Investing without a Silver Spoon

Investing without a Silver Spoon was written by The Motley Fool. It was published in 2000. This book has been divided into two parts. The first part is an introduction to direct investing and the second part of the book is nothing more than a laundry list of companies that permit direct investing. Part one of the book consists of nine chapters and is only a total of 96 pages. Part two has no chapters, lists all the companies in alphabetical order, and is a total of 311 pages. Part one provides the investing layman with knowledge about direct investing. This book provides an argument for investing now instead of later as well as the advantages for direct investing plans. The book also reviews the disadvantages of direct investments and times when not to invest. The authors walk the reader through the enrollment process and covers industries and companies to embrace. This book provides a brief education on how to determine a company's valuation and performance measures. Recordkeeping, portfolio tracking and taxes are also reviewed in part one of this book. Lastly, we all need to know how to sell the stock we purchase through a direct investment plan.

The authors of Investing Without a Silver Spoon take great pride in providing their readers with detailed information on how to start and finish their investing journey in the world of Direct Investing. It is not hard but it requires self-discipline. Although this method of saving for your future may not provide you with a bazzilon dollars but this will provide you with a fiinancial foundation to build upon.

MY 2 1/2 CENTS WORTH

I have been a fan The Motley Fool for years. I have thoroughly enjoyed their financial advise, their professionalism, and humor. Their website has encouraged many financial gun shy individuals to step out into the world stocks and invest wisely in one's own future. I have always been frustrated with the financial world interms of its intimidation factor. The only people who know anything about tend to have lots and lots of money. I on the other hand am a common man with little to know money, yet I need to provide for the future. I have two children who need to go to college, they both will have a wedding (some day), my wife and need to have retirement $, and we will need to have a little spending money every now and again. To do this with little to no knowledge is scary and intimidating. Most stock brokerages prey on the ignorant and cator (sp) to the wealthy. Motley Fool, on the other hand, has become a champion for the little man or I should say for the man with little money. They provide financial information for the layman. They make investing look simple enough even for a layman to do. Their strategy is simple: reduce your debt, research in companies that allow the invester to purchase stock directly from the company, and invest regularly (i.e. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly). Historically, this strategy has helped many individuals prepare for their retirement years. Personally, I have used this method of savings to save for my children's college, our first automobile, a partial down payment on the house, and a new garage door. Although this is not the answer to everyone's financial woe's (sp), it is a savings path that can help many people get into the stock purchasing game with a minimal impact on their fiancial wallet. Fifty dollars a month is no more than ten Starbucks latayes (sp). That same fifty dollars a month could purchase you 1-2 shares of stock from companies like Edison, Intel, Starbucks, Walmart, or Tyson. In one year you would have spent $600 on special coffee that tasted good going into the body and most like felt good going out of the body. However, that same $600 dollars spent on the stock through the companies direct investment program still exsists in the form of 6-12 shares in the company. An added bonus would be that the stock has gone up and/or the company also provides you with a dividend (sp). Either way you end up with a lot more than the coffee your drank earlier.

I highly recommend this book to those who have little discresionary funds, yet are looking for ways to provide for the future. Although saving for one's future is not easy, this book provides a path that can be implemented by anyone who has some discretionary funds and self-discipline. Here's to investing without a silver spoon.