Customer Reviews

But Which Mutual Funds?: How to Pick the Right Ones to Achieve Your Financial Dreams

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Before I read this book, I thought I'd never figure out how to invest our money to put it to work for us. We were saving quite a bit, but had no idea where to put our money. But Which Mutual Funds? helped us define our needs, both short- and long-term, and then get down to investing. It really helped us that Goldberg takes an actual family through everything they should think about and know. I finally know how to tell which mutual funds meet our goals. It's not rocket science any more. The book broke everything down into easy, understandable pieces. It helped me pick better funds in my 401(k) plan--I was way too conservative before. And now my husband and I have started investing every month automatically in three different funds we think will go the distance. Everything's not a big question mark any more. We know how much we need to retire comfortably and we're right on track--investing what we need to invest every month to get there. Kudos to Goldberg for unlocking the mysteries of investing!

Most investment books are a waste. They are either full of get-rich-quick schemes or lose their readers in complicated Wall Street jargon. This one is easy to understand. It has the basics for a novice investor, as well as more sophisticted help for experienced mutual fund buyers. The book is valuable because it tells you how to pull together a fund portolio that makes sense. Not just how to buy a fund, but what kind of fund to buy. Any dummy could have made money investing over the past couple of years. Now, with the markets so volatile, it is harder. A book like this one can really help.

The mutual fund market keeps changing. So does the performance of the tens of thousand of mutual funds that you can buy. How presumptuous of this author to say that his book will show you the way. In order to choose good mutual funds that are right for you, you need timely information and independent analysis of it. Where do you find it? Not in an out-of-date book but in personal finance magazines and INDEPENDENT research web sites like MORNINGSTAR.com (that specialize in analyzing mutual fund data from every conceivable angle). It's sad that this author (and self-procalimed expert) doesn't realize this. For a good analysis of money issues, buy Jane Bryant Quinn's far superior book, "Making the Most of Your Money." Ms. Quinn's book is a much, much better investment.

No mutual fund book is going to be a page turner, but this one really keeps things interesting and simple. It covers the basics, as promised, in the first 100 pages. Even people who know nothing about investing can learn what they need to know here. I was more interested in the advanced investing chapters, and the book excelled here, too. Little did I know that I owned several funds with the same investment style, and that's why I had done so poorly. This book helped me make a lot more money.

To choose good mutual funds you need to do research. To do good research you need up-to-date information. There is no way that this OLD book can give you current, up-to-date information.

Don't waste your money.

You'd be much better off either going to FREE WEB SITES, such as Morningstar.com or Money.com (from Money Magazine) or Smartmoney.com (from Smart Money Magazine) that provide current and EXTREMELY well reseached information to anyone without having to waste your money on this book.

If you do want a good investment book, consider Peter Lynch's One Up On Wall Street or Andrew Tobias's The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need.

I've been totally confused about mutual funds and investing. This book told it to me clearly. I feel a lot more confident about investing especially in my 401k.

After seeing the bipolar reviews on this book, I decided to take a middle-of-the-road viewpoint. There are some reviewers who love the book, and others who simply hate the book. There is no need to bash the book...simply because it tells you things you already know. Do you think algebra books are useless because they tell you something you already know?

I think that this book is best for people who has ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE (i.e., non-investors) what they are doing. Then you're getting somewhere. If I put myself in these shoes, I see that this book gives you the motivation, reasons and means to start investing. A lot of times people don't know "how to" and "why" they should invest in the first place, and this book will help them. My favorite part of this book is the "common pitfalls" of a first-time investor. This book (which is really cheap if bought used) is worth reading just for that section.

On the bottom side, I agree with the nay-reviewers who see the book as outdated information. I am reviewing a book today in 2004, but it was printed in 2000. A lot of the "top choices" that was picked don't really work today (considering the bear market from 2001-2002). Some specific suggestions are outdated, but I still think that the overall theme still holds today. However, an intelligent investor will know that regular research and review of a their portfolio is essential to their financial health. Investment is an endeavor that involves a bit of risk. A first-time investor is wise to get adequate information before starting. In that case, this book is adequate as long as you follow the general guidelines.

This book really taught me what I needed to know about investing. It's a one-stop shop for those with a hearty appetite for real tips on how to invest.

This is a good book for people like me who have no background in personal finance. I liked the way he used a real average person like me to describe what should be done.

If you're like me and don't understand a lot about mutual funds, I can't think of a better book. The chapter on index funds was very well done. In fact, I have decided to use index funds for most of my investing. The recommendations of other funds were also very helpful. Not everyone wants to spend his or her life learning about mutual funds. This book makes it possible to be a good investor without devoting your life to the task.