The Myth of the Rational Market: Wall Street's Impossible Quest for Predictable Markets


Justin Fox - 2008
    The book brings to life the people and ideas that forged modern finance and investing, from the formative days of Wall Street through the Great Depression and into the financial calamity of today. It's a tale that features professors who made and lost fortunes, battled fiercely over ideas, beat the house in blackjack, wrote bestselling books, and played major roles on the world stage. It's also a tale of Wall Street's evolution, the power of the market to generate wealth and wreak havoc, and free market capitalism's war with itself.The efficient market hypothesis--long part of academic folklore but codified in the 1960s at the University of Chicago--has evolved into a powerful myth. It has been the maker and loser of fortunes, the driver of trillions of dollars, the inspiration for index funds and vast new derivatives markets, and the guidepost for thousands of careers. The theory holds that the market is always right, and that the decisions of millions of rational investors, all acting on information to outsmart one another, always provide the best judge of a stock's value. That myth is crumbling.Celebrated journalist and columnist Fox introduces a new wave of economists and scholars who no longer teach that investors are rational or that the markets are always right. Many of them now agree with Yale professor Robert Shiller that the efficient markets theory "represents one of the most remarkable errors in the history of economic thought." Today the theory has given way to counterintuitive hypotheses about human behavior, psychological models of decision making, and the irrationality of the markets. Investors overreact, underreact, and make irrational decisions based on imperfect data. In his landmark treatment of the history of the world's markets, Fox uncovers the new ideas that may come to drive the market in the century ahead.

Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money


Dave Ramsey - 2014
    Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze teach parents how to raise money-smart kids in a debt-filled world.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life


Alice Schroeder - 2008
    The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.”Although the media track him constantly, Buffett himself has never told his full life story. His reality is private, especially by celebrity standards. Indeed, while the homespun persona that the public sees is true as far as it goes, it goes only so far. Warren Buffett is an array of paradoxes. He set out to prove that nice guys can finish first. Over the years he treated his investors as partners, acted as their steward, and championed honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, essayist, and speaker. At the same time he became the world’s richest man, all from the modest Omaha headquarters of his company Berkshire Hathaway. None of this fits the term “simple.”When Alice Schroeder met Warren Buffett she was an insurance industry analyst and a gifted writer known for her keen perception and business acumen. Her writings on finance impressed him, and as she came to know him she realized that while much had been written on the subject of his investing style, no one had moved beyond that to explore his larger philosophy, which is bound up in a complex personality and the details of his life. Out of this came his decision to cooperate with her on the book about himself that he would never write.Never before has Buffett spent countless hours responding to a writer’s questions, talking, giving complete access to his wife, children, friends, and business associates—opening his files, recalling his childhood. It was an act of courage, as The Snowball makes immensely clear. Being human, his own life, like most lives, has been a mix of strengths and frailties. Yet notable though his wealth may be, Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth; it will be his principles and ideas that have enriched people’s lives. This book tells you why Warren Buffett is the most fascinating American success story of our time.

Bull's Eye Investing: Targeting Real Returns in a Smoke and Mirrors Market


John Mauldin - 2004
    Now is the time to learn to target where the market is going to be, not where it has been, so you can invest successfully. Financial expert John Mauldin makes a powerful, almost irrefutable case regarding the future direction of the markets. He then details a new approach to investing that will allow you to adjust to the new reality of investing. You'll consider options beyond traditional stock portfolios as you learn to choose between the stable and secure investments that will enable you to profit in turbulent markets. Buy your copy of this must-read investment roadmap today.

Your Money or Your Life


Vicki Robin - 1992
    Your Money or Your Life is even more relevant today than it was when the book first hit the stands, and a great publicity campaign will bring this already strong-selling book to a whole new audience.

alchemy of Money: THINK RICH INITIATIVES


Anand S - 2016
    It is important for every person to save for one’s retirement as one can expect to live for twenty years after one retires as life expectancy of an Indian is going up steadily due to lower infant mortality and better medical care. There is a complete absence of social security safety net for most Indians today, even for those working in Government sector, there is no inflation adjusted pension available anymore. I have tried to simplify the advantages and disadvantages involved in investing your savings in various asset classes. I have deliberately left out two of the most popular forms of investment among middle class Indians 1) Life insurance 2) Real estate Let us consider life insurance first most of us confuse insurance as an instrument of savings, it is not. We have this wrong view because of the tax breaks given to income tax assesses by the Central Government. Insurance is a product that mitigates risk and is sold by the rich to the middle class and is always skewed in the favour of the insurer rather than the insured. A substantial portion of the total money invested by you goes towards paying agent’s commission and premium for insuring you for the risk of mortality. The balance left out is invested in government securities and other securities. Hence the amount of money invested out of the total premium paid is less than half paid by the insurer. The return on money invested by the policy holder is less than half of the money he would have earned either in bonds or fixed deposits. A person who needs insurance is a person whose family will need support in the event of his untimely death. Alternately insurance is required for a person who has debt in form of mortgage and does not want to burden his family in the event of his passing. The product which covers these risks is called term insurance. One should not buy insurance to avoid taxes as there is better tax saving tools available. Real estate is also considered as a good investment by several retail investors but nothing can be further from the truth. Nobody makes money by buying plots in the middle of nowhere. The easy availability of mortgages from the nineties and the tax breaks given by the Central Government on housing loans has created an unparalleled boom in the residential market. There is now a painful correction process under way in that sector. The price of land is reflexively connected to availability of money. The lower the cost of money, greater the returns in real estate. Buying plots in the middle of nowhere is similar to buying lottery tickets as investment. Land cannot be liquidated immediately into cash at a short notice to meet urgent requirements. Cost of maintenance and protection of real estate from illegal occupation is prohibitive and time consuming. Verification of title deeds to the property is a complex process and needs sound legal advice. You should have a house to live and another to collect rent as rent is equivalent of inflation adjusted pension. The return on investment generated in the three different asset classes over 25 years would be in the following order 1) Equities 2) Gold and finally 3) Debt instruments. I enjoyed writing this book as a companion volume to my first book. It is my fond hope that you enjoy reading this book.

The Value of Simple: A Practical Guide to Taking the Complexity Out of Investing


John Robertson - 2014
    Canada has the highest investment fees in the world, as well as a confusing tax system that features four-letter words like RRSP and TFSA. Fortunately there are low-cost index funds that make it easy and rewarding for you to become a do-it-yourself “couch potato” investor. With a focus on developing good processes to minimize the room for human error and step-by-step instructions, the book will walk you through the elements of managing your finances for the long term: how to devise a savings plan, stick to it through automation, determine how to allocate funds balancing risk and reward, invest using low-cost index funds, track your investments, and deal with the inevitable issue of taxation. Putting your money to work can look suspiciously like math at times, but this book lays out a simple approach that anyone can follow. Inside you will find tools and templates, along with easy suggestions and rules-of-thumb to help prevent analysis paralysis and get you started fast. Control what can be controlled; minimize fees and effort. Investing doesn’t have to be complex to be successful. Keep it simple and you will succeed.

How to Invest $50-$5,000: The Small Investor's Step-By-Step Plan for Low-Risk, High-Value Investing


Nancy Dunnan - 1985
    This ninth edition has been completely revised and updated to cover the full range of small investing--from selecting a bank to saving for college and retirement to making sense of financial pages. Step-by-step instructions guide even the most inexperienced investor through the maze of stocks, bonds, treasuries, mutual funds, and more, with new sections on how to recognize a swindle or scam; what to do when fired; ten sources of instant cash; and the top 25 online financial Web sites. These low-risk, high-value tips are perfect for every investor.

The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar's Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market


Pat Dorsey - 2003
    His methodology is sound, his examples clear, and his approach timeless. --Christopher C. Davis Portfolio Manager and Chairman, Davis Advisors Over the years, people from around the world have turned to Morningstar for strong, independent, and reliable advice. The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing provides the kind of savvy financial guidance only a company like Morningstar could offer. Based on the philosophy that investing should be fun, but not a game, this comprehensive guide will put even the most cautious investors back on the right track by helping them pick the right stocks, find great companies, and understand the driving forces behind different industries--without paying too much for their investments. Written by Morningstar's Director of Stock Analysis, Pat Dorsey, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing includes unparalleled stock research and investment strategies covering a wide range of stock-related topics. Investors will profit from such tips as: * How to dig into a financial statement and find hidden gold . . . and deception * How to find great companies that will create shareholder wealth * How to analyze every corner of the market, from banks to health care Informative and highly accessible, The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing should be required reading for anyone looking for the right investment opportunities in today's ever-changing market.

Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too


Chris Camillo - 2011
    He is an ordinary person with a knack for identifying trends and discovering great investments hidden in everyday life. In early 2007, he invested $20,000 in the stock market, and in three years it grew to just over $2 million. With Laughing at Wall Street, you'll see: -How Facebook friends helped a young parent invest in the wildly successful children's show, Chuggington--and saw her stock values climb 50% -How an everyday trip to 7-Eleven alerted a teenager to short Snapple stock--and tripled his money in seven days -How $1000 invested consecutively in Uggs, True Religion jeans, and Crocs over five years grew to $750,000 -How Michelle Obama caused J. Crew's stock to soar 186%, and Wall Street only caught up four months later! Engaging, narratively-driven, and without complicated financial analysis, Camillo's stock picking methodology proves that you do not need large sums of money or fancy market data to become a successful investor.

Investing Habits: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Stock Market Wealth


Steve Burns - 2016
    Benefit from 20 years of investing and trading experience Limit your chances of trading ruin by learning from someone with more than 20 years in the stock market and who used these very strategies to go from zero to multiple six figures in his investment accounts. Steve will teach you how to start from the ground up and build a sizeable account, even if you're starting from zero. It's never too late to start investing in your future! Not sure where to start? Maybe you aren't sure how the stock market works, or if you should fully invest in your company's 401K, and what's a ROTH, anyway?? Steve will answer this and so much more in this easy to understand and implement guide to investing. A strong investing foundation This book will give you a strong foundation to begin your investing journey. Easy to understand explanations of complex topics Detailed, real life examples Learn what to go all in on, and what to avoid like the plague Buy now and build your future financial security This book is a must read for anyone wanting to secure their future. If you're fifty or younger, Social Security is not a 'sure thing'. Make your own wealth and secure your own retirement by implementing the steps in this book.You can find Our eCourses at New Trader U, and you can follow Steve on Twitter: @sjosephburns

The Psychology of Money


Morgan Housel - 2020
    It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. How to manage money, invest it, and make business decisions are typically considered to involve a lot of mathematical calculations, where data and formulae tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world, people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In the psychology of money, the author shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important matters.

MONEY WISE: Timeless Lessons on Building Wealth


Deepak Shenoy - 2021
    Money Wise shows you the way. It cuts through the clutter of jargon and technical terms, leading you step by step on how to grow wealthy. In it, you will learn: Ways of allocating your income The only mutual funds hack worth knowing Why you should be watching not what Warren Buffett says but what he does Written in Shenoy’s trademark style, Money Wise is a book as much fun to read as it is informative. If you want to start investing, this is the book for you. If you have already started, then read this and up your game.

The New Market Wizards: Conversations with America's Top Traders


Jack D. Schwager - 1992
    Asking questions that readers with an interest or involvement in the financial markets would love to pose to the financial superstars, Jack D. Schwager encourages these financial wizards to share their insights. Entertaining, informative, and invaluable, The New Market Wizards is destined to become another Schwager classic.

Dividend Growth Machine: How to Supercharge Your Investment Returns With Dividend Stocks (Dividend Investing)


Nathan Winklepleck, CFA - 2016
     What You Will Learn Through easy-to-understand examples and practical tips, Nathan will show you how anyone can achieve financial independence and investment success through dividend investing. In these pages, you'll discover: Why traditional investment strategies fail. The most dangerous investment strategy out there right now (and how to avoid it). How to dramatically improve your investment results while taking less risk. How to outperform most "passive index" strategies. How to practically guarantee a positive investment return over the long-term. Why dividends are the safest, most consistent, and common sense way to build wealth. What dividends are and where they come from. How dividends can replace your paycheck in retirement. Who Should Read It This book is for anyone who wants to build wealth and improve their investment returns. It’s not complicated. There are no fancy formulas or Wall Street mumbo jumbo. Beginning investors who just want to better understand how to make money investing in stocks. Experienced investors who have been burned by other investment strategies. Anyone who is afraid to lose money investing in the stock market. Those nearing retirement who wants to generate passive, consistent, and growing income. Retired people who are tired of getting 1% returns in their checking accounts and 3% (or less) from bond funds. Anyone considering buying an annuity. Who Should NOT Read It Those looking for “get-rich-quick” investing strategies. This strategy is about consistently and predictably growing your wealth over long time periods (20+ years). This book is targeted to people with little-to-no experience with dividend investing or investing in general. If you have a lot of experience with dividend investing, there probably isn’t much here for you. Annuity salespeople. If you want to sell an annuity, don’t read this book. And definitely don’t let your potential victims (errr… “clients”) read it. Testimonials "The book is well written and understandable for anyone with even minimal investing experience." -JCS "One of the best books on dividend growth investing. I wish I had known about this 10 years ago as I compared my tax-free bonds versus dividend growth investing would have doubled my portfolio if I had followed his books advice." -David "An investment strategy that makes sense. The book is short and to the point. Reading it will be time well spent." "I'm already employing the strategy in my own investments, but this book gave me a lot of confidence that I'm absolutely doing the right thing. It is short, but there's every bit as much content as a much longer book.