The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need (ISBN 0156029634)

Amazon.com Review:
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

ROFL and Get Money Smart!:
I bought this book in 1999 and read it annually. I always laugh out loud and recommend it to everyone I meet who is not and does not want to be an "expert" in the market but does want honest, forthright, expert advise on what's what in personal finance and investments. I re-read it recently and 10 years after it's release it's still dead on. I hope he updates it again soon cause the internet is even better than it was when he wrote this and there are even more investment "schemes" out there to AVOID!

Outstanding Basic Reference:
It is funny how several reviewers criticize the author's recommendation to "not lose money", while that is the number one rule from the richest person on the planet, Warren Buffett. They miss the fact that there is more to that statement that its simple basic message. I too have read a number of investment books and I found this one to shine above the rest for a simple reason: It covers a wide range of basic investment options, without equivocating, and goes into just enough detail to explain the investment without bogging down the reader with unnecessary details. If the reader wants more info, they can certainly continue researching. I really like the fact that the author gives definite thumbs-up or thumbs-down to certain investment vehicles (and gives good reasons why), where other advisors hem and haw about even the most ridiculous ideas such as annuities. Some reviewers claim this book is for beginners while others say that it's NOT for amateurs. I think it requires some basic knowledge but overall is a great reference and guide to get the average investor on track to a good solid foundation in investing and well on their way to a respectable portfolio. Any expectations beyond that are totally misguided.

True to its title:
I found this book very readable and full of excellent information. Although not all the latest vehicles are included, the information is useful for the typical investor. It is easy to read and understand by the beginning investor.

One of the best investing books out there!:
I've read a lot of personal finance books and this one has some of the best information I've found. If you are interested in personal finance and investing, you should definitely read this book! Tobias writes in a witty style to keep the reader's attention while providing detailed information on investing that I haven't found anywhere else. He begins with information on how to save money on personal expenses like dining out and vacations. There are several good tips in this section. Then he moves on to retirement accounts and saving for education. He explains each type of account in detail and includes every kind I know of. His sections on bonds and stock investing are really informative. He explains items like treasury bills and TIPs and their advantages. He explains all kinds of bonds (I-bonds, corporate bonds, municiple bonds) and provides his recommendation on whether you should own them or not and why. I especially found his section on stock market investing useful. He has explanations of a stock's beta, buying on margin, options, selling short, LEAPS and penny stocks and explains the pitfalls that often get investors into trouble. The last portion of the book talks a bit about estate planning and also some very clever methods of teaching your kids about saving and investing. I like the author's philosophy on investment strategies and agree with most of his advice. This book covers a lot of topics in personal finance and is both a great reference and a fun read. I highly recommend it to others!!!

Eh kinda sucks now:
This book was the first finance book I ever read back in the 90s now. I loved it at the time. I recently boaugh a copy and it just does not grab me. I would suggest something by Swedroe or Bogle.