[.ca] The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need: Expanded and ... (ISBN 0156029634)

From Amazon.com:
Personal-finance guru Andrew Tobias slams online trading and praises the Roth IRA in his newly revised The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need. This investment bible remains as stimulating and meaningful as it was when it was first published 20 years ago. It's packed with ideas about stocks, living beneath your means, tax planning, retirement, and just about everything else in the financial world. And all of it is presented with Tobias's trademark brevity and ingenuity. Last revised in 1995, the guide takes aim at a new game in town--online trading. By all means, use the Internet for buying a car or for research, Tobias says. But avoid cyberspace brokers, he says. Point and click enough and you will get slaughtered by commissions, spreads, taxes, and human nature. "It's so easy to click 'OK' a few times and make a $10,000 bet," he warns. "Look how mesmerized we become on a stool in front of a slot machine. Internet investing positively teases you to play." Tobias's favorite new entry is the Roth IRA, which allows you to withdraw your money tax-free when you retire. It's far better than a traditional IRA, he asserts. "Save yourself the trouble of agonizing over the choice and go with the Roth IRA," he writes. "Forget the worksheets." Sometimes caustic and always a skeptic, Tobias believes readers can shape their own financial futures. Just stick to the basics, he says. "By and large, you should manage your own money, via no-load mutual funds," he writes. "No one is going to care about it as much as you." It doesn't matter if it's 1978, 1998, or even 2008. The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need still is exactly that. Some things never change. --Dan Ring

Great book to learn more about finance:
It is really the only investment book you will ever need. It covers lots of basic materials. When I first read the book, I thought it lacked details. However, it gave you enough information so that you can dive deeper into other topics on your own. If you are a beginner to investment, that is the best book you will find. Another comparable book would be "The Motley Fool Investment Guide : How The Fool Beats Wall Streets Wise Men And How You Can Too"

great introduction to the basics of investing:
If you have a bunch of cash but are unsure how to invest it properly, this is your book. Interesting to read with a humorous touch. The book doesn't as much give you specific investment advice as it provides you with an overview of the world of investing, and after reading it you'll have a clear idea of what resources to study next.

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need by Tobias:
The author discusses a wide range of investment vehicles aimed at increasing wealth incrementally. He discusses the benefits of zero coupon bonds that are sold cheaply but yield $1000 at maturity. The author lists the 401K plan as a superior investment. Stocks are historically a good tax shelter if they are held for price appreciation and dividend reinvestment. The dividend reinvestment mechanism forces consumers to save money that they otherwise might spend foolishly. Whole life insurance policies require an expert because policies tend to pay low interest rates and there are significant penalties for dropping them. Overall, the work is a good investment for the personal investment portfolio.

Not the Only Investment Book You'll Need, But a Good Start:
I read this book more than ten years ago, when I saved enough money from my first job to start dabbling in the stock market. The new edition also has information on Roth IRA's and still offers good advice. For example, selling life insurance to a single person is like selling ice to an eskimo is a mantra that is still ingrained in my mind. Another is that discount brokers are better than full brokers. The book is easy to read and understand. It complements, Engel and Hecht's "How to Buy Stocks."

Good book, but not the only guide needed.:
Although in my opinion this isn't the only investment guide you need, it is a great book that really sheds light on some of the more boring aspects of personal finance. This entertaining book gives you a good understanding of personal finance, saving, investing, and various strategies to boost your net worth. I highly recommend getting a copy of this book for yourself and one for a friend, believe me if they follow the tips they'll be thanking you later. Here's what different national publications have to say about the author: "Andrew Tobias is one of the financial community's pithily perceptive observers." Forbs "So full of tips and angles that only a booby or a billionaire could not benefit." The New York Times "The only investment guide many will indeed ever need." Barron's Reed Floren