Motley Fool: You Have More Than You Think : The Foolish Guide to Personal Finance

Rating:
Summary: Good Advice - Irritating Tone
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great info for beginning investors.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great Entertainment! But Average Investment Advice
Review: 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.