibly dry) sparkles with Block's wit. I read the book and came away reit-knowledgeable as well as entertained!

In these days of plummeting stocks (and reits are in there falling, too), this book helps me prepare for the time when I will want to sink some money into real estate the easier, cheaper way.

Some fundamental financial problems with this book...
The book is an easy to understand introduction.

Yes, Quality REITs can be a very good addition to one's portfolio as the book states.
But the book is a little biased, because one of the fundamentals
of modern portfolio theory is Risk vs Reward.
Yet this book has only 1 chapter (out of 12) discussing
the risks of REITs - and even in that chapter the risks
are down played somewhat.

Yes, REITS can be a great investment true, but the book doesn't give the complete picture.

A great Introduction
Ralph has done a great job of leading the new REIT investor through the tangle of understanding REITs from their humble inception in 1960 through 2001. He does a good job of explaining why things have happened as they have, and to build our confidence in this from of investment...particular those who wish to invest for the long term dividend.

What would be nice is to carry this concept through its logical conclusion, and demonstrate how to get the data on the internet to measure a REIT's ability to maintain and continue to grow its dividend going forward, with practical examples of how to pull numbers off of a REIT's 10Q and 10K annual earnings reports, calculate FFO and AFFO and Fixed Cost Coverage Ratios.

I hope he follows up with a book that will take us to this next step.

Impressed!
This book thoroughly reviews the many aspects of REITs in a clear, interesting and informative manner. Good information. Good writing. Very helpful. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The bible based truth about what God thinks about money.
My Sunday School teacher is teaching on faith the bible way. The way God sees it. He recommended this book and I am now reading. I'm so excited about it! You want to know why you are poor and what God through Jesus has given us? Then this is the book for you!!! I would give it TEN stars if I could!

EXCELLENT AND TO THE POINT
I AM A MEMBER OF HELPING HANDS MINISTRY IN HARFORD COUNTY MARYLAND AND ONCE I READ THIS BOOK I BECAME BLESSED AS A GIVER. GOD HAS TRULY MEETING MY NEEDS AND ABOVE MY NEEDS. DR. LEROY THOMPSON IS A REAL INSPIRATION TO OUR MINISTRY. I REALLY NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF TITHING UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK.

Poor Theology Leads To This Poor Work
Leroy Thompson captures the heart of many people by writing about something we all want and desire: money. 1 Timothy 6:3-10 needs to be heeded here.

Thompson writes with typical charismatic sytle, choosing to pull out several texts from the Bible that seem to fit what he is trying to teach: mainly that God wants to bless us with overflow of cash.

The problems with this book begin with chapter one and don't end there. Thompson is a poor exegesis of Scripture, knows no Hebrew nor Greek yet sometimes utalizes them to benefit his teachings, and ignores the Sovereignty of God for a God who is controlled by human beings words.

The one truth Thompson hits on is that God does love us and He wants to bless us but he does not emphasize that God has blessed us in Christ already (Eph. 1:3), with or without money! God is in control even when I am down to my last dime (Philippians 4:19) because He has promised to meet all my needs but He has not promised to give me all my wants (Matthew 6:19-21).

Definitely not a copy
This book will destroy several delusions that the body of Christ is to remain poor and not prosper. This book covers so much material, its not a simple "read overnight" book. In my experience, its hard to teach the same Biblical truth without sounding like somebody else. Leroy takes the same Biblical truths talked about by Kenyon, Hagin, and Wigglesworth, and is able to make his own message out of it. Its been said that Hagin copied Kenyon, when in reality, Hagin taught the same truths before he knew or read anything about Kenyon. Here, Leroy who has read after and studied under Hagin, is able to produce his own message, without a place for critics to accuse him of being a copycat. What I found so good about this book, is that it established biblical truths about prosperity that I already learned under our Faith Greats, while opening doors to new enlightenment on the subject.

You should know!
This is an absolutely must read for all those who want to, no need to experience the blessings of God. Your blessings are dependent on how much you can receive in your hands an release in obedience to God. Expect the Holy Spirit to challenge you in the area of your finances. As you experience new revelations in giving and receiving, then you will understand Jesus' words that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Enlightening Advice
Not having heard of this author before, I thought this would be a boring lecture of financial advice hashed over from yet another point of view. I was wrong. Dave presents his ideas in a straight forward no-nonsense manor while keeping the audience entertained. While most of his material has a common sense approach, he backs it up with enlightening facts from a uniquely "fun" point of view.
I will enjoy listening to this CD set over and over again as I attempt to impliment his advice in my financial life. I look forward to other material from this author.

Deliverance from debt
This 3-CD set by Dave Ramsey is fantastic. My previous exposure to Dave Ramsey had been his radio show which I liked, but unfortunately the station that aired it in my area got sold and changed formats. So when I saw this set of CDs I immediately purchased them. It's probably the best money I ever spent. Dave Ramsey's books are good but sometimes a book doesn't stay with you after you finish it. Dave's radio show is great but you have to catch it when it is actually on. These CDs however are the best of both worlds: you get all of Dave's wonderful wisdom on personal finance available to you anytime you want to listen to it. I cycle through these three CDs in my car and listen to them repeatedly. CDs one and two are outstanding and will definitely get you angry about debt (that's what Dave is famous for), but the real magic probably exists on the third CD, the one about budgeting (aka "cash flow planning"). This CD really changed things for me because it made me understand that money is a fluid, active thing which must be managed. Once I understood that EVERY dollar of every paycheck had to be named (even if it was just to designate that you were going to blow a portion of it), I started really feeling like I had total control of my money.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend purchasing this set of CDs. I wish I'd had them 15 years ago. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a 45 minute audiotape program to help investors "Discover Your True Purpose for Money."Have you ever heard the saying: "You always want what you can't have" or "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence?"What would it be like to make a financial decision, without second guessing yourself?How would you feel if you had a long-term investment portfolio that you knew was going to help you fulfill all of your most crucial life goals?What if you never again had to worry about whether you were invested in the right stock at the right time?If you did'nt spend your time and energy continually working to obtain more, better stuff-then what could you do? .Are you trapped in the "Enigmatic Circle of Wealth?" If you have experienced confusion and discontent about money, you've been trapped. Find out how the cycle is magnified by the force of technology and rapid change.Discover a powerful tool that can help you make powerful choices as consumers and investors. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must have for anyone new to network marketing!
I was very pleased to find the assistance I needed from one of the best in the business. I have been network marketing for one year and needed the ideas and positive reinforcement delivered in these tapes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Some investment books claim only one true path to stock-market riches. Fund manager JamesO'Shaughnessy has five, and he has the data to back them up. He was the first independent researcher to begranted full access to a Standard & Poor's database containing computerized information on almost 10,000stocks going back to 1951. From the data, O'Shaughnessy derived five portfolio-building strategies that,over the past 45 years, have consistently beaten the market average. How to Retire Rich alsocontains a wealth of useful information on mutual funds, online trading, and using the Internet to researchstocks. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Read What Works on Wall Street instead
In this book Mr. O'Shaughnessy takes four different (fictional) characters and shows them how to use his investing methods to beat the market based on his exhaustive study on what really beats the market. Basically this book takes his knowledge from What Works on Wall Street and makes up stories for these couples.

Mr. O'Shaughnessy thinks we should buy 50 stocks and rebalance those 50 stocks at the beginning of each year. In fact I am surprised that I haven't seen FolioFN giving away his books to their members since his methodology seems to be meant for those of us who have folios.

One of the major things that I didn't like about this book was in his descriptions of how these couples could retire rich he basically cut and paste each one and changed the ending result, in my opinion he made this book very boring and is a waste of paper. The only part of this book I liked was pages 139 and 140 these pages have various "doom and gloom" headlines from 1951-1997 and show that the market always has recovered.

Since now the strategies in this book are out in the public they probably won't even work right, so I would advise the majority of investors to put their money in an S&P 500 index fund since you'd be beating 80% of fund manages without having to do any research.

Reed Floren

Reasonable Runaways performance update...
A truly amazing strategy.I recently concluded tracking a 25-stock Reasonable Runaways strategy and the results are eye-popping.The portfolio turned in a 77.81% return dating from November 8th, 2002 thru November 7th, 2003.I will be putting real money to work now that I was able to see it with my own eyes...

Recommended
In Edward Lear�fs satirical poem, �gThe Blind Men and the Elephant�h, a group of blind men who are completely unfamiliar with elephants happen upon one by chance. They try to describe its shape by standing around it and blindly groping one body part each-- one man feels the animal�fs leg, another the trunk, another the tusk, and so on. None of the men comes close to describing the complete elephant, and each man argues with the others over what an elephant really looks like.

I have been investing for nearly a decade, have read a couple dozen books on the subject, and have found the authors to be a lot like Lear�fs blind men. Each author manages to accurately describe one particular aspect of investing, or makes one or two good points, but no one gets the whole picture.

The lone exception is James O�fShaughnessy writing in _How to Retire Rich_. HTRR not only perfectly describes the entire elephant, it tells you how to ride it, and why you should be riding it. Unlike almost every other book on investing, the instructions are clear, simple and specific. There are no generalities such as �gBuy what you know�h. (This suggestion comes from authors such as Peter Lynch, and frankly I find it ridiculous-- if the reader of an investment book _knew_ anything, they wouldn�ft need the book.) O�fShaughnessy guides you step-by-step through his strategies (you can choose from among five), telling you exactly how to find the individual stocks to buy, how many to buy, and how long to hold them for. There is no fancy footwork involved. Working any of his strategies requires about 90 seconds�f worth of effort per year and a grade-school education. He corroborates his strategies with 45 years�f worth of back-tested data, as far as I know, the only author to provide such extensive proof. This proof is key since, as he shows, �gAnything can work for 5 or even 10 years.�h While these features alone would set HTRR above possibly every other investment book out there, what is really impressive about HTRR is O�fShaughnessy�fs treatment of the �ebigger picture�f-- the psychological aspects of investing. This �ebigger picture�f information is not the sort of empty pep talk you get in the likes of _Rich Dad, Poor Dad_, but sound advice that can change the way you look at investing. The author has obviously done a lot of thinking about investing psychology, and has developed a very mature, sophisticated outlook, which comes through in countless nuggets of wisdom throughout the book. Put all these elements together and what you have is nothing short of revolutionary.

I have now just begun Year 3 of my Reasonable Runaways portfolio. (Reasonable Runaways is one of the book�fs strategies.) Taken out of context, its returns for Year 1 and Year 2 haven�ft been spectacular-- +8.0% and +6.5% respectively. But considering the returns for the S&P 500 in the same time period (-24.2% and +11.0%), it�fs doing extremely well. As HTRR emphasizes, the ultimate goal is not to get returns of X% every year-- it�fs to beat the returns of the market, thereby beating the returns of 80% of all the mutual funds available. And let�fs not forget that figures on returns of mutual funds are generally available only for the past decade or so, so ultimately, it�fs very likely that the book�fs strategies will wind up beating ALL mutual funds over time.

I�fm baffled by many of the Amazon reader comments on _How to Retire Rich_, since many people write as if they hadn�ft read the book. One reader complains, �gAfter about three months... the portfolio as a whole was up about 15%. [But] after a year I was down about 15%.�h Several times O�fShaughnessy states that the return for a single year is meaningless. Even 5 years�f worth of returns could very well be meaningless. He backs these claims up with examples and figures. Looking at the performance tables in the back of the book is extremely helpful in seeing what he�fs talking about here. The same reader goes on to write that he decided to combine Reasonable Runaways with other strategies and an average holding time of 3 months, and crows of his 30% return after one year. I can�ft help wondering what he will do when his house of cards comes tumbling down. The problem with going off on your own tangent is that you no longer have 45 years�f worth of data showing you what to do. The nuggets of wisdom and big-picture perspective of HTRR help you avoid making mistakes like this.

Similarly, another reader complains that O�fShaughnessy�fs mutual funds �gfailed miserably�h in matching the S&P over two years. Again, I�fm amazed this reader could have actually read the book. Take a look at the performance tables in back. Two years�f worth of returns are meaningless.

One reader writes, �gI don�ft know how reasonable/practical it is to follow 50 individual stocks. I can barely keep up with 10.�h There is no need to �gfollow�h (whatever that means) the stocks. You buy them and forget about them. A year later you sell them and repeat the process.

One reader states, �gIf you look at his numbers AND factor in costs of establishing a similar group of stocks (something he neglects to do), the S&P is the clear winner.�h As O�fShaughnessy mentions, the strategies in HTRR would not have been possible just a few years ago, before the advent of deep-discount Internet brokers. The only way to effectively employ them is by using Internet brokers and paying around $10 per trade. For a 50-stock portfolio and $10 trades, the trading costs per year are $1,000. For a 25-stock portfolio, half that. How much this cost will eat into profits will depend on the size of the portfolio. A $10,000 50-stock portfolio wouldn�ft be feasible as trading costs would be 10%. For a $100,000 portfolio, trading costs are only 1%, well within the realm of possibility. O�fShaughnessy started his mutual funds to give small investors the opportunity to mirror his strategies without having to pay excessive trading costs.

One reader had a legitimate question about the Leaders With Luster strategy, asking whether the correct criterion is annual sales of at least 50% more than the average company or merely annual sales more than the average company. In my opinion it�fs the former, and the section stating the latter is merely an oversight that should have been caught in editing. I base this opinion on another of O�fShaughnessy�fs books, _What Works on Wall Street_, where Leaders With Luster (under another name) is outlined and uses the �e50% more�f criterion. I think anyone considering actually doing any of the strategies in HTRR should also read _What Works on Wall Street_ for a little more in-depth information.

One reader complained about the presentation of two different versions of Reasonable Runaways in WWOWS, with only one version given in HTRR. It seems obvious to me that O�fShaughnessy feels either version will work about the same. He writes (on p. 298 in WWOWS), �gSince they are so similar, I expect these strategies to continue to run neck and neck in future.�h

A number of readers have scoffed that HTRR is more suited to the novice investor than the experienced investor. I suspect these commentators are themselves novices without realizing it. It�fs a little like the story of the disgruntled teacher passed over for promotion by a junior colleague. �gI have 16 years of experience,�h he objects to the school principal. �gNo you don�ft,�h replies the principal, �gYou have one year of experience repeated 16 times.�h O�fShaughnessy makes a similar point on p. 181 in his (granted, slightly hokey) Zen tale about a fish that can�ft understand the concept of water. �gIt is so much a part of you that you are unaware of it,�h replies the fish�fs father. So too with investors who are so ingrained to think that investing is all about outsmarting, outguessing and outmaneuvering the other guy that they don�ft realize this philosophy is like the �ewater�f they have lived in all their lives and never noticed.

One reader warns urgently that not using stop-limit orders is very risky. This might be true for day-trading or for highly-volatile thinly-traded companies, neither of which applies to the strategies in the book. There is no need to limit losses with stop-limit orders using any of HTRR�fs strategies. Yes, at some time or another, you will get individual stocks that tank. I had one company go out of business entirely, the price falling to zero. But who cares? With a 25- or 50-stock portfolio held and rebalanced annually, disasters like that all come out in the wash over any reasonable length of time, balanced out by companies that double or triple in value. However, one point that anyone using the HTRR strategies should note is not to include OTC (pink sheet) stocks in the portfolio. I noticed some stock screening sites don�ft include them and some do. Apparently the Compustat database that O�fShaughnessy used doesn�ft include them, as he would undoubtedly have mentioned them. What he says of microcap stocks is also true for OTC stocks-- their returns are chimerical, no-one can buy or sell them at the price they are supposedly going for. The Multex Investor screening site I have used so far includes OTC stocks, but includes a feature for easily removing them. It merely adds a step to the screen.

While on the subject, one reader complains that the free info on the Web is gone. As of right now, August 2003, that just isn�ft true. I use the Multex Investor site, completely free. I also checked out the MSN screening site, also completely free, to have another source of information to compare/contrast. (Admittedly, there seem to be few sites out there capable of running the required screens. Many, such as the Yahoo screening site, are laughably primitive.) The results of these two sites are always slightly different, due to differences in when the information is updated and slightly different criteria used for price momentum change over the past year.

One reader complains that Reasonable Runaways and Leaders With Luster are difficult to understand. Frankly, I don�ft see how the strategies and the book could be any simpler than they are.

There are times when it is tempting to go off tangents, and fiddle around with HTRR�fs strategies (Reasonable Runaways in my case). That�fs why HTRR�fs nuggets of wisdom and 45 years�f worth of back-tested data are so helpful.

Lest anyone think I am a hired shill, let me close by saying what I dislike about HTRR. As I mentioned, I think anyone considering actually doing any of the strategies in HTRR should also read _What Works on Wall Street_. Reading HTRR before reading WWOWS (as I did), HTRR seems to present an arbitrary collection of strategies out of thin air, with no explanation of how they were decided on, or why these particular strategies should work better than any other strategies. HTRR needs to provide a bit more background information. WWOWS fills in some of the lack, but more information is needed. For example, how did O�fShaughnessy come to be the �gfirst researcher allowed into Compustat�fs database�h? Another quibble is technical-- O�fShaughnessy doesn�ft address the issue of how, over the many years into the future that readers are supposed to work Reasonable Runaways, they should adjust the market capitalization figure of $150 million he gives. This point is addressed in WWOWS, where he says the figure was depreciated to account for �ginflation�h every five years. If we are to understand that he used general price inflation and not stock market growth as the index for depreciation, his relative market capitalizations are going to be skewed significantly higher back in the early years of the back-tested data. To me, that seems a pretty glaring error, although obviously I don�ft think it invalidates his basic premises.

Reasonable Runaways is a winner!
I purchased this book in November of 2002 and subsequently have been tracking a 25-stock reasonable runaways portfolio since November 8th.To date, the portfolio is up 28.65 percent before commissions!Utilizing a Scottrade account at $7 per trade, you would subtract 1.75 percent from that current return.Still 26.90 percent is nothing to sneeze about.If you are under 40, this should constitute a core holding at a minimum in your tax-deferred or Roth IRA account.Good luck to all!

Don't use the formulas--unless you want to get rich!
Jim O'Shaughnessey founded the Cornerstone Growth mutual fund.Subsequently, it was sold to Hennessey Funds and is going strong under new manager Neil Hennessey.The fund is strictly managed according to the "reasonable runaway" formula set forth in the book.For 2001, it gained over 12%, beating the S&P by more than 24%.It is now up approximately 8% for 2002.Morningstar now rates the fund 5-star.(I have no connection with O'Shaughnessy or Hennessey other than investing with them.)It is also easy to run the formulas, and buy the stocks online yourself.It just makes sense--buying value stocks which have appreciated over the past year.Jim's research shows that these stocks will continue to appreciate.Value + momentum = profits.The formula predicts 17% average gains over time and in fact the strategy has earned about 16.9% over the last 5 years, with no significant help from the tech runup.Run the numbers for yourself--17% will make you rich pretty darn fast.Highly recommended reading, and unique among the stock market books I've read for actually making sense and working. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A First Personal Economics Lesson
About the time each person gets her or his first full-time permanent job, it would be helpful to be economically literate about what one's future economic needs and risks are, and the best ways to provide for them. Unfortunately, most people never get this lesson because no one around them knows the lesson to teach them. This book fills that void to help overcome the ignorance that can create stalled thinking.

The great strength of this book is that it is both simple and thorough. Most books about personal economic issues are either simple and superficial or complex and thorough. I was impressed by how well the combination of simplicity and thoroughness was achieved.

The book covers a wide range of subjects including what areas you need to save for, how much to save, what to do with the savings, how to protect yourself and your family from risks using insurance and wills, buying a home, reducing taxes, and handling retirement and children's education. That's a lot for one book. I am familiar with these subjects both as a trained lawyer and as someone who works with investments, and I found that the advice was accurate and up-to-date. The book was particularly good at telling you when you need to get professional help and when you don't.

The format of the book is outstanding. Almost all of the action takes place in a barber shop, with ordinary people discussing ordinary issues that most of us have. The story keeps your interest, and the variety of characters gives you the ability to consider how different needs and preferences can affect the decisions that you make. Everyone will be able to relate to these characters.

My recommendation would be to share this book with anyone you know when they take their first permanent job. Then follow through by sitting down with the person to share your own experiences, both your successes and not-so-successes to add even more perspective. That would be a great gift for you to give!

Live long and prosper!

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 stronglyrecommend this idea. If for some reason you can't save 10% out of each paycheck, 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. Youmust remember that once we save our money, then the next step is to investthis money. Money needs to be growing at all times. Were you invest yourmoney will be up to you. I personally invest in the stock market. I wouldstrongly recommend this book. It can put you on the right track tofinancinal 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 andreadable.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get ahead inlife.

The Weathly Barber
This is an excellent book for the beginning investor.I read it, then went and bought six copies for the young sailors I work with. ... Read more

Book Description

This original audiobook is a guide on surviving the current

financial storm and living in new economic realities, God's

way. ... Read more

Book Description

As the head of a successful investment firm, Judy Resnick has met thousands of women, many of whomhave asked her: Can I learn to take control of my own money--and, in the process, my own life?

Resnick's answer is this: You must, because you, and only you, are responsible for your economic survival. She learned this lesson the hard way. Over and over again, the men in her life--father, husband, boyfriends, investment advisers--told her not to worry about money, that everything was under control. In fact, Resnick had never made a single informed financial choice--and never even had a full-time job--until she was forty. In spite of it all, she went on to found her own investment company, empowering women to learn about their finances while she makes money for them through smart investments.

Resnick takes women step-by-step through the financial concerns that arise at each stage of their lives, including budgeting, insurance, taxes, investing, and retirement. Using her own incredible story, and those of other women with diverse life experiences, she helps women take concrete steps toward achieving financial and personal freedom--and gives them the peace of mind that they can provide for themselves and those they love. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

This book is not very good.
Ms. Resnick's book seems too self-serving and isn't very detail oriented as it relates to how to get started in investing.After reading this book, I still felt lost.I would suggest another book.

great gift for my mom
I bought this book as a gift for my mother. She doesn't like to talk about personal finance very much, but I thought she might enjoy this book and be able to learn something from it at the same time. Sure enough, she enjoyed it and is more comfortable talking about finances than she was she before she read it. Great book.

A unusual story of survival and a lesson on independence
Judy Resnick explains, through her own mistakes how to deal with life and live in reality. I love her openess about her own life and that she admits that she did a lot wrong before she got it right.I can relate to that better then some M.B.A. that went to school and never lived. As women, we needthis reasurrance.Not all of us have the advantage of an education or experience with money until a tragedy hits.I thank her for her honesty. This book is just wonderful

This is a cool book
A lot of people are talking about this book, which is both an amazing life story and some great advice on how to get your financial life together. I'd recommend this for all women and for men, too, since Judy Resnick teaches you how to be smart about money, which is a lesson everyone should learn.

Great value to contemporary women
While many can and do play at this game, Ms. Resnick does it better than most.The male dominated world she has come to move in so well can be counted upon to throw a few brickbats her way, especially when Ms. Resnick chooses to publicly demystify the arcana of finance and investment.This type of information, engagingly told, is of great value to all contemporary women.Thank you. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Presents Napoleon Hill's wisdom and power in modern context.
I really liked these tapes. I usually find it hard to listen to motivational speakers for very long, but this particular combination worked well for me.

I listened to the cassettes in the car on a long-distance drive and I found the narrator's tone very conversational. The impression I had was as if I were watching a documentary with a narrator introducing difficult concepts and then presenting clips from a film reel of a powerful and persuasive, wise speaker to explain them.

Even without an actual screen, I was left with a distinct visual impression and a sense of almost having been there. That's what I look for in audio books.

Napoleon Hill Minus His Personal Energy
I read the review by the person before me but unfortunately did not heed the warning. The tape series includes two of Napoleon Hill's works in an abridged form but the narration does not project the vitality of the man's words very well. The narrator has a clear and pleasant voice but isn't able to convey the spirit and energy of Napoleon Hill. The second of the two books on this tape series, "The key to master riches", was the better of the two but do try to find tapes that have Napoleon Hill's actual voice.
One that I like is "Napoleon Hill's Grow Rich Now!" It will give you a better idea of the power of his ideas and his tremendous gift to mankind. The titles of all his books have to do with riches but as you read or listen to any of his work you'll see that he's really sharing ideas on how to attract abundance into your life how ever you may define that.

UNinspiring ...........
I woke with a start when Napoleon Hill's voice came on in this tape.Hill was a dynamic, exciting motivational speaker.After listening to Hill you believe you can achieve anything.Unfortunately, he speaks for only a few brief moments.The rest of the tape set is read by Rob Actis, who willgently and soothingly put you to sleep.Spend the extra money and getgenuine Napoleon Hill tapes or else buy the book.This tape set isunconvincing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Book
Very informative. This is the best personal finance book I have read. If you are looking for an investment book, keep looking. If you are looking for a book with helpful detailed plans for managing your finances from insurance to college planning this is the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Bill Gates. Michael Jordan. Warren Buffett. Every day we hear about the rich getting richer; we buy their products, watch them on television, and wish we could afford their stock. And yet we've never learned how to replicate their success'until now.

Picking up where the smash bestseller The Millionaire Next Door left off, Getting Rich in America reveals eight simple, practical, commonsense rules anyone can follow to save a million dollars'without sacrificing quality of life. Based on years of research studying self-made millionaires - and a philosophy that has proven successful for the authors as well - internationally acclaimed economists Dwight R. Lee and Richard B. McKenzie unveil a profound truth in the quest to become wealthy: that getting rich is a choice - and that choosing to be rich, especially in America, has never been easier.

In this highly anticipated audiobook, you will meet ordinary folks, just like yourself, who, while making an average income, have amassed at least a million dollars in savings'not through get-rich-quick schemes, but through basic hard work, discipline, patience, and perseverance - without having to live like misers.

But why become rich if not to enjoy it? Getting Rich in America does not promote amassing wealth for wealth's sake. You can have that gourmet coffee, take a much-needed vacation, even indulge in filet mignon. With its emphasis on achieving balance, Getting Rich in America is filled with: exercises and easy-to-execute calculations that reveal how the “little things” really do add up over time to big savings, or to no savings at all; sound advice for creating a fulfilling life; and practical tips for saving and making your money work harder'so you don't have to.

Read by Eric Conger. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Buy this book!
This book is my "pick of the week". I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to save for retirement. The book clearly maps out a course to follow to retirement wealth. I also liked that it wasn't all just numbers, the authors discussed the need for old fashioned values like honesty, determination and a good marriage. The examples that even people at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder can retire wealthy really hit home. I work with temp workers at my job from time to time and let me tell you, being poor is definitely a state of mind. None of them have a plan, all of them blame circumstance and all think winning the lottery is their only hope. I think this book is a must read whether you are scraping by as a temp or if you are making a bundle. Buy it, read it, live it! See you at the top!

Advice for the fearful!
This book was terrible, maybe the worst book I have read on investing. It was so basic I felt like I was in pre-school learning how to tie my shoes. It's a book for whimps who are full of fear and are too scared to do anything with their live's. There is even a section warning you not to use drugs. Come on..... Don't waste your money..........

Time is money. Save both and pass on this one. Really!!
First let me say that I bought the audio tape and not the book. The tape is 3 hours in length so I assume it highlights the most important points of the book. (if there were any).

The book does cover 1 or 2 relavant topics like the importance of compounding interest and begining to invest at a young age. However, if you are like me, I was hoping for something a little "meatier." Oh, it does give you many examples of how X dollars over time will turn to millions. My tip if these type examples interest you: buy a calculator.

The other points covered in the book/tape I considered filler waste. For example the author explains that married people are more likely to get rich. He then goes into many statistics about those that are married. Also covered, Why divorce is not good and some tips on how to avoid it. His premice: Married people live longer. If you live longer you'll have more time to save and become rich.

I could go on with examples like the above mentioned but since time is money I'll save a little of both. My point however is this: If you're looking for REAL ways to increase your assets and you comprehend basic concepts like compound interest and time, this book will bore you with off-topic detail.

When I buy a book on this subject, I hope it will be one that has content that I can learn from and refer back to. This book however, is a once read and a waste of time and money.

My tip for getting rich in america is don't buy this book and save your money. Over time it will be much more valuable than the book. If you must own it though, email me and I'll sell you mine.

I hope this review saves someone the disappointment that I went through.

Run, don't walk, to buy this book
HI.. I would say most people should run, not walk, to buy this book. It doesn't matter where you are starting from, everyone can benefit from this stuff, and there are a variety of ways to compile wealth that the authors talk about. I found it to be very inspiring and well worth the money. I would recommend it to all my friends, especially those who are befuddled by the markets, because it has simple straightforward advice. good luck to all the savers and investors among us! for socially conscious people, they also tell how to help society (as well as get wealthy.)

The most well rounded financial advice book I've read so far
As the name states, this book explains how it is possible to build wealth AND achieve a satisfying life by following a few simple rules. There are no off-the-wall advice or get-rich-quick schemes offered here, unlike the material from some other "financial gurus". All of the principles presented in this book are logically sound and time-proven, but I hesitate to say "common-sense" because so few people actually practice them in reality.

For example, I think we've all heard about the power of compounding--and how it can turn a modest savings into a significant nest egg over time. However, very few people take this to heart and apply it to their daily money management decisions, because they feel it requires too much work or they feel helpless in controlling their expenses. What the authors do is demonstrate, by using specific examples and crunching the numbers, that even minor expenditures today can have significant economic impact down the road. They show that by making certain choices early on in one's life, nearly ANYONE can build a fortune in America. It truly doesn't require a genius or lots of luck to become rich today. Moreover, the authors point out that one doesn't have to sacrifice all of life's pleasures or live like a pauper in order to achieve financial security. All it takes is a little prudent savings and investing. If you believe in the opportunity to achieve wealth in this country, but have trouble getting motivated and taking action, this book is for you.

The chapter on investing is excellent. The authors explain how trying to beat the market is futile, and "safe" returns can be riddled with risk over the long haul (due to inflation). If you believe that you are just as capable of managing your investments as paid experts, you'll like this book.

Most people aren't aware of the return on education; I know I went to college just because it was the thing to do (and my parents wouldn't have it any other way ;) This book describes how increasing one's education level can substantially affect (negatively and positively) one's earnings. It's very interesting reading.

What this book also emphasizes, that most other financial advice books neglect to mention, is that living a good lifestyle is not only satisfying but also FINANCIALLY rewarding. Practicing good ethics enables a person to feel good about him/herself (leading to a more productive life), and making healthy lifestyle choices extends your life (thereby allowing the power of compounding to work longer). If you want validation that doing the right thing and living responsibly is rewarding emotionally AND financially, then read this book.

The only point that I have a minor quibble with is: getting married is good for wealth building. I understand what the authors are trying to say, which (I think) is: being in a committed relationship and having a contributing partner can accelerate the wealth building process. However, I don't believe that the actual marriage contract is necessary for achieving wealth. While marriage may help some couples stay together, it can also provide a false sense of security for others (causing them to stop working as hard on maintaining the relationship). Some people choose not to get married because they have no desire to produce offspring, others do it to avoid the "marriage tax penalty". I think unmarried, committed couples are just as likely to build significant wealth (and live fulfilling lives) as married couples. Anyway, I'm being technical here, and what's important is that the authors do get their point across.

I really liked this book, and I am practicing all the principles described in it. I find my peace of mind higher than ever, knowing that I'm well on the path towards a secure future. ... Read more

Book Description

This audio contains an ingenious and proven strategy for choosing winning portfolio selections and getting maximum returns on your money from one of the country's most successful stock market wizards. In this recording, O'Higgins shares the unique system that has placed him in the top 10% of all equity fund managers for the last ten years.

 

  ... Read more

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