Straight Talk on Investing: What You Need to Know

by Jack Brennan, John J. Brennan, Marta McCave

Book Overview

Classic investment guidance for everyone As Chairman and CEO of one of the most respected mutual fund companies in the world, The Vanguard Group, Jack Brennan has made a career out of helping people... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471265799
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.9" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding book for investing beginners!

I have limited investing knowledge and have read a few books on financial planning and investing. This book, by far, has given me the knowledge and confidence to invest my retirement, as well as short term investment funds. The book is laid out very simply and is presented in a conscise, yet easy to read manner. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with money in some form of retirement account. I am purchasing an additional 5 copies this visit to give to friends and family!

Highly Recommended!

The Vanguard Group is the world's second-biggest mutual fund company, and author Jack Brennan is its chairman and CEO. When this book was published, Vanguard had 15 million shareholders and approximately $600 billion under management. Vanguard pioneered index funds, a type of investment that aims to reflect, not beat, the returns of the market. Because Vanguard does not pay fund managers to outguess the market, it can keep fund fees and expenses low. This economy is one of its primary assets. Brennan's book, written with Marta McCave, recapitulates sound principles of long-term investing in a straightforward, user-friendly way and details numerous kinds of investments. He does not tell you how to strike it rich in the markets or discover the next Microsoft or recognize unusual patterns in price charts. Better yet, he tells you how to build wealth the unexciting but generally reliable way: slowly, carefully and dispassionately. We recommend this excellent book to those who don't want to get rich quick, but who would be very content to get rich eventually. Warning: this book is not for the greedy.

Excellent, Non-Partisan Advice

Anyone who thrives on their broker, CNBC, or CNN-Fn for investment advice needs to read this book.Better yet...anyone who is interested in investing needs to read this book.Having read "Take on the Street" (Levitt), "You Got Screwed" (Cramer), and "The Great Mutual Fund Trap" (Baer & Gensler), Brennan outshines all of them."Straight Talk" offers very solid, common-sense advice for financial planning, saving, and investing. It is not solely about mutual funds, but rather about investing with objectives in mind.Successful investors are disciplined, rational, and invest with goals and objectives. This is not difficult, but it goes far beyond looking at the 5, 10, and 15-year returns on the various funds in your 401(k). You set your goals, then choose an investment strategy that helps you meet those goals with minimal risk. CNBC is not the answer, but taking the time to educate yourself will pay off big, and "Straight Talk on Investing" is a good book with which to start. Brennan provides a concise guide to making solid, prudent investment decisions.Unlike Baer and Gensler ("The Great Mutual Fund Trap"), Brennan provides more comprehensive, non-partisan investment advice. Brennan promotes no political agenda, whereas Baer and Gensler have soiled an otherwise fine book with their partisan sniping.Brennan is also a breath of fresh air in another respect: in spite of his status as CEO of a reputable mutual fund provider (Vanguard), he does not encourage people to invest in things with which they are not comfortable. Unlike many investment writers, Brennan does not put down those who would rather save their money and not invest.Whether you are a saver or an investor, this book is excellent reading; it is full of very practical advice.

A guide for the masses...

I've bought and read many "investment guides". This book is far and away the best I've read. It's not a get rich quick scheme. It's not a "one size fits all" financial plan. It is straight talk on investing. It explains what every child should be taught in school. The basics of investing. The differant options available. Things to look for, watch out for, realistly expect.This book gives you everything you need to form and execute a reasonable financial plan, or help you to choose a financial professional who will have your best interest in mind.I've already recommended it to my friends and family, and have sent a copy to my best friend. Get it for your children, your syblings, your friends. It's what people need to know starting out in life.

Absolutely wonderful book !

The fine folks from Vanguard never cease to exceed my expectations. In "Straight Talk on Investing," John Brennan, current chairman of The Vanguard Group, provides a wonderful guide for anyone saving and investing for any number of financial goals.Some "seasoned" investors may find the book too basic for their tastes. I, however, would disagree strongly with that.I happen to be a Certified Financial Planner, thus, I think I am pretty well versed in the area of personal finance - and I still found this book to be a delightful read.While it may not have provided me with much "new" information, I think one of the central themes is that sound investing really comes down to a few basic principles that many of us already know. This book does a wonderful job of reinforcing those fundamentals - and it does so in a very "readable" style - I read the book in one night!In addition, I appreciate Mr. Brennan's candor in the final chapter, "Regrets, I've had a few" where he confesses to some of his own investing mistakes, showing us that even for "experts" the game of investing is quite challenging.Order this book and put the principles to use with your own finances - you'll be glad you did.And, to top it all off, Mr. Brennan is donating his book proceeds to charity - a very classy move.Vince Brascia