Customer Reviews

Investing - Starting From Scratch

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I'd like to share with you my review of Investing - Starting From Scratch by Janet Holt. I was asked by a mutual friend to review the book for our investing community. When I received it in the mail, I thought to myself, "Uh oh, it's a beginner's book. Probably won't be all that intriguing."

But I was pleasantly surprised. Between the catchy "henhouse" analogies and a huge array of interesting facts and demographics, the book actually became a real page turner.

Janet bases the book's theme on "don't put all your eggs in one basket", and then she proceeds to cover all the baskets available to individual investors. While the book is considered a primer (she makes it clear early on that she is not a professional and that she won't give investing advice), she does an excellent job of systematically covering every conceivable avenue (or golden egg) in just the right amount of detail.

The book starts with the basics - the importance of compounding, the Rule of 72, how to purchase a stock, etc. But she tackles more complicated subject matter, such as the bond markets, currency trading, and puts and calls, to name a few.

My favorite part of the book covers "the number." I've read articles and seen other books that were written solely to help people figure out how much money they must set aside for retirement. But Janet manages to boil it down into one very informative chapter, complete with worksheets.

As a stock/mutual fund investor, I must admit that I am clueless about other types of investing, so even though it was a beginner's book, I picked up a lot of useful information, especially about bonds and various income instruments.

Not only does Janet cover investing basics, she takes it all the way through choosing a broker, measuring returns and finding the right online tools. She ends the book with an entire chapter of tips and tricks for reducing debt and cutting expenses. She even provides food for thought about generating income in retirement.

If your portfolio has been crippled by this recession and it's left you feeling a lack of confidence in your overall plan, maybe you need to start from scratch! OK, maybe not. But I highly recommend Investing - Starting From Scratch to get you back on track. It's not just for beginners. [...]

Thumbs up to author / speaker Janet Holt for a well written, well researched expose' into the world of investing and personal finance. Holt's book, Investing - Starting from Scratch, is a perfect entry level read that is as appropriate for the younger set as for the retiree or near retiree. Janet's book begins with the old fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper to passionately illustrate the importance of money in one's life. Holt makes humorous and appropriate references to the reader's basket of eggs, golden eggs, the geese and the fox in the hen house as she explores and explains the need to respect money and the importance of savings and investments for accomplishing both short and long-term goals. Chapter 13 is far from unlikely in the category of "Staying in Control of Expenses," my favorite chapter. Holt brings to life various ways to reduce consumer costs with suggestions for housing, food, transportation, etc. Janet Holt's book is well worth its price because of the solid information that will surely save the reader time and money and the costs associated with procrastinating and making bad financial decisions.

Do you want to depend on Social Security when you retire? No one does. And no one has to. But knowing how to handle money, knowing how to grow money, to invest it, is a major learning endeavor with a large curve. Enter Janet Holt's new book. In it you'll discover the way to deal with money, to grow it. You'll learn how to have a secure retirement and, moreover, you'll be able to do it all yourself. You won't need the help of a professional who probably doesn't care about your money nearly as much as you do. What's more, handling money can be fun. It doesn't need to be a gamble.

Holt makes learning how to prepare for your retirement easy. This is an easy book to read. It's short but value-packed.

I've read the most complicated books on economics and investing and I can tell you that this simple book gives what you need to know without the complications.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

Notwithstanding my brief "editorial review," I would be remiss if I didn't write a few additional words regarding this excellent investment primer. "Starting From Scratch" is a no-nonsense, clear and very complete guide for the beginning investor, and contains plenty of valuable information on how to invest, where to invest, how to find help, and other important points on financial planning.

I sincerely believe that everyone who wants to take control of his or her financial and investment future should read the book. "Starting From Scratch" leads us to the very important conclusion that each of us must, in the final analysis, rely upon ourselves to determine our financial futures, and that it is only by acquiring some knowledge about saving, investing and planning (including the pitfalls) that we can have the confidence to plan for a comfortable retirement.

The bottom line: Ms. Holt has created a remarkable opportunity for those who are wise enough to spend some time with this book and is willing to do some homework.

Ralph Block
Westlake Village, CA

This book was very helpful and actually really interesting and entertaining to read despite the topic. It prepared me perfectly for a meeting with an independent CFP and I feel that I start getting a grip on my own finances.

As the niece of author Janet Holt, I can say that she wrote this book in a format even I (her investment-challenged niece) can understand! I had the privilege of helping edit (and design the cover), so obviously I'm biased; however, I DO believe that Janet's experiences and frustrations with early investing gave the rest of us a gift (sorry, Janet!). She is very adept at making difficult-to-understand information easy, so I know firsthand that this book has helped me wade through the mountains of confusing info by packaging it neatly into one succinct and fun-to-read book. I'm referring to it yet again for more info on a Roth IRA, so I certainly think it's worth your time to read. Well done, Tia! :)

Investing can be intimidating and confusing, but not if you read Janet's book! I found Investing: Starting from Scratch insightful, clear and intelligent and would highly recommend this book!

Finally, a book on investing I can understand! Janet Holt's book, written in a folksy, amusing style, breaks things down into simple language. I have used this information to help guide me in discussions with my teenage daughter and help her gain the insight and knowledge I didn't have at her age. Ms. Holt's analogies and humor make complex material easy to understand. If there is one thing we have all learned in this economy, "experts" in investing don't have all the answers, and we need to be much more engaged when it comes to our financial future. This book provides basic information in a clear format and helps the reader(using simple worksheets) arrive at concrete numbers necessary for a comfortable retirement. Well done!!

I've had a 15 year career in the financial markets, which I was well prepared for by a BS in Commerce and a MBA. But for anyone who needs to get up to speed on the investment world without the time for a degree, this book is perfect. It covers every relevant aspect of investing and personal finance in easy-to-understand larguage.

As a corporate sales rep for one of the major international bookstore chains, I have the opportunity to see all the titles available for a basic introduction the the finance world. This book is head and shoulders above the rest. I would recommend it explicitly for anyone who wants to get a clear understandng of the subject matter in a non-technical format that is very easy to understand.

Tom Murphy

We acquired this book as a possible resource for our investment library -- we are a local nonprofit that works with individuals and families from low-income backgrounds.

I was very impressed with the informal tone of the book. The author breaks down the ABC's of investing into manageable chucks. She's also quick to say what the book is not (it's not a get out of debt book or a stock picking strategy book).

The strength of the book lies in what it is -- a basic, motivating primer that allows the reader to begin investing for the future. She shows not only how to do it, but how easy it actually is to get started. I imagine many folks will find this to be invaluable if they have been afraid to dip their toes in the investing waters.