The New Commonsense Guide to Mutual Funds [Paperback]

Mary Rowland (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bloomberg | Publication Date: October 28, 1998

In an accessible, step-by-step format, Mary Rowland explains how to get the most out of a 401(k) and use it as the basis of a lifetime of financial planning.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sixty million Americans invest in mutual funds, and these tapes are for novices who want to join those ranks. Rowland's [A Commonsense Guide to Your 401 (k)] advice is sound and comprehensive, and she uses a do-and-don't style of presentation, reviewing fundamental investment principles for selecting among the many mutual funds. However, she advises putting money into a greater number of funds than is usual. Her narration is uninspired, but this is a useful overview of mutual funds that will help people who want to learn the basics. Recommended for collections weak on this topic.AMark Guyer, Stark Cty. Dist. Lib., Canton, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Excellent...You will most assuredly refer to it again and again. -- Stanley W. Angrist, The Wall Street Journal

This book is absolutely brilliant and intuitive. -- Michael Pellecchia, Bookpage

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press; 1 edition (October 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576600637
• ISBN-13: 978-1576600634
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,094,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Rowland has been a journalist for 30 years, a half dozen of them as weekly columnist for the Sunday New York Times. She wrote a column on practice management for the Bloomberg Wealth Manager, a magazine for financial advisors, for seven years. Her articles and essays have appeared in Fortune, Business Week, USA Today, Ladies' Home Journal, Family Circle, McCall's, Woman's Day, and many other publications. She received a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing from Vermont College in 2002 and studies theology at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. She is news editor for the web site advisorsforadvisors.com and is currently at work on a memoir. Rowland earned her B.A. and M.A. in Russian history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Covers the basics but is repetitive and confusing., December 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Commonsense Guide to Mutual Funds (Paperback)

The dos and don'ts lists are a good idea but Rowland gets quite repetitive and sometimes contradicts herself. She says don't invest in gold funds and then goes on to explain for 2 pages all about the nuances of gold funds. I think this book is not good for beginners but has many handy hints and tips for those with some familiarity with mutual fund investing.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information for novice investors and seasoned shareholders., February 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Commonsense Guide to Mutual Funds (Paperback)

More than 63 million Americans own mutual funds, but most folks don't really know what they're all about, aside from being the "must" investment of the 90's. This guide will change that. Much of the book is devoted to a series of specific dos and don'ts. There's also a range of asset allocation portfolios for every type of investment "personality," and a primer on how to work with a financial advisor.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great fundamentals and starting point, July 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Commonsense Guide to Mutual Funds (Paperback)

This is a great starting point for people who want to know more about investing, and particulary those who want to do it themselves. Rowland packs a lot of useful investing do's and don't, with easy to follow explanations. She stresses the key concepts such as asset and risk allocation, dollar-cost-averaging, and "buy low, sell high" (which, although a cliché, is often ignored). She examines all kind of mutual funds, from stocks, to bonds, to gold, to blend. One drawback is the book is about 3 years old, which hurts the information a little. However, this book can provide investing knowledge that applies any time, whether you believe in the "New Economy" or not.