Customer Reviews

Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This book explains very well the events in 2008 and gives you a great insight of the root causes. It also provides investment basics in very nice way. If your are new to the topic investment; maybe it's a buy.

Gimme my money back and an advice how to beat the financial crises? Zippo, Nada, Nothing. The stock market recovered in the past so it will in the future. Great advice. What is the right investment for you? Check your age, when do you want to retire, how much risk fits to you? This is your portfolio you should follow. Great advice. Every 401(k) broker will provide you these portfolios in a similar manner.

I really like to see Mr. Velshi on CNN. Reading his book was a disappointment. Are they really able to inform us on TV properly ???

Without much (if any) prior knowledge of financial markets, this book was like having a face-to-face tutor. Velshi's explanations are an easy read, and I didn't need a dictionary or business degree to understand anything that he wrote. Also extremely helpful were the risk-tolerance questionnaire as well as the pie charts showing how my investments are divvied up. He was very straight-forward in his brief history of the financial crisis and how we got into it, and his analogies brought it all home for me. Definitely one of the best holiday gifts I received this year!

The book's investment advice is elementary at best. But what is particularly annoying was the "coming attractions" at the conclusion of each chapter to inform the reader what the next chapter will contain(!). The next chapter, of course, is just a page-turn away; it has a descriptive chapter heading; and descriptive sub-headings within the chapter itself. Frankly, I'm hard pressed to recall any book that was published and(or0 edited in such a fashion. It does serve as a text filler though.

Given the fact this book is coming from a well known business journalist I was expecting a full explanation about investing in this difficult economic times; what I found was a primer that have some usefulness for the general public but he does not address how to deal with debt which is the firs step to be financially healthy. I found disappointing that Mr Velshi considers mortgage a "good debt" in a time when a good proportion of homeowners are "underwater" however he insists the home values keep raising as if this book was written before the housing bubble.
Finally explanation of portfolios are quite simplistic and may misguide people as things are way more complex.

I am a terrible investor. I'm befuddled by the concepts and terminology and, therefore, haven't done much other than invest in my 401(k) and a few CD's. I finished reading Ali Velshi's book, "Gimme My Money Back", while sitting in a waiting room and before I knew it I was explaining the how to's and what for's of investing to the woman sitting next to me. I will never be a fund manager, but now I can confidently go to a financial planner, examine investment strategies, assess my risk, and make knowledgeable decisions about my financial future. This is a quick empowering read and a must for anyone who uncertain about how to go about investing.

In the next year or two improving your families' financial situation is going to be very difficult. A lot of people are going to need this book to help them make more informed decisions. He discusses important topics like risk-tolerance and debt in a way anyone can understand. Most people are intimidated when they think about their financial future -- house, college, retirement. Ali's book is going to make a lot of people into better, more knowledgeable, investors.

I have enjoyed Ali Velshi on CNN and have considered his commentary clear and conciseful. His book shares these qualities, but I was expecting more depth. The book took me a little over an hour to read and contained nothing beyond what can be found on the Internet for free from major investor publications. He promotes diversification (which is consistent with everyone else) and has a new slant on how to divide the pie. He includes "alternatives" in his suggested allocations, but never really defines what alternatives are, how to evaluate them, or even give examples. I was very disappointed in the book.

I can't think of a better person to help educate us all on what has happened in the insane financial markets and what it means for all of us. Who else could make you laugh while reading about the dismal state of our ecomony? In his typical style, dynamic, energetic, funny and very business savy, Ali demystifies Wall Street and its markets. He explains in very accessible language for those of us who do not spend everyday thinking about these issues (or wish we did not have to) the current situation and where we should go from here. A must read for anyone wondering about their financial future.....which is all of us right now.

I don't have a problem with the content of this book, or the way in which it is written. It's the Title that I have a problem with. Mr. Velshi takes advantage of the current wave of concern regarding our "financial meltdown" by rather disengeneously describing it as "Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis". There is almost nothing in the book that specifically guides you through that. Make no mistake, this is a very general introduction to investing - nothing more. It is a $2 book masquerading as one of $13 value. You can learn more from websites such as Investors Business Daily for free. Save your money. "Invest" it in something that will pay bigger dividends.

Fantastic Read! Velshi does a terrific job of demystifing the economic crisis and why it should matter to me. He writes just like he reports, making it very easy to understand complicated financial matters as well as ideas on how to begin investing. As a successful woman in my mid-thirties, I would recommend this to ANYONE looking for a friendly,
easy-to-read guide to these current financial times.