401k-investments Books

I have gained much from this small yet fact filled book and feel much more secure about the future.

This short book covered more than I thought it would, a must read if you are considering a 401k plan or are ready to retire.

Ms. Rowland does a great job answering just about every question imaginable when it comes to dealing with your 401K plan. There is advice for getting started,switching jobs, planning beneficiaries, actually retiring, taking loans out against your 401k...everything. The book is written in a series of 2 page articles she lists as "steps" so if you want to skip around you can. While a little of the material is dated as a result of the recent tax changes, it is mostly in regards to amounts an individual is able to contribute. I felt I was fairly knowledgeable on this topic before I started reading but I found it pretty interesting and worth the time.

This is an excellent book about 401(k) plan. I found 99% of my questions answered in that book. The book is well-organized, and the author did a good job in presenting the pros and cons of 401(k)plan. The only thing I recommend to the author is elaborating more about the 401K status for non-residnts, and how can they get their money out of this plan in case they decided to leave the country.

This book is excellent! She explains, in-depth and in easy to understand language, exactly what a 401(k) plan is and how to use it to plan for retirement. Her book clearly explains the role of the 401(k) in retirement.

these series of books are always goodin my opinion. this one took the often tedious confusing facts and presented everything in an easy format to read

with all the IDIOTS guides easy to read format, this book provides an in depth look at 401K issues that may have otherwise been much drier if not done in this fun format. when i finished thebook, i lent it to my staff, who are first time 401K investors. i would say that this is a must buy for anyone who feels they are intimidated with 'what to do?' or 'what does this mean?' type of questions.

I wish I had read this book years ago when I started with a company that offered a savings plan. I think this book could have helped me save and make more money in my 401(k).

This book is very useful and practical. It defines the terms for all the parts of and the key documents relating to your 401(k) or savings plan. It also lists lots of useful resources and websites.

I also like that this book is easy to read and has lots of interesting stories from the authors experience helping people. This is not a dry, dull book. The author has a fun, easy style that helped keep my interest.

Crista Boyles does a great job in helping people to become more aware of their financial options and decisions they can and need to make in her book, "Enron Proof Your 401(k): Steps to Keep Your Money Safe". I have felt for a while now that I needed to educate myself in order to enable me to make healthy decisions
regarding my finances in general and particularly in regards to my 401k. Reading this book is a GREAT starting place to becomming informed about the options an individual has in regards to making important financial decisions.

After hearing great reviews regarding Ms Boyles work and regrettfully missing out on an opportunity to attend one of her workshops, I aquired her book. I was so excited that I read several chapters in it that night and continued reading every spare moment I had. It is very easy reading with very useful information. With the information learned from this book I will be able to make better decisions that in the long run that will benefit my future.

He answers all the questions you possibly could come up with while keeping the language simple and readable. Bravo.

This book is an easy to read, easy to understand guide for those people interested in their retirement - and who isn't? With all the myriad of articles and books on the market, this book will guide you to the most important points to understand about planning for your retirement.

Read it!

Financial Independence 101: A Simple Strategy for Building Wealth by L. E. Robillard, is a straightforward, how-to guide to taking control of one's financial affairs, creating automatic income streams, building wealth through market index funds, providing for both present and retirement needs, maximizeing gains and minimizing risks, and much more. Written by an investment expert with 40 years of experience in the finance industry, Financial Independence 101 is both accessible and practical, presenting sometimes complex investment concepts in down-to-earth terms for non-specialist general readers of all money-savvy skill and experience levels.

In any case, I'm revising the book right now. And I would welcome any comments. Warren Boroson

January 6th 2002 Barron's chooses "Protect Your 401(k)"
one of "Best Investment Books of 2002"

With an eye toward investor safety in the wake of last year's corporate scandals the editors at Barron's have singled out "Protect Your 401(k)", by Larry Chambers and Ken Ziesenheim as one of the best books of the year for reducing portfolio risk and safeguarding investments.

"Investing is an art where gut calls and vague feelings can play a pivotal role", says Jay Palmer, editor of Barron's annual guide to books on investing. "But it's also a science of...numbers and...techniques that can be learned. This year we looked through more than 300 books and have chosen "The Ultimate Safe Money Guide", by Martin Weiss and "Protect Your 401(k) by Larry Chambers and Ken Ziesenheim. Both offer nuts-and-bolts advice on how to protect retirement money. Anyone nearing retirement should read one or both of these books."

I read You and Your 401(k) cover to cover in one sitting and loved it. This book gives me hope and direction. I recommend it to everyone with a 401(k).

Current for 2003, Your 401(k) Handbook is an invaluable and "user friendly" instructional guide to investment decisions for employees which authoritatively covers the basic fiscal rules for taking charge of one's 401(k) plan and making personal savings grow. From basic rules such as "diversify" and "ignore fads" to the advantages of a 401(k) including flexibility and tax deferment of contributions to learning how to evaluate investment options and view how they are doing and much more, Your 401(k) Handbook is an extensively detailed financial handbook written especially to be accessible to non-specialist general readers of all experience levels ranging from the novice to the more experienced wage earner in the constantly changing world of finance.

America's Financial Apocalypse goes far beyond other self-serving 'meltdown' books to thoroughly explain the many factors contributing to our current economic crisis. The author obviously knows his stuff as his predictions are now being played out, one by one. He has done massive amounts of research in this well documented, comprehensive volume and provides a sobering account of what to expect after this mess subsides. He makes the case that America's pain will continue for many years and provides priceless insight on how to best negotiate these turbulent times. Indispensable for anyone who wants to know what's really going on.

Don't rely on mainstream corporate-owned media for accurate financial guidance! Get the facts from an independent source so you can stop being played!

Although over 500 pages, I was glued to this book because of its full coverage and detail of the topics. The real estate bubble chapter alone is better than other books I have read devoted solely to this topic. The same can be said of the debt, Social Security, Pension, and Debt chapters. And although the author does not devote a chapter on the global oil situation, he talks about it extensively in many chapters and covers it in more detail with better insight than any other book I have read exclusively devoted to this topic.

The 3 chapters on investments are brilliant and stem from the analysis and data presented in the previous 15 chapters. I am a very experienced and successful investor and the information within this book has opened my eyes and I plan to send a copy to my local Congressmen as well as my financial advisor. In fact, getting this book is like getting 6 books rolled up into one. The author obviously spent a very long time doing his research and analysis and it shows. This book puts all others related to America's economy and future to shame. And unfortunately, I am afraid the conclusions he has made will come to fruition, but now I will be ready.

Thank you for opening my eyes to the realities of America.

This Book Really Delivers

Unlike other books that discuss America's problems, this one does not focus on one or two problems but presents all of the major issues America is facing from economic, social and global political issues, to all of the financial issues. Rather than focusing on America's national debt as a primary issue, the author realizes that no one problem is strong enough to take down the greatest nation on earth. Instead, the book discusses the two biggest problems in America--the healthcare crisis and free trade, which have accelerated America's declining competitiveness. The author also explains the misconceptions of the state of Social Security, the global oil shortage, continued presence in Iraq and growing tensions in the middle east, the real estate bubble, the pension problems and many more topics; all of this in addition to the growing record national debt and trade deficits. And he relates all of this together to the Baby Boomers.

He also makes an excellent case for Alan Greenspan, or the "Great Bubble Maestro" as the author labels him as a primary cause of much of America's stock market and real estate bubbles. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this work is that the author presents exhaustive data to back his points, something I have yet to be seen elsewhere. It is easy for someone to say that healthcare needs to be fixed or that America's living standards are in decline, but the author shows all of the date to support almost everything he mentions.

He also makes very reasonable but adverse predictions for the dollar, long-term interest rates, and explains why America has a major economic correction that is inevitable. He points out well that we never recovered from the recession thought to have ended in 2001-2002, and Americans have been using credit to fuel the economy. The author goes at lengths to prove this and he even illustrates how the most critical economic numbers such as GDP and inflation have been manipulated by the government.

Even if this book did nothing more than to point out these issues, it would be a great achievement. But the author goes further to predict a major depression and he pays out very rational low-risk recommendations for investments.

I could see this book being useful for everyone--working Americans, activists, politicians, economists, and citizens concerned about America's future, as well as investors at all levels. It is truly a critical read.

SYNOPSIS: The illusion of over two decades of economic greatness in America was created in large part by Greenspan's bubble economy. But the author paints a different picture of America and makes chilling predictions for its future. Only those who can see through the smoke signals created by Washington will be able to avert and/or profit from America's next depression. And this book definitely allows one to see through the smoke screen.

CONTENTS
The author begins by briefly summarizing America's history, noting key events. Only later are some of these events revisited (monetary policy, wealth disparity, oil, pre-depression conditions) when appropriate to emphasize their significance within modern day America. Next, he discusses the economic effects of free trade. Finally, he reviews America's declining edge in education and innovation, ending Part 1 of the book with an overview of America's future.

Part 2 discusses the major problems today--with chapters on U.S. debt, healthcare, Social Security, pension plans, and the real estate bubble. Part 3 opens with a tutorial of how the government manipulates economic data such as the GDP and inflation. He then extends earlier discussions on the credit bubble, the economic consequences of the baby boomers, fraud and control by corporate America, and the effects of peak oil. He concludes with 3 chapters devoted to short and long-term forecasts in the stock market and provides a very sound investment strategy to profit both before and during America's Next Great Depression.

OPINION & REVIEW
This is by far the most informative investment book I have read this year and the very best on this topic. The author is clearly an expert on investments and economics. The book is as well-organized as a college text book but reads much better, is easier to understand, and you will learn more. If you like to see actual data to back up statements you will love this book, as it has been extremely well researched. The author's command of the subject matter is impressive in both depth and coverage...exactly what I needed to be convinced of a coming depression.

I especially enjoyed the chapters on the real estate bubble, health care, retirement, and the one showing how the government manipulates economic numbers. The investment advice is very valuable and rational and is fully supported by the previous 16 chapters.

When you read this book, it will be nearly impossible to disagree with the author's conclusions and investment advice because of the enormous amount of supporting evidence. It will cause you to rethink dozens of issues and introduce many others you probably weren't aware of.

And if you are like me, the book will motivate (or scare) you to demand politicians address these issues instead of ignoring them. The main reason they don't deal with difficult issues is because (as the author points out) they don't want to risk losing a reelection. Corruption serves as a motivation for other politicians. As long as voters are not fully aware of the problems challenging America's empire, they will continue to avoid engineering effective solutions. If all voters read America's Financial Apocalypse, they would force politicians to confront these difficult issues. That would be the only way to avoid a depression.

To the author: Thank You for this essential, eye-opening book!

The author shows how America has changed economically. It also discusses critical changes to the nation's social and educational fabric. Although first written in 2006, it predicted both the extent and severity of the real estate shakeout including devastation to the banks.

But as the author points out, this is only the beginning. As the baby boomers retire and peak oil is reached, many other problems will surface. Specifically, Medicare and Medicaid threaten to bankrupt the nation. While Social Security can be fix with little pain if the apprpriate changes are made now, the real problem is not so much with solvency as it is with diminished buying power and the reliance on this program as the primary income during retirement.

The author emphasizes the top 2 problems with America - health care and free trade. He discusses why America continues to mortgage off its most critical assets to foreign interests in exchange for non-essential imports. The results of these trends have already registered, with most foreign currencies posting huge gains compared to the dollar. And without a uniform playing field, America can not expect to compete in a global free market system since all other developed nations provide health care and pensions by the government. As a result, jobs have been sent overseas. While some companies have shutdown permanantly, most have benefited from corporate migration to Asia. As a result, corporate profits reached a 60-year high over the past 4 years, accounting for the surge in the stock market in 2007. But as the author points out, the stock market has been in a bearish correction mode since 2001. He predicts that during this 2001-2012 time frame, the market will yield average annual returns of around 3%. Thereafter, things will get worse, as the effects of the baby boomers and peak oil will cause a global slowdown in the economy.

Soaring inflation and interest rates are expected, as well as soaring gold and oil prices. The analysis and predictions contained within this book are supported by an enormous volume of data, unlike anything I have ever seen. This is a very unique book and was well-thought out, unlike most out there. For readers who want to get through the material in a couple of days, I recommend the Condensed Edition, released in early 2007 and updated in certain spots. It is also considerably less expensive I highly recommend either editions. I own both editions, and I expect to refer to them for years to come.