Investing 101 (Paperback)

~ (Author) "THIS BOOK IS going to tell you how to invest wisely..." (more)
Key Phrases: viatical settlements, emergency savings, ordinary income tax rate, Value Line, New York, Social Security (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The "Your Money" syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Kristof has written a primer for novice investors, but despite her accessible prose she misses the mark here. Her opening chapter, "Exorcising Your Demons," examines the various psychological reasons people make dumb investing decisions: for example, the "money-lover" agonizes over every penny spent and is always working for more, while the "ostrich" refuses to alter an investment strategy until it's too late. Other chaptersA"Risk and Reward," "Investing in Bonds" and "Mutual Funds"Acull standard advice found in countless books, Web sites and magazines. Yet her presentation of the material is too abbreviated, which may mislead beginners. For example, Kristof describes mutual fund prospectuses as "long, boring legal documents that spell out all the details about investing in a particular fund. Like most long, boring documents, they contain a handful of fascinating tidbits of information that can tell you whether the investment you're looking at is likely to be a boon or bust before you put your money at risk." Then, albeit briefly, she discusses the significant data found in a prospectus. However, after reading about something that is "long and boring," readers may well skip the useful information that follows. There's a chapter on socially responsible investingAit's an important topic, but not for readers new to the game. Kristof's writing style is friendly, but readers may be shortchanged by her breezy approach. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

If I had to suggest a book on investing and personal finance to an absolute beginner, it would be [this]. -- BookPage, September 2000

[M]ore simple and straightforward than the typical book on investing... also more humorous and personal. -- Today's Librarian, September 2000

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576600440
• ISBN-13: 978-1576600443
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #757,586 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed With Knowledge!, March 9, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Investment greenhorns: Read this book - Now! Can we be any clearer? Kathy Kristof has written the ideal manual for anyone mystified by the world of finance. Her clear, fact-filled book completely dispenses with the condescending tone and soothing jabber of most books in the how-to-invest genre. In their place, Kristof has compiled an enlightening compendium of elementary investment wisdom, lucid explanations of financial terms and instruments, and educational walk-thrus of stock-valuation techniques. Simply put: If you are not investing, you must read this book. Whether it's fear, ignorance or inertia that's keeping you out of the markets, Investing 101 will inspire you to put your money to work by revealing, in easy-to-understand language, exactly how it all really works. We at getAbstract recommend this book as required reading for any beginner investors, or to anyone who feels intimidated by a lack of financial knowledge.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic Investing Information, December 31, 2001

By	M. Summers - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As the title would suggest, this is very basic investing information. If you are a new investor, and seek a very broad overview of investing, and your options, then this is the book for you. I bought this book for my mother, who has never invested outside of a savings account. I read the book to be sure it would give her the information I was hoping for. It was exactly what I wanted, written in easy to follow terminology. If you're an experienced investor, this book is not for you, however if you're seeking basic investing information, give it a read.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, concise, practical, effective advice, March 6, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Personal finance columnist and expert Kathy Kristof's Investing 101 is a compendium of clear, concise, practical, effective advice on getting motivated for investing, assessing financial goals for investment purposes and strategies, choosing the right types of investments based on particular needs or aspirations, finding and understanding financial information, diversifying investments, and keeping good financial records. Investing 101 is especially designed for those new to investing and will save the novice investor a great deal of time, avoid needless aggravation, and prevent unsound financial investment decisions and unacceptable risks.