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5 comments about Motley Fool Investment Tax Guide : An Investor's Resource for Smart Tax Planning Throughout the Year.

1. I was looking for a meaty tax guide and should have known better than to buy a 94 page book! The authors spend most of the book bashing mutual funds and praising stock picking while using twisted and contorted logic to brainwash the reader. Tax decisions are rarely simply but these authors seem to think they are.



2. I had never done our taxes. But after reading this most simple and informative book, I am going to try my hand at doing our taxes. I am a 66-year-old woman, and not good at these things. But I shall try this year. This book explained a lot of things for me, so now I'm more confident. (It was entertaining, too!)



3. this is probably too simplified. I foolishly (note the lower case "f") assumed this book would be as great as the Fool's other publications, and never checked, say, the amount of pages the book has (the deal was too good . . .). I was a bit disappointed when all I got in the mail was a mere pamphlet. The IRS website is actually more helpful.

   Still, the book is an ok start to considering investment tax strategies, and will make the unknowing reader knowing enough to tackle more hefty guides.




4. As someone who began investing four years ago and began doing my own taxes just one year ago, I found this tax guide to be extremely informative. It is a quick and enjoyable read - perhaps an unsurpassed feat for a tax guide - with lots of helpful examples. This tax guide provided great tips for dealing with my taxes this year (i.e., what to do with that one worthless security) as well as numerous ideas for how to plan my investment strategies in the future. It also contained the most understandable explanation of the New Roth IRA that I have read this year. I highly recommend this tax guide to anyone who invests. I certainly feel more confident about preparing this year's tax return. Indeed, in a strange way I am almost looking forward to doing my taxes now.



5. I was a great introductory to the basic tax issues to investors. It gives several tips that pay off immeadiately, and opens doors to things to consider and read further upon. It was a quick read, and easy to understand. A good followup, book is the 'Ernst & Young Tax Saver's Guide'.

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5 comments about The Motley Fool's What to Do with Your Money Now: Ten Steps to Staying Up in a Down Market.

1. I didn't want to go to a one because some of it was useful. Their admission on how poorly they performed in the market downturn says it all. So now they're saying, along with countless others, "We have the best hindsight of anybody!", rings absolutely hollow. Very bland humor too.

   If you've read or heard them before, there's no need for this one. Try to find somebody who has beaten these bad times.




2. While minimally entertaining, it has the feel of "hey we have the best hindsight of anybody!" They admit they lost big time during the Market downturn. I gave them two stars because there were a couple of things said that not everybody else was saying.

   I'm looking for information on how to avoid or benefit from the market, without listening to all the losers. Anybody know of someone who continued winning even during the downturn. Now that would be valuable information.




3. After owning a couple of the previous works from the Motley Fool (and subsequently throwing them out because the advice is pretty bad) I took a look at the latest edition by borrowing it from someone.

   First of all I've always found their advice frustrating. On one hand they kind of half-heartedly recommend passive index investing and then they go about telling you about the latest stock-screening get-rich-quick fad. Toss in a couple dubious stock picks along the way and you have nothing but a mixed message.

   I think this book is a pretty shallow attempt for these two to make up for the really bad advice they gave in their other books over the years. They take several chapters explaining away (in hindsight) how wrong they were, but even in this light they fail to embrace proven strategies and instead go about telling you what stocks to own (Starbucks anyone??). Basically this book is trying to convince you that "This time it's different." They are now trying to mend their ways and show that now their advice is worth listening to and all the stuff they said before was wrong and they're very sorry you lost so much of your money using their strategies. And oh, by the way, we still offer for sale this nifty stock investment newsletter and website for a really great price!

   I really think the best approach is to concentrate your portfolio on passive index funds compromising various asset classes (domestic, foreign, bonds, real estate) and just rebalancing once a year. This is a very proven strategy that will beat virtually every actively managed portfolio/fund with far less stress (and taxes). Most major pension funds follow an indexing approach for a good reason: It works.

   For a much better read try out The Coffeehouse Investor, books by Larry Swedroe, Bogle, and William Bernstein. Send these two jesters back to the circus...




4. Although the Motley Fools have shown their inexperience, like some of us knew they would, they have also started maturing. Much of their advice is generic enough to be good and hardly any of their advice is "bad" (like much of their competition). Also, there are some gold nuggets later in the program, so it is worth a listen if you are at any transition points in your life.



5. If you're a somewhat experienced investor, don't waste your money. While Gardner has an involving speaking presentation, there isn't much here beyond some superficial financial planning and investing advice, with a little history of the dot com bubble burst and some mea culpa on the Fool's business foibles. One major investing theme in the book seems to be index funds. He repeats over and over that 90% of managed funds do not beat the S&P index. While that may be true, don't tell Bill Miller, Wally Weitz, Will Danhoff, Ron Muhlenkamp, Bruce Berkowitz..... Of course, he also fails to mention that many funds do not invest in anything remotely associated with this large company index, so it's not fair to compare. Gold funds, small cap funds, international funds, sector funds..... While the average person would be better off following this advice in lieu of uninformed, uneducated investing, it's really a lazy investor philosophy. Not to mention that while repeating over and over that the only mutual fund you need is an index fund, the Motley Fool has begun a newsletter called 'Champion Funds'- makes one think they're OK with managed funds, as long as they can get paid to tout them.....

5 comments about The Foolish Four: How to Crush Your Mutual Funds in 15 Minutes a Year.

1. There's not a ton of new content here that you can't find elsewhere, but this book is a great beginner's guide to investing in the Dow Dividend strategy.



2. I didn't actually buy this book but I read borrowed it from a friend who wanted to know what I thought of it.

   The book is very dangerous because it attempts to show how past results of a pretty obscure formula gave fantastic returns for the last 30 years. What it fails to mention is that none of the methods shown in the book have produced Dow beating results since they were published.

   One reason that the Motley Fool keeps coming up with new variations is that the old ones don't seem to work very well after they have been discovered.

   Anyone reading thinking about this book should skip it and take the other main piece of advice from the Motley Fool and invest in an index fund.




3. I'm a frequent reader of the Motley Fool's website, and a former investor in this strategy. Many of the other reviews are right--there's nothing new to Dow Investing. I first saw some of the ideas in this book ten years ago in Beating the Dow, by Michael O'Higgins, whom the Gardners graciously acknowledge. Both O'Higgins and the Motley Fool do a great job of demystifying investing.

   What isn't so great is that in recent years, this strategy has fallen far short of its promises. The Motley Fool's site has a message board dedicated to this style of investing (formerly called Dogs of the Dow, Dow High-Yield Investing, etc.) and lately, the arguments there are _raging_. On the one side are the theory's ne'er-doubting supporters; on the other, those who, having blindly invested in the theory and lost, are now adamantly opposed to it. Meanwhile, the Gardner brothers, the authors of this book and originators of the Motley Fool, have sold their Foolish Four portfolio and invested the money elsewhere. I'll let that sink in...the bottom line is that this is a method of finding down and out value stocks, which doesn't suit the kind of growth market we've known for the last half decade. Even with the current bear market, over the last five years many tech stocks, although hurting, have still outperformed the Foolish Four.

   Which is not to say that the theory doesn't have merit; the book consists of a simple theory that makes sense. It might be outdated, or it may just be currently out of favor. Whichever it is, I would view the enthusiastic claims of the Gardners with a critical eye. And above all, don't invest blindly in this strategy without knowing the risks. Lastly, if you want to see what the Motley Fool is all about, may I recommend The Motley Fool Investment Workbook.




4. A word to any further readers who come along this. The Fools have now abandoned this investment approach, which they so cockily and vociferously expounded for many years. Although the strategy still has its uses, and they are to be commended for their honesty in abandoning it, they no longer advocate it. Like so many reviewers have wrote in criticism of other Fool books, the Gardners tend to be overcome by hyperbole in their writing, and it seems they did not do enough statistical research to warrant the claims they've been making all along with regards to Foolish Four investing.

   The Fools are overall really good, and have some great ideas, but this book is now outdated. Take what they say with a grain of salt, adapt it to your own thoughts (and to their credit, this is what they advocate, although it IS easy to overlook this in their soaring prose, laden with outlandish statements), and the Fools definitely serve a purpose.




5. The authors on Motley Fool.com do not hold the beliefs in this book. I like the Motley Fool but I know this foolish four stock picks has been droped by the two founders. I recommend the Motley Fool because they admit mistakes. At one time the foolish four stocks were good picks. This last year the foolish four stocks were losers.

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5 comments about Motley Fool Money Guide.

1. Anybody who doesn't know how cynical I am about the capital markets need only read one of my own (fiction) books, but even I was taken with this terrifically readable guide to investing. Clear, concise and entertaining, but best of all, it has just enough tongue-in-cheek edginess to let you know Maranjian doesn't get high on her own supply: she has a solid grasp on where reality ends and the self-interested hype of Wall Street begins. I can't recommend it highly enough.



2. My sister gave me this book after I started getting "serious" about my own finances in my late 20's. I sort of figured that most of this book wouldn't apply to me, but after just 20 pages I already understood why I needed to start saving more, pay off my credit cards, and spend less on insurance. The language is very easy to read. I definitely recommend this book!



3. I ordered this book for my wife. She had tons of "why?" or "how?" or "what's that?" questions that I briefly knew the answer to. This book enabled me to not only point to a one or two paragraph answer to questions such as, "what is a P/E ratio?" but also to get a better grasp on my own finances and wealth management.

   This book has since been lent to friends and family. When people learn that I have a passing knowledge about finances and investing, I'm usually inundated with questions. People naturally want to improve their lot in life. And knowledge of the subject is the first step in improvement. I find that this book helps refresh my thoughts on investing, and also is a great tool in helping others.

   The book is broken into easy to read divisions. It allows for easy reading of the book when those areas of life come up, e.g. buying a house for us a few months ago. As your world of investing evolves and broadens, so will your reading in this book. It has everything for the beginner and also experienced investor.

   I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, buying a car, buying a house, or how to budget for a family. Five stars!!




4. Don't buy this book and save yourself (the money). It's all common sense stuff in here, you won't learn anything new.



5. The Motley Fool's Money Guide will answer almost any money questions you might have. From buying a house to buying stock, this guide answers almost 500 questions related to personal finance, investing, banking, debt, insurance, retirement, and even wills and estates.

   The Guide question and answers runs from very basic money questions to more advanced ones and often gives references on the web where you can find more insight. You won't get bored reading this foolish tome either. Its has some wit and a little humor to it too keep it lively.

   Don't be foolish, get this book and answer almost all of your financial questions from how much insurance should you have to how to understand a corporate balance sheet.

5 comments about The Motley Fools You Have More Than You Think: The Foolish Guide To Investing What You Have (Motley Fool Books).

1. This book was extremely easy to read. It was concise, yet entertaining. I held a highlighter pen in my hand the entire time I was reading and ended up highlighting the entire book! All the information was useful and pertinent. An excellent book for novice investors and those who are getting over a "full-service brokerage" hangover.



2. Investment books are rarely entertaining. The Gardners and Andy Tobias are the exceptions. If you can't bear to read about investing and know nothing, you should give this book a try. You may find it to your taste.

   The weakness of the book is a bias towards encouraging you to be out of debt and into common stocks, based on formulas and your professional knowledge. If the financial markets were at an average or below average price level, that would be all right. But the financial markets are at an all-time high, so future returns should be below par.

   There is a historical ratio between household wealth in stocks and housing that favors buying housing right now rather than stocks. Few will be able to buy a home without a mortgage.

   The most frequent path to major wealth in this country has been to found one's own business. Few can do this without incurring reasonable debt to finance receivables and other needed investments. The Gardners don't really address this investment opportunity.

   The formula the Gardners propose for buying high yield stocks in the Dow has had to be revised every few years to be a good way to invest. This formula probably won't work well in the future either, because too many people follow the formula. Markets are bested by only a small percentage of all investors over time, and this rule is no exception going forward.

   The advice about avoiding credit card debt, saving wherever you can, and so forth is quite good. You'd find it in any decent investment book.

   If you decide you want to go into the stock market, I suggest you also read John Bogle's book, Common Sense About Mutual Funds, to round out the perspective that the Gardners provide here before buying stocks. Be sure to consider first how much you want to do with housing and starting your own business. Good luck with your investing.




3. These two Foolish brothers are a Godsend. They are doing a great service for anyone interested in investing, or building a strong financial future in general. It seems that nowdays there are so many 'shisters' out there, so willing to take the last crumb of food from our lips, that it's frightening. From what I've seen on the Fools website, Dave and Tom are both Foolishly excited about us (jr. Fools) becoming financially educated. This book is waaay to full of puns and cynicism. If you can get through the funny business, however, you will find a gem of a book. Sometimes their humor is actually laughable. Advanced investors may find this treatise on investing somewhat simplified, but that's the way it should be. Why confuse a bunch of simple Fools! Good book with a happy ending!



4. I've read the other Fool books -- this one is much more basic and covers much more than just stock picking methods. If you believe that your financial advisor is a real expert, or you have credit card debt, or you don't know how to get the best price on a car, this is a must read. I knew all the basic stuff until I got to stocks which I'm far from an expert in. What I like about the Fool books (besides the humor and light tone which is always appreciated) is that they explain in plain English the meaning behind the numbers. Want to know what a dividend percentage yield really MEANS? You get the idea. Their basic Dow 4 strategy seems a bit oversimplified, but the point is that we should all realize that WE have all the information we need to make well-informed decisions for ourselves and do not need to rely on others. That idea alone (and a common theme running through the books) is worth the price of admission.



5. I tried to listen to this audio book and couldn't. While the advice in it is good - I've subscribed to the e-mail newsletter in the past - the arrogant tone of the reader is too much for me. Gladly David Gardner reminds you that the recommendations that he is giving you are simple and any Fool should be able to do them and become rich. But after being reminded of this time after time in the introduction you wonder what they REALLY mean by calling themselves Fools. You are talked down to and some start to wonder why would you submit yourself to such irritating drone.

   My advice: Don't be a Fool, buy the book, skip the arrogance, and go straight to the financial advice.

5 comments about The Unemotional Investor: Simple System for Beating the Market (Motley Fool Books).

1. The hard informational content of this book could be presented on a single sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper. Then again, I'd be delighted to pay [money] for it if it showed me how to pick stocks with a 40% annual return. I don't know about you but I have hard time remaining unemotional when promised a 40% return!

   Of course, the real question is: does it work? Well, I haven't risked any of my money trying it out. (Do you think I'm nuts?) But even the author admits his theory is based on only 10 years of data. Whoa! I'll be getting off the bus right here, thanks...

   (For what it's worth, the author seems like a nice guy who really believes in his baby, so I take no joy in one-starring his book. I hope he gets his 40%.)




2. If you have any of the Motley Fools investment books, then this book is a waste of time and money. Robert Sheard, a former Motley fool employee, basically just takes the Motley Fools investment systems and puts a new cover on it, and sells it as a new book. He even re-uses the same jokes. Don't waste your money.



3. If you're like me and don't have time to pore over the Wall Street Journal every morning or stay online 10 hours a day watching the stock trends, this book is for you. It gives a simple, easy to follow, and "unemotional" system for picking top performing stocks. If the market is doing well, you will too. If it isn't, he describes when to get out. I made money with this system at a time when many of my friends were losing money on their stock "hunches."



4. I had to skip the first few chapters 'cause he kept talking about his personal life and blah blah. I finally get through that and it starts off w/ Kindergarten level investing. I read through a few more chapters and then I had to let it go. Not for me but not necessarily a bad book.



5. This book takes as it's premise that you can beat the market. Efficient Market proponents will find it hilarious.

   This book is worth it's purchase price for a detailed analysis of variations on the Dogs of the Dow strategy.

   The section on growth investing is to the best of my knowledge complete hogwash, data mining at it's worst. But the DOD part I think provides some reasonable investment ideas.

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