Common Sense Investing: Ten Simple Rules to Finance Your Dreams, or Create a Roadmap to Achieve Financial Independence by Investing in Mutual Funds with a Personal Financial Plan [Paperback]

Rick Van Ness (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Learn basic financial concepts to make it more likely that you'll achieve common life goals such as owning a home, providing for yourself or your family, taking fun vacations, and retiring in comfort--all free from financial stress.  Topics include:
* The ten rules to successful investing
* How to write a personal investment plan
* How to diversify your investments
* How to know a good mutual fund
* How to be a tax-savvy investor

The 108-page book (17,000 words and 52 pictures) teaches beginners learn how to invest money for both short- and long-term goals. Learn the basics that everyone needs to know about investment products like stock, bonds, and mutual funds, and the containers that hold those products, like IRAs, 401(k), Roth IRA, and taxable accounts.

Learn why Warren Buffett, John C. Bogle, and most professional investors recommend that 99% of investors should use low-cost mutual funds called index funds. Learn what they are, what this means, and why they win.

John C. Bogle, founder and former chairman of The Vanguard Group, is hailed by many as the champion of common sense investing. His huge following endearingly call themselves "Bogleheads" in perhaps the most popular personal investment forum and wiki site at bogleheads.org.

"Common Sense Investing captures the core elements of the Bogleheads investment philosophy in terms any investor can easily understand and implement. Read it and reap!" writes Forbes columnist, Mel Lindauer--also one of the original Boglehead founders.

Many of the tips include examples of how people put the important concepts into practice. Instructional appendixes include: numerous links to free online videos, recommended books, help forums, and other resources.

Author Rick Van Ness is a successful private investor who provides investor education through online videos, short books, and workshops. He has both an engineering degree from Cornell University and a MBA in Finance from New York University.

Praise from professional money managers:

"Hide this book in a safe place because grossly overpaid investment advisors are burning every copy they can find."
--Rick Ferri, CFA, President, Portfolio Solutions LLC
     Author: All About Asset Allocation, All About Index Funds, and others.

"Rick has produced a masterful financial guide for beginning investors and old hands alike. If you want to get started investing the right way, this book provides the clarity and backbone to achieve your financial destiny."
--Bill Schultheis, Financial Adviser, Soundmark Wealth Management, LLC
     Author: The New Coffeehouse Investor

"Rick has provided a great service. In terms that the novice investor can understand, he provides ten simple rules that provide the prescription for investment success. In fact, if you follow his rules you are virtually guaranteed to outperform the majority of investors, both individual and professionals alike."
--Larry Swedroe, Principal and Director of Research, Buckingham Family of Financial Services
     Author of eleven books on investing

Praise from academics:

"Here are 10 simple, easy to follow, and proven investing rules. Investing an hour reading this short book will make you a better investor."
--Burton G. Malkiel, Princeton University, Professor of Economics
     Author: A Random Walk Down Wall Street

Praise from respected authors:

"Rick makes it super-simple to understand personal finance, regardless of your skill level. This book, along with his creative and straight-forward streaming videos, will get you and your money heading in the right direction."
--Jeff Lehman
     Author: The Frugal Millionaires, and First Job~First Paycheck

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (August 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1466204516
• ISBN-13: 978-1466204515
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rick Van Ness is a very successful private investor who has been a student of financial planning and investing for over 30 years. He was trained as an electronics engineer at Cornell University and practiced engineering for many years at Hewlett Packard Company. Rick also started three companies and coaches entrepreneurs in the Puget Sound area.

He also earned an MBA in Finance from New York University. His background in engineering and business provides him with the excellent basis for understanding and teaching investments and financial planning.

Rick has been investing in common stocks and mutual funds since 1980. He has also personally invested in 401(K), traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SARSEP plans, so he is familiar with participation and management of these types of investments. He has been investing in indexed common stock mutual funds since 1990.

Rick is currently launching his second career providing financial education. He doesn't give advice, but rather provides unbiased education. Rick helps students understand the teachings of the most widely respected economists and financial planners. Students learn that investing smart is simple (not easy) and create their own roadmap to take charge of their own finances and then strive for financial independence on their path to achieving a rich and fulfilling life. He is President of GrowthConnection LLC.

Neither Rick Van Ness nor GrowthConnection LLC sells any types of investments or insurance, and do not provide individual investment advice. He educates you without self-interest (other than the joy he always gets from hearing from readers).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, wise, to the point, accurate and a winner for sure., October 28, 2011

By 

Gustavo A. Mellander, Ph.D., D.H.L. "Gus A. M... (George Mason Univer., Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Common Sense Investing: Ten Simple Rules to Finance Your Dreams, or Create a Roadmap to Achieve Financial Independence by Investing in Mutual Funds with a Personal Financial Plan (Paperback)

The title tells it all: Common Sense Investing.

There was a song a few years ago, "Pennies from Heaven." If one follows the very understandable and readable ten rules to accumulate riches in this book, you will be showered with riches, not just pennies, ere long.
Yes, patience and time are essential but it is doable if you follow the simple ten guidelines in this book. It also helps you write a simple one-page investment plan, that with revisions, will serve you all the days of your life.

Oh, how I wish this book had been available decades ago. I would have saved myself a lot of grief and acquired a lot more money.

Give this book to those you love. It's a wonderful gift for high school and college students and for those just beginning their careers.

You are beyond that age? Well, you too can profit as well from reading this enjoyable and instructive book.

He's another Jack Boogle. Five stars for sure!!
***************
Dr. Mellander was a college president for twenty years.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let this book's compact size fool you, it packs a giant return!, January 23, 2012

By 

Chris Smith (Kirkland, WA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Common Sense Investing: Ten Simple Rules to Finance Your Dreams, or Create a Roadmap to Achieve Financial Independence by Investing in Mutual Funds with a Personal Financial Plan (Paperback)

Common Sense Investing is short and easy to read. It's also complete, and rock-solid on the fundamentals. That combination is very rare when it comes to investment books, and that's why Common Sense Investing is such a treasure.

How do I know? I write personal finance for young adults myself, so I've read most of the current offerings that young adults have to choose from. Some are fundamentally sound, but are just too long - which means that they won't get read. Some take an oversimplified, condescending approach. And sad to say, quite a few of them just plain get it wrong.

But Common Sense Investing is the exception. The "Ten Simple Rules" structure makes it easy to see how the pieces fit together, and acts like a "progress bar" to keep you reading. Rick has a gift for distilling the essence of a topic, and presenting it in a way that produces an "oh, I get it!" insight.

Common Sense Investing should be on the must-read list for all young adults. But they're not the only ones who can benefit. Anybody who is new to investing - or maybe isn't so new, but is befuddled by it - will find it refreshingly enlightening. Don't be fooled by its compact size - it packs a giant return on your reading investment, which - if you follow the simple, sound advice presented - will followed by similar returns in your investment account. 5 stars!

Chris Smith
Author of Securing Your Financial Future

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In life, some advice is simply precious...., November 25, 2011

By 

Henry - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Common Sense Investing: Ten Simple Rules to Finance Your Dreams, or Create a Roadmap to Achieve Financial Independence by Investing in Mutual Funds with a Personal Financial Plan (Paperback)

For young folks starting out, this book outlines a simple but effective strategy of investing.

The daunting task of managing one's 401K takes many folks into a sinkhole because they do not understand the risk inherent in investing and how to manage risk thru prudent diversification. They may not understand why it is necessary to hold stocks as well as bonds in their portfolio. And they may not understand why certain ratios of stocks to bonds are critical to investment success.

If you do it right, it's like a heavy weight lifted off your shoulders !

COMMON SENSE INVESTING helps guide you in making good investment decisions.

Mr. Van Ness wants to educate others to develop a sound approach to investing.

The easy-to-read COMMON SENSE INVESTING is based on his 10 mini-videos series.

I saw the videos first and wished I saw them years ago ! The book stresses the same 10 Rules:

1. Develop a workable plan
2. Invest early and often
3. Never bear too much or too little risk
4. Diversify
5. Never try to time the market
6. Use index funds when possible
7. Keep costs low
8. Minimize taxes
9. Keep it simple
10. Stay the Course.

Rick's sincerity, honesty and desire to help educate us are obvious.

Thank you, Mr. Van Ness, for selflessly sharing your gifts and talents !

COMMON SENSE INVESTING is a wonderful gift for your loved ones.