by Ken Kendall
There are lots of financial self-help books on the market, some are worthwhile and some are not. Many are slanted to convince you to purchase a particular insurance or investment product, or encourage you to sign up for the author’s newsletter, or attend a class or seminar, etc.
I have read several of the books on the market, but it would be impossible to read all of them. So I thought that I would give you a quick overview of 3 that I have found to be worthwhile.
This list is not to say that these are the best books, or that there aren’t other books out there that might be even more helpful than these. I just want to make you aware of these, I have a supply of each of these books in my office, and I will be glad to send you a free copy of any or all of them if you want.
Two of the books are written by a practicing CPA, and one is written by a former stockbroker, who has been a financial author and securities industry arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for over 20 years, specializing in securities.
Bryan S. Bloom, CPA has been a practicing CPA for over 20 years, has prepared thousands of tax returns, and also manages a very successful financial planning practice in Champaign, IL. Bryan wrote a book titled CONFESSIONS OF A CPA, Why What I Was Taught To Be True Has Turned Out Not To Be, published in 2012. In this first of his series, Bryan discusses a number of financial topics that are often misunderstood, and can be very confusing. Topics such as the Miracle of Compound Interest, Rates of Return, Qualified Plans, The Importance of Collateralization, Buying Life Insurance, Home equity, Asset Accumulation and distribution, The Importance of Capital. It is a very easy read, and forms a good foundation basis for building long-term financial security.
Bryan then followed up with a second book, published in Dec 2013 titled CONFESSIONS OF A CPA, The Truth About Life Insurance. In this book Bryan dives deeper into the topic of Life insurance, and he unravels much of the hype and sales jargon that the insurance industry is known for. He begins by discussing why someone might/should purchase life insurance, the basics of how various types of life insurance policies work, Riders available on life insurance policies, alternatives to life insurance, creative uses of life insurance. Unless you are a life insurance expert, you will benefit by reading Bryan’s book.
Bruce N. Sankin wrote a book in 1990 titled WHAT ALL STOCK & MUTUAL FUND INVESTORS SHOULD KNOW. Bruce revised the book a number of times over the years, and his most recent revision was released in 2014 titled YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL HELP CENTER, Special Retirement Edition. In his latest revision Bruce covers several topics including Know your rights as a 401k investor, How to Save Money on Buying and Selling Stock, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Annuities, Life Insurance, Social Security Benefits, Elder Law, Identity Theft, Enjoy a Stress-Free Retirement. It is a very short, but easy to read and comprehensive book that most readers find not only interesting but very informative.
I have a supply of each of these books in my office, and I will be glad to send you any or all of them, just send me an email request to [email protected].
Have a Happy May!
Ken Kendall, CFP, CLU, is the owner of Kendall Financial LLC and member of the Wealth and Wisdom Institute.
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