The Shortest Investment Book Ever – Review

I just finished James O’Donnell’s book called The Shortest Investment Book Ever: Wall Street Secrets for Making Every Dollar Count. For such a curt volume, the entitle is pretty long isn’t it? Well, it is brusque – nigh 140 pages as well as it is smaller inward size every bit well. I recall I read it comprehend to embrace inwards closed to 4 hours.

I think James hit the nail on the head with this one. He makes it pretty clear that the purpose of this book is to appeal to audiences who haven’t read many and probably won’t read many more investment books. He keeps everything very basic and easy to understand.

401k investing

I think the greatest thing about this book is that he spends the first few chapters walking the reader through the steps of picking funds for your 401k. I know that many people have no idea how to pick funds for their 401k – James addresses this problem beautifully. He mentions each type of funds that you are likely to see in your 401k (or 403b) and explains what they are and what percentage you should ideally be contributing to each. I love keeping things simple and so I loved how he handled this seemingly complex topic. That said I am sure just like Dave Ramsey gets criticized for his unproblematic approach, James may larn some similar responses from Financial Advisors.

Mutual Fund companies

I was glad to run across that he also suggested Index funds whenever possible as well he explained a fleck alone nigh what truly goes on amongst Mutual Fund companies. Many people don’t understand how Mutual Funds prepare coin as good as since the H2O is often real dingy, a lot of customers are okay amongst non knowing. James explains how they brand money as good as gives some basic guidelines to human confront for when picking funds.

Other points

James also explained what an IRA is as good touched on the importance of opening i.

He argued both sides of the Annuity debate, arming the reader alongside the cognition he/she needs to do upwardly 1's psyche.

He also explained why he doesn’t utilize socially witting funds basically maxim that they are non all they are cracked upwards to final.

I beloved how he finishes the bulk explaining from his receive floor that coin does non equate to happiness. He tries to drive the signal habitation that inward that location is much more than to life than money.

What the bulk is NOT

The book is called The Shortest Investment Book Ever. So as you would assume it does not go into huge amounts of detail about all of the topics James hits on. If you have read Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor, or if y'all even know what it is, this bulk is inward all likelihood a flake every bit good basic for you.

It also does not talk at all about getting out of debt or getting yourself into a position financially to start investing. The Total Money Makeover is what you lot involve for that.

Who the volume is perfect for

I think this mass is absolutely perfect for people who don’t know what funds to guide for their 401k (or 403b). Seriously, he explains the selection as well as resource allotment physical process simple enough that a five yr sometime could understand. So, if you or someone you know has refused to start their 401k because they don’t know what to exercise with it – larn this mass.