The Little Book of Main Street Money: 21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money: 23 (Little Books. Big Profits) - Hardcover

Clements, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0470473231 ISBN 13: 9780470473238

Publisher: Wiley, 2009

Synopsis

Commonsense investing truths for everyone, from a popular and critically acclaimed journalist In a world gone mad with bizarre credit derivatives, interest-only mortgages, and collapsing markets, we still need to manage our money, put our kids through college, and save for retirement. To the rescue comes Jonathan Clements-- the hugely popular Wall Street Journal personal-finance columnist--with 21 easy-to-follow rules that could help readers secure their financial future. Clements has spent almost a quarter century demystifying Wall Street for those on Main Street. Now Director of Financial Guidance for myFi, a new Citigroup financial service geared toward individual investors, Clements has a deep understanding of what real people need. In The Little Book of Main Street Money, Clements brings readers back down to earth with commonsense guidance that will put them on the path to clear and intelligent money management. From the big picture (your home, retirement, and life) to the micro (taxes and inflation), Clements offers readers clear-cut guidelines for taking control of their financial life and details the strategies needed to thrive in today's volatile economy. The 21 truths outlined throughout this book are a guiding light for everyone, young and old, just starting or soon retiring. Each chapter reads like a Clements column--clear, pithy, and feisty. From the obvious to the counterintuitive, each truth will either bolster returns or cut costs. Collectively, the 21 truths are a compelling guide to today's treacherous financial terrain. Renowned for his spirited writing and shrewd investment guidance, Clements is the sane voice investors need to keep them grounded in the midst of so much financial insanity. Jonathan Clements (New York, NY) is Director of Financial Guidance for myFi (www.myfi.com), a new financial service from banking giant Citigroup. Before joining myFi, he spent 18 years at the Wall Street Journal, where he was the newspaper's award-winning personal-finance columnist.

About this title

Review:

"Any consumer concerned about money issues, from managing college to retirement, will find The Little Book of Main Street Money an excellent reference. Wall Street is demystified, with common strategies for money management geared to general readers and based on the wisdom of Wall Street successes. Taxes, inflation concerns, and investing are all covered within a series of 21 'truths' about success, perfect for general lending libraries."
(Midwest Book Review)

"'The Little Book of Main Street Money' is aptly named. . . it's unintimidating to all but the most hopeless finance-phobics. The book is also written in spare and concise language. . . Clements's sure-footed advice on fundamentals is comforting after last year's meltdown. When he strays toward more opinionated views, he's even better: Investing in your house will historically offer you a lackluster 4.7% annual return. Or, to those buying insurance as an investment. . . Best of all, Clements isn't only a sound financial planner, but something of an armchair shrink. Beating the market isn't what it's all about. It's more about meeting your personal goals and achieving peace of mind: 'We should strive to ensure money is enhancing our lives, rather than getting in the way.'" (SmartMoney.com)

"The Little Book of Main Street Money . . does a brilliant job of navigating us through the post financial crash landscape. . . offers investors some tried-and-true, timeless advice, such as keeping investing simple and uncluttered by emotion. . . but what I love best about this book is the exploration of the relationship between money and happiness. Clements notes, in spite of the U.S. standard of living skyrocketing over the past few decades, that quantitative research indicates Americans are no happier than when we were less economically well off. . . Clements goes beyond the accumulation of money and essentially tells us how to convert the stored energy from our portfolio into happiness." (CBS Moneywatch.com)

"This small book . . . packs a good dose of practical financial advice to help you weather this brutal economy and work toward building wealth. Clements . . . advice goes beyond simple money management and offers tips for living a more fulfilled life. The book's nuggets of valuable information include 'We can't have it all, ' 'Our Finances Are Bigger than a Brokerage Account, ' 'Time Is as Valuable as Money' and 'Markets May Be Rational, but We Aren't' . . . The take-away from this book is that money is tied up in all aspects of our lives, and we should give appropriate attention to managing it wisely." (WalletPop)

"Because it is a "Little Book," each chapter is short. The entire book can almost be read in one sitting (unless you're a slow reader like I am). The concepts in the book aren't new but have clearly been ignored by lots of people as you can tell by watching the news or reading the newspaper. It's time to get back to the basics and that is what Jonathan's book is all about." (AllFinancialMatters)

"The Little Book of Main Street Money is far and away the best of the "Little Books" series. The advice is truly approachable and actually useful, particularly for people who are in reasonably good financial shape and have a lot of years left ahead of them. . . it just provides - in Clements' approachable writing tone - excellent basic advice and principles to follow. This advice is timeless and forms the foundation of whatever personal finance strategy you might choose to follow - this book is a great starter." (The Simple Dollar)

"From how to save more to how to invest better, this book delivers the goods on how to lead a rich life (in every sense) and does so in less than 200 pages."
--MoneySense magazine

"This useful guide is unintimidating but chock full of excellent advice, presented in spare and concise language. Clements ... offers sure-footed advice on fundamentals."
--SmartMoney.com's list of "Best Finance Books of the Year"

From the Back Cover:

"A gem from one of the most brilliant minds in personal finance."
Ben Stein, author, actor, TV personality, and New York Times columnist

"Investing, as it is said, is simple but it is not easy. Jonathan Clements′s fine new Little Book underscores the priceless (and price–less) value of simplicity. And his sage advice on living the good life and on spending well and saving wisely will surely make it, if not easy, at least easier for us to achieve financial peace of mind."
John C. Bogle, founder of Vanguard and author of Enough

"Nobody, and I mean nobody, can make the world of investing as easy to understand as Jonathan Clements can. In this wonderful book, he teaches Main Street how to beat Wall Street at its own game–and how to have fun along the way. This book does not stop at merely making you richer and smarter; it will even help you lead a better life."
Jason Zweig, author of Your Money and Your Brain and editor of Benjamin Graham′s The Intelligent Investor

"Jonathan Clements is one of our wisest and finest writers in the field of personal finance. This Little Book contains gems of wisdom not only about investing, but also about living a full and satisfying life."
Burton G. Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

"Easy to read, easy to understan–and easy to put to work–this Little Book is a winner. I′m getting copies for our children–and their children, too."
Charles D. Ellis, author of Winning the Loser′s Game

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0470473231
• ISBN 13: 9780470473238
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224