Business Money Books

This book isn't too bad. It doesn't cover anything revolutionary, but it does a good job of covering some of the basics of getting out of debt. It's an easy read and goes fairly quick. If you want to read it I'd suggest picking it up at the library rather than buying it. One pitfall it does have is that the author could have left her anti-government and political propaganda out of it, that was a bit annoying.

I have read many books about getting out of debt. Most of them have approx the same theories. I gathered two valuable pieces of information from this book. The first one was about how to go about paying off the mortgage and the second was how to prioritize your credit card bills to pay off. Inspiring!

"You can pay off your debts and your mortgage in 5-10 years." During the next five to ten years, you will need to stop spending and make the decision to have "No more debt". Emotionally ignite yourself and believe you can be debt free. You will need to get each member of the family to believe in the vision of debt free and help encourage them to accomplish this goal by rewarding them to stop wasting money and buying at a discount. Be a contratrian moving against the trend, "the more we make, the more we spend" and transform it too "the more we make, the more we invest." 9% of the population will retire with an income of 50k. Make it a goal to own your car and home. Typically, once your income stops, you have 90 days before the bank wants to foreclose. Suppose a home cost 165k for the initial purchase and the borrower of the loan makes 17 years of payments totalling 165k then loses his job and is forced into bankruptcy and foreclosure proceedings. The bank ignores the fact that the borrower has made 165k worth of payments, eliminates most of the equity in the home by offering "auction prices", takes possession of the home, and resells it for a profit. The bank wins through the monthly interest/principal payments and the resell and financing of the home to a new borrower. The author lost her home worth $1.4 million, 14,000 sq ft, and received $5k. She became angry and decided too become debt free.

What is the bottom line? Suppose 45 years of income with a total income of $2,250,000, Less Total Taxes Paid of $1,187,685, Less Mortgage and Interest $315,929, Less Automobile costs - $615,929, leaves $416,386 of money for your family. After 45 years of work you have $416,386 left less other expenses, such as, medical & dental, insurance, food and clothing, utilities, furniture, gifts, and vacation/entertainment, school and college, investment for retirement, child car, and repair on home & auto. Most people retire with less than 100k.

Break the chain of debt: 1. Get rid of credit card debt. For each dollar paid it will cost $4 to repay and 20 years. CC debt and medical emergencies are the number one destroyer of middle class wealth and stablity. 2. Don't buy new. Offer $500 above dealer trade in value for a car. Let friends and relatives know you will be interested in buying their car when they are ready to trade up. Automobile leasing is a cash drain and only makes sense for businesses which can take a tax credit. 3. Insure for 5-7 times your income. The rule of thumb for Insurance is "raise your deductibles" according to risk. 4. Make future payments on your mortgage. Here is where I disagree. Invest your money and then payoff your mortgage with the investments in one swoop. Let the money work for you outside the banking system. 5. Eliminate unnecessary spending and invest the money. Be a predator on spending waste. 6. Increase your income: 1. get a second job 2. create a business, turn your hobby into a money making venture. 3. sell cars, have yard sells, liquidate excessive items 4. reduce eating out and costly recreation/entertainment. 5. Stop impulsive spending - Stay away from bargain sales and marketing media. 6. Put a chart on your refrigator that tracks all the spending. Implement an family open books policy that shows where all the expenses when. Let family members provide feedback and ideas to improve the financial health of the family. Let family member critique the expense ledgers. Make the decision of overcome the spending temptation. 7. Become a thrift spender: buy older cars, clip coupons, attend auctions, look for things at yard sales, buy wholesale, join discount buying organizations, shop at consignment shops, buy only at end-of-season, and buy discount travel.

Other resources: Money Harmony: Resolving Money conflicts in Your Life; Overcoming Overspending, A winning plan for spenders; The money Drunk; 1001 ways to cut your expenses; Great buys for People over 50; Penny Pinching: How to Lower your Everyday Expenses without Lower your Standard of Living; The underground shopper; The Wholesale-by-Mail Catalog; Wholesale Guide to Buying Furniture.

"If it's going to be, its up to me". "The choice is yours!"

Contrary to the preceding opinion from Alabama, this book is a good buy. It tells how to get rid of all your debt in the shortest possible timeframe, saving thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. It even gives a few examples of ways to decrease expenses so that you can use the difference to accelerate repayment of your debts. Following the advice in the book, I expect to be completely out of debt (over $140k, including the mortgage) within 5 years and expect to retire (comfortably) at least seven years earlier than I had anticipated. (P.S. -- I don't make six figures and have a young child.)

The only thing I would change is that the author tells you where to go to find the "best" credit cards. Is there really such a thing? Getting another credit card will, over time, put far too many people back to square one. If you keep in mind that if you can't buy something for cash, that means you can't afford it -- this book can take you the rest of the way.

If you think this book is useless you're probably looking for an easy way out of debt (expecting an inheritance?).

THIS BOOK COVERS MATERIAL ALREADY KNOWN TO ALL READERS OVER THE AGE OF 16. DOES NOT FORMULATE OR DISCUSS ANY PRATICAL PLAN FOR DEBT REDUCTION

A credit derivative is a contract that transfers the risk and return of an asset from one counterparty to another. This is done without transferring ownership of the underlying asset. In comparison to other types of derivatives, credit derivatives are relatively new, and like any new financial instrument their use and analysis has proven to be challenging, both from a technical and regulatory standpoint. This book gives an overview of credit derivatives that can be read by anyone who has an interest in learning about them. Those new to credit derivatives, such as this reviewer, will find the reading straightforward, with appropriate mathematical background in linear algebra, probability and statistics, and time series analysis assumed. The use of credit derivatives is accelerating in many of the major institutions all over the world. A familiarity with them is thus required for all who are responsible for the management of risk or financial analysts who need to understand the pricing mechanisms involved.

The book is divided into three parts, with the first giving a detailed outline of the most important types of credit derivatives. These include asset swaps, credit default swaps, credit spread forwards, total return swaps, basket swaps, and credit spread options. In an asset swap a synthetic asset is created in order to satisfy the need of an investor for a cash flow profile that does not exist in the marketplace. As an example, one can change an instrument paying only fixed rates to one that has floating rates and vice versa. In a credit default swap, as the name implies, one is interested in hedging against default events, and this is done by transferring credit risk of a third party from one party to another. The lender is one of the parties, who is confronted with credit risk from the third party. The other is the counterparty, who agrees to an insurance premium with regular periodic payments. The default of the third party will require the counterparty to purchase from the insured party the asset that has defaulted. In a credit spread forward a single cash flow at a future time is exchanged based on the difference between the credit spread on the date of trading and the market spread at maturity, or alternatively on the difference between two risky spreads. In a total return swap, an agreement is reached between two parties wherein they agree to swap a periodic payment for the duration of the agreement. One of the parties makes payments based upon the total return of a specified reference asset. The other party agrees to make fixed or floating payments to the other. For a basket swap, one pools a number of reference credits into a single structure. There will be a payment to the buyer if a credit defaults, but will not receive a payment if the reference credit merely deteriorates. In a credit spread option, as the name implies, the buyer has the option to receive a payment from the seller if the spread of a particular reference credit increases beyond the strike level for a put option, or decreases within the strike level for a call option. They buyer pays the seller a premium for this option.

The authors discuss other variations of credit derivatives and how certain financial instruments not really classified as credit derivatives can be constructed from them. They also remark on the value of technology in fine-tuning the marketing of credit derivatives, particularly in the over the counter (OTC) trading of these financial instruments. Short commentary is also made on the regulatory environment faced by financial institutions, particularly banks, that desire to use credit derivatives to mitigate risk. The authors are aware that a careless use of credit derivatives can compound the risk, rather than mitigate it.

It is the mathematical formalism behind the pricing and analysis of credit derivatives that is of main interest to those who work in financial engineering. The second part of this book discusses some of this formalism, with emphasis of course on risk modeling. The authors define credit risk as the potential loss that may occur if an obligor is unable to make contractual payments, and consists of three components, namely the probability of default, the recovery rate, and credit risk exposure. After an elementary discussion of risk modeling, wherein some of the standard mathematical tools are discussed, along with the data requirements needed for successful modeling (some of these being quite formidable). For analysts and modelers, this part of the book will of course be the most useful. The mathematical tools used are very well known and there are not beyond the reach of the typical analyst, as compared to more academic approaches to the subject. Because of the background of the authors, the Moody KMV software is emphasized throughout the analysis. In their discussions of the modeling of credit default risk, the reader can clearly see the importance of comparing the market value of assets with the book value of liabilities, and the lack of empirical support for the idea that firms will default when the value of their assets reaches the book value of their total liabilities. Also interesting is the discussion of the Vasicek-Kealhofer model, and its use in calculating the expected default frequency.

This book gives you an understandable overview of investing. It is written in simple English and defines all the terminology used in the book.

No one book can really define the entire spectrum of investing but this book touches on enough items to help you decide what to research next.

I was impressed with the completeness and attention to detail. Both the beginning investor and the seasoned pro could use this book. As a reference book I will be referring to this one many times as I work my way into the world of online investing.

"The Complete Guide to Online Investing" by Michelle Hooper is just what it claims to be. From beginners to seasoned professionals, the information Hooper has collected and put into one volume is impressive. Though some professionals may know, or think they know, everything in the book, it is still worth a look. Some may learn something new. Others will find their memory on key concepts and ideas refreshed.

The first chapter, "What is Investing?" lists nearly every type of investment that most people can make. From stocks and bonds to real estate investment trusts, it is all covered here. Though the first section has little to do with the online part of investing, it does give a great overview and background for new investors. Hooper expands on this information, or suggest ways to put it to practical use, in subsequent chapters.

The next couple of chapters explain what types of investments a person can make and the places where they can invest. It provides a great overview of investment strategies and reviews key terms that many beginning investors may not be familiar with, but the investing community already assumes everyone knows.

The heart of the book really begins in chapter 4, which gives a great overview of various financial and trading Web sites. Helpful navigational tools are provided with most of the Web sites reviewed, as well as a brief discussion on what information or tools it may provide. In addition, it discusses some Web sites offering very helpful and fun applications, such as investment calculators, for those who want to dream.

Those who are interested in reviews of online brokers, both full service and discount, and reviews of other online services will not be disappointed. In addition to listing the advantages and steps needed to get started on these Web sites, Hooper also explains how to make sure a broker is reputable. There is also a helpful section on scams. Those wanting to check out a variety of firms will also find dozens listed, along with their Web site addresses.

Replete with a significant number of personal stories, case studies and tips, Hooper writes in a very personable and conversational tone. Discussing Johnson & Johnson, at one point she notes, "Those guys make everything, and it is important that people have deodorants." That folksy style is refreshing in the financial book market, which often discusses things most would need a doctorate degree to understand.

There are some portions of the book structured awkwardly. For example, the first chapter is 90 pages long. That may seem rather intimidating to readers who are used to breaking up their reading by chapters. However, there are numerous subsections and subheads, which help break the information up into digestible chunks.

The stories she relates are relevant to the subject matter she is discussing, demonstrating how there are practical applications for the ideas she is discussing. The success stories mentioned also offer encouragement to potential investors. "The Complete Guide to Online Investing" offers everything a beginning investor could want.

This "how-to" book of the ins and outs of online investing should appear prominently on the bookshelf of anyone who is serious about making money in the stock market. It contains a wealth of information that runs the gamut from the history of laws governing trading to an account of investing strategies, including after-hours trading, managing your investment portfolio, recognizing a bad broker, as well as information regarding tax deductions for investment newsletters and even computers used for investing! But it would be advisable to check with your tax accountant before attempting to take these deductions on your tax returns. Hooper's exhaustible research for this book is obvious in the many charts, case studies, and websites included for further reference.

The book is written in a very straightforward and accessible style, even when dealing with more dense topics such as futures and commodities trading. Hooper explains that "A long call is simply purchasing a call option in which the investor hopes that the price of the futures market will rise." In addition, Hooper uses humor to make certain points. When discussing trading of currencies, Hooper warns "Do not get up and take a break or you could lose a large sum of money", and in describing the "Fill or Kill" request, Hooper notes that this "does not mean that the broker will be killed if an order is not filled." Books on topics such as this are often exceedingly technical and difficult to read but Hooper has really lived up to the title of this book The Complete Guide to Online Investing: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply.

Do you have the knowledge to do online investing? In this outstanding book you will find all the answers you need and answers to things you didn't even know about. Author Michelle Hooper brings it down to terms that everyone can understand whether you are a beginner or a more seasoned investor. And Hopper is no novice to investing she has the classes and knowledge to backup her information.

You will learn about what is investing, the history behind investing, how to invest, the different types of stock markets, researching, computer software, how to watch your money, the safety of online investing, brokers and financial advisers, finding your investment style, how to read charts and graphs, and figuring taxes. There are plenty of websites and examples listed to help with such things as help if you need a broker and what companies to trust, short-term and long-term investing, how to setup your portfolio, what are IPOs and DPOs, the difference between after hour trading and day trading as well as what is an investment club and how to start one.

The information is precise and complete the tips are fantastic. Perfect for beginners and seasoned pros but also a useful tool for high school and college students to learn the ins and outs of online investing. You can never start too young to build your future and this is one book that should be in everyone's home even if you don't have stocks or bonds you may have a 401k or other types of retirement plans that you should be aware of what's going on - after all it's your money!

With the overwhelming array of financial information and resources available, it was an inspiring relief to find a book that so effectively provides so much information on finances and investing, in such an easily digestible format.

I've always wanted to learn more about investing, but felt it was something better left to those "in the know." It seemed too complicated for someone like me whose financial experience is limited to struggling with balancing my checkbook. But the examples, case studies, comparison charts, checklists, description of important key terms, links to additional resources and even some history have given me the confidence to pursue investing in a more sound financial future for me and my family. The sections on researching brokers and brokerages, navigation software, the safety of online investing, and finding your investment style were particularly enlightening.

I now find myself watching the financial shows and segments on TV and actually understanding what they are talking about. And if I come across an unknown term or concept, I can usually find it in this book. It is and will continue to be a great reference and resource tool.

The stories about these entrepreneurs give you quite a bit of motivation and encouragement. But the book falls short in terms of knowedge about how to run a business. The author focuses on the people's expiriences throughout the book -- but does show specifics on how they became successful. But since I got it really cheap using a coupon from UnderTag.com, I can't really complain.

This title of the book is a little decieving. The content of the book is only about the experience of several entreprenuers. It doesn't really explain you anything about how to run a business. But it's still worth the money to get yourself motivated. But since I got it really cheap using a coupon from UnderTag.com, I can't really complain.

Anyone starting his own business should read this book. The writing is clear and concise. The author is definitely a real writer. And each chapter is loaded with facts that are essential for anyone starting up. To really hit home, the author provides each chapter with examples from real start-ups such as Motley Fool and Kate Spade. The only downside is since this is such a quick read, more resources will be necessary. The chapters on business plan writing and marketing are more like primers which you need to read up on for these mandatory skills. But no worries, the author provides tons of resources in the appendix for additional reading. If you read this and then read "Think and Grow Rich"...it just might be your ticket out of that ka-rappy job.

A good read if you are thinking about starting a start up but if you are already have an operating start up, then this book will confirm the obstacles you are facing but no major enlightening answers to overcome these obstacles... only a list of resources in the back of the book.

Awesome. Well, its hard for a BOOK to be AWESOME, but this one is close. Let's just call it "an exceptionally superb read."

This book closed the book for me (pun intended) on whether or not to begin my little business. And the answer is a resounding YES! This is not a book that will teach you how to file with the IRS, or how to write a business plan. What it will teach you is whether or not you are ready to run your own business.

The lessons I got from this book that have stuck with me are A: Don't wait until you're too old to start a business! By then you'll know better. B: It doesn't matter if you don't really know what you're doing; nobody does. These lessons, and many more, are reinforced by interviews and stories of many different entrepreneurs, who range from tiny companies you've never heard of, to the guy who started CDNOW. You will have a notebook full of ideas by the time you're through.

WARNING: If you're over 30, be prepared to feel crappy about how you're spent your years since graduation from college or high school. Although anyone who wants to start a business will benefit immensely from this book, it is written to appeal to young, hip, headstrong gen-whatevers like me. And there are lots of swear words, which makes it seem even more hip and not stuck-up.

One other thing: the resource section in the back is frab-dabulous and zip-zoop-zabulous.

Buy it now!

Well written style, similiar to a Wade Cook book. Also similiar to a Wade Cook book Mr. Witt presents various rolling stock/option hype strategies, but never actually tells you how on earth to find these magical equities. I have searched far and wide and used a wide array of screening and technical charting tools and Only 1 in every 500 or so stocks I look at could be called a rolling stock. Another thing to note, many rolling stocks you will find are linked to hard commodities such as gold, silver and copper. If it's a sideways economy with some volatility just play an index option on Gold. At the end of the day, it's a good theory, but without a way to test the theory aside from a few paisley charts in his book, this is essentially worth less than the cost of shipping.


I suppose that the Wade Cook team could have had practical Telechart screening strategies set up to find these, but you would have had to pay $xx,000 to get into one of their seminars, which is where all these guys made their real paychecks.

I wasn't very impressed with this book. I've read many of the major books in the market and have been trading for quite some time and I found that I didn't get anything substantial out of this one. maybe a good book if your just starting out but not for anyone that has traded over 6 months. Pretty much all he talks about is buying stocks under ten dollars and setting limit orders. And the amount of time he devotes to Wade Cook is irritating. Ok yea its obvious who your mentor is but you don't have to quote him on every bloody page and then put the titles of every one of his books in the appendix including the books that he wrote that has nothing to do with stocks. Wow maybe I'm really not impressed with this book.

Well I bought this book back in the day as well and what can I say. It started me off to the best investing strategy that I work with to this day. When I first joined the military I had no idea of what stocks were but I wanted to start up a roth ira and I knew from reading here and there that mutual funds underperformed to stocks. I was young and I wanted to see if I could beat the market. Well after reading this and investing just a grand in roth, two years later with no additional investing I was able to achieve $25,000. Thats right $1000 + 2 years = $25,000. Thanks Witt.

P.S. My first roller was KRY

This book may help you, trader better!

When do you buy? When do you sell?
Mainly focus under $5 stocks.
90% of the stock player's loose money since they have no idea which way a stock will roll next.
They are too emotional to get in a trade at a top and are afraid to enter at the bottom.
This book will explain what to look for and when is the right time to enter a trade and exit a trade.

It has been over 5 years since I found and read this book. After reading it, I opened an on-line trading account, started following the guidelines in the book (the first part, not Options), and made money. I went on to read other books and trade using other methods. I believe it is working for me because I learned this method first. Now I have run into this listing on Amazon and would like to say it was a great book that opened up a whole world for me, by giving me a safe entry into trading and a method to fall back on in difficult markets. Read this book, read between the lines as well, and add this method to your investment repertoire! I thought since the book is older now, you'd like to read my review, 'cause I am still using what I learned from this book today.

In his introduction to The Magical State, Coronil writes: "As an oil nation, Venezuela was seen as having two bodies, a politcal body made up of its citizens and a natural body made up of its rich subsoil." Coronil's subject is how the state interacted with these two bodies. Abundant oil money, he argues, raised the ambitions of the state and the expectations of the people to an unrealistic extreme. Although excessive cashflow could not be spent efficiently in an underdeveloped country like Venezuela, pretending to do so was the government's sole claim to legitimacy; thus a charade of progress and benevolence pervaded the political culture of an export-driven, dependent economy.

Coronil's ideas are fascinating, and Part I alone (of four) makes this book worth reading. Unfortunately, Coronil does not bring his ideas home persuasively. Instead his book slowly degenerates into deconstructed historical anecdotes and glimpses of bitter subjectivity: reminders of his own experience with the government of Venezuela. Coronil's book casts an intriguing theoretical perspective on more conventional, more competent histories of Venezuela by scholars like Judith Ewell or John Lombardi. Read them first. The Magical State is for those who are comfortable with the historical framework and are ready to read critically--caveat lector.

I bought this book in order to get some context for the situation today with Chavez. However, the auother seems to get lost in his own head and and for large parts of the book fails to describe anything other than a load of overly sohpisticated academic speak that nobody understands. While there are a few excellent chapters in it I felt a bit let down.

This book goes far, very far, beyond the pedestrian and misleading analyses of Judith Ewell or John Lombardi. Coronil offers a history of Venezuela that reveals connections among state-formation, national mythology, natural resource exploitation, and class rule. A must read, therefore, not only for all Latin Americanists but also many others.

an interesting insight into why oil rent cannot buy industrial development. In addition to historical overview, Coronil describes the simultaneously enabling and corrosive effect of oil rent via several focused examples such as the failure to establish a Venezuelan tractor industry. These examples are especially convincing because of the interview material used to round out the characters of the main actors.
On the other hand, the effort to connect the development difficulties of Venezeula with the general theory of rent capture is uninspired.

This book goes far, very far, beyond the pedestrian and misleading analyses of Judith Ewell or John Lombardi. Coronil offers a history of Venezuela that reveals connections among state-formation, national mythology, natural resource exploitation, and class rule. A must read, therefore, not only for all Latin Americanists but also many others.

The new book by Sy Harding, called "Beat the Market the Easy Way," regurgitates what was said in Sy's last book called "Riding the Bear," with the exception of a new simple formula to invest in Nasdaq index on a long term basis, exploiting the four year electional cycle. As usual, Sy has many good points to make and his crusade for the ordinary Joe investor and against the Wall Street establishment has great validity. The tone of the book is somewhat patronizing for someone sophisticated. It is perhaps adequate for the average Joe who should find in the book a lot to learn about investing. Overall, the book should be a great useful tool for the uninitiated and should teach a trick or two to the sophisticated. I would recommend the book highly for its readability and useful guidance on a vitally important topic of investing. A lot more poeple should pay attention to investing than those who do and Sy's book is designed to help them in a genuine spirit.

The blurb on Mr. Harding's book says "A must-have book for investors!" Is that ever true! I have read many, many books on markets and investing. This one is by far the best, most informative, and useful I have ever read.

This is not a "sky is falling" or alarmist book. It's not a negative gloom-and-doom book. It does focus on an unwanted event we consider negative, and it does occur in millions of peoples' lives. Da Big "B." It could happen to you, it could happen to me. Authors Sullivan, Warren, and Westbrook have decades of experience in the industry and provide one of the most detailed and accurate pictures of the people and circumstances within it.

In addition to statistics and research, tables, and graphs, the authors conducted detailed surveys of 2,452 people and provided case histories of folks that filed for bankruptcy in the 1990s. They come from all income and occupational levels, and from all geographical areas of the country. Just like you and me. It only takes a hiccup. Keep your eye out for the legislation that will be coming forward. Although it would be unpleasant, bankruptcy is not the end of the world, by any means. There are worse things that can happen in life.

The "Fragile Middle Class" has non-biased an informative information on....us. What is the reality behind the so-called middle class? While millions of individuals and families are members of this club, and we have a definition of what qualifies people as being part of it, what is the financial health of the American middle class today in 2003? Real income is still declining, even after the economic boom of the 1990s. (This was a pseudo economic boom). Personal debt is at record levels. If truthful accounting and honest financial disclosures are conducted, being middle class means living paycheck to paycheck, on the brink bankruptcy, due to even a minor financial hiccup: divorce, a staggering medical bill due to illness or accident, or loss of a job. The authors' introduce the new concept called "skidding," which is when a person changes jobs, which results in lower pay, and therefore less income coming in. And they discuss the record number of people who've recently gone bankrupt. This book is about those, who are most of us, that teeter on the edge.

First, debt is essential to living in our modern economy, and when used properly is good for us, and benefits the economy. We can't now, and have never been able to pay cash for our home, or a new or used car. When people invest in real estate or a business, they borrow capital. Having leverage is actually better. However, total Debt ratio is the largest it's ever been, combined with stagnant and declining wages. 2/3 of the American economy is dependent on consumer spending, completely dependent upon people spending their on money on--everything. One example, out of thousands, is the recent public "begging campaign" from politicians and high-profile business spin doctors in New York, imploring people to "come to New York and spend money," to revive the economy. When there is a slight dip in consumer confidence we hear about it from the media, because it's considered so vital to the U.S. economy.

This book uses historical as well as current notes, stats, and case studies, with the majority of the findings from the results from the decade of the 1990s. It is obvious that the tech-boom of the 90s was a temporary band aid that was applied to a long-term sociological and economic bullet wound. Financially, Americans are in some of the worse financial shape they've ever been in. Why is consumer debt at an all-time high? Why over one million bankruptcies per year? This book conducts research and analysis that paints the modern day picture from the perspective of people in the bankruptcy industry. And today, the bankruptcy numbers are so significant that the Federal government will soon pass legislation in an attempt to reduce the numbers of Americans filing. However the reduction in the number of filers means major changes need to be made by our societal and cultural expectations, financial institutions, and personal spending habits and behavior. Something that Congressional legislation can't do alone. There will be an impact, but it will be minimal. One could adopt my personal attitude, which is simply not to care.

In some ways, this is the authors' companion book to their excellent book, As We Forgive Our Debtors. The Fragile Middle Class is less academic than As We Forgive Our Debtors and focuses more on the people who fall into bankruptcy and less on the economics and supporting cast of players (creditors and legal system)that comprise the U.S. bankruptcy system. In this book, the authors could provide reasons for why some individuals find themselves at the mercy of the bankruptcy court. For the time-pressed, Chapter One, Americans in Crisis, aptly summarizes the contents of the book.

The book provides the reader with a comprehensive definition of what it means to be 'middle-class'. It also provides the key socio-economic reasons underlying bankruptcy. These are: income disturbances (which includes unemployment and under-employment), credit cards, illness, divorce and housing. One chapter each is devoted to these reasons. Throughout, the stated goal of the authors was to tell the reader what the portrait of the bankrupt can tell us about the rest of society.

The authors re-affirm the old refrain that economic insecurity has greatly increased in American society. Their work strongly indicates that by far the greatest culprit leading to bankruptcy is job loss, followed by divorce and/or illness. In many cases, as the authors demonstrate, more than one culprit may be at work in a particular bankruptcy.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I noted in reading the book was the juicy little tidbit on credit cards on page 128. While the authors readily admit that mere possession of a credit card will not lead to bankruptcy, they do insist that the level of such revolving debt (for which they define the tipping point toward bankruptcy as short-term debt exceeding one and a half times gross annual income) is critical, and take care to point out that the debts can keep on compounding (at twenty-four percent interest, compounded monthly) long after the cardholder has shredded his or her piece of plastic.

In sum, this book was a very readable introduction to bankruptcy among the middle class. The authors have once again cranked out another excellent study.

Rehashes their earlier book and reiterates the same tautology: too much debt causes bankruptcy.

IN 2OO3, OVER 1.6 MILLION AMERICANS FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. OVER 33% OF THE AMERICANS THAN OWN A HOME ARE ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM FORECLOSURE. Is it that hard to believe that America is fastly becoming a nation of debtors. Even more interesting, the government actually promotes it by slack regulations, unnaturally low interest rates, and a willingness to keep Americans spending. This book does a fantastic job in helping anyone understand just how bad it is, and just how blind we as Americans are to the situation. 4 STARS! - Mason Johnson, President, www.tomorrowsgold.com

Excellent read if you wondering about the number of bankruptcies or have been puzzled about the decline in real wages over the last few decades. It may make you think twice about your own finances!

Its pretty good. A lot of complicated tricks. It doesn't deal much with retired people.

This is a book that I wish I'd had (and paid attention to) some years ago, that is, before being sued for divorce. I then had to learn what he says here through talking to attorneys (at $much per hour this is an expensive approach) and by writing my ex-wife big checks (but I got sole custody of the kid so it was worth it).

Dr. Goldstein is talking about protecting what assets you have (after divorce that may be considerably less than you had before). When your major assets have been stripped away, you still need to protect what you have left, but some of the rules change. For instance liability insurance, if you carry a million dollar liability policy and have only $10,000 in assets, this may entice a hungry attorney to sue you while if you only had $20,000 in insurance, he may go look for another target.

This book is very easy to read and provides some excellent general advice and information for readers who are unfamiliar with the topic.

However, it does not provide the detailed information needed by someone who wants to formulate their own tailored estate and/or asset protection plan even though the book implies that it does. For example, some of the 'information' relating the differences between states is outdated and/or wrong.

Read this book for fundamental information and as a wake up call for the need for protection rather than as detailed advice on how you can do it!

Author Goldstein has been an asset protection attorney for many years. His first book, Asset Protection Secrets, was a best seller. This one is for everyone: people with money; people with little assets but they don't want to lose them; young and old; married, divorced and single; savvy or naive.

These chilling words set the tone: "You just never know what a jury will do," and "Juries decide if a case has merit." He states that 93% of Americans have absolutely no lawsuit protection aside from their liability insurance--because we procrastinate and don't think it will ever happen to us.

You don't have to do anything wrong to be sued and lose. You only have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time--or come across some greedy lunatic who things he has a reason to be grieved.

Goldstein's advice and strategies show how you can protect yourself against lawsuits, divorce, creditors, the IRS and other deadly threats to your wealth and assets (money, investments, possession, businesses, etc.).

Bulging with easy-to-understand advice, the book might make you to decide TODAY is the time to start protecting your assets and no longer be non-protected.

From personal experience, I know that money and time spent now can save you a lot of both later. It is shocking that only one in five Americans have even a simple will to define their wishes.

The author ends with four important steps:
1.Commit to action: Set a goal and get started.

2.Organize your team of advisors to protect your assets, including family members, business associates, etc.--people you can trust.

3.Recruit the right professionals: your lawyer, accountant, banker, financial planner/investment advisor, insurance professional--and what criteria to use.

4.Stay proactive in maintaining financial security: Be your own counsel in addition to your advisors; learn, read, be proactive.

Armchair Interviews says: So Sue Me should scare you right into your lawyers and accountant's office, place a call to your insurance man, and generally "look over your shoulder" now that you know how easily you can lose your assets.

This book gave me some real insights into Wall Street and how to protect my money.There is a great deal of honesty here and the writing syle is easy on the eyes, but it did make me think. I wish there were more books like this and Mark Dempsey wherever you are I hope you are helping other people as you have helped me and my family.

I must have saved 10,000 dollars by reading this book. I have read it twice now and I am a better investor for it. The amount of money I saved in fees alone makes the book a real winner. GOOD STUFF!!!!

I can't believe what I read in this book that was published a couple of years ago. The author seems to have a cystal ball when he talked about analysts and how they did the wrong thing by investors. Robbing You Blind also hits the nail on the head when it talks about brokers and their wicked ways. Enron 401k messes are predicted in the book and not one soul seems to have cared to take care of the problem Sadly, the book looks at regulators in a different way giving them little credit in helping investors and standing up for their interests. Recent headlines seem to support the allegations. What is so interesting about this book is that nothing was done to help investors from being robbed blind for so many years. Why, I wonder?

Wow a financial advisor who really cares about people!! I am impressed with the book and Mr. Dempsey.

This book should be required reading for any that either have money or plan to have money in the stock market. Why? Because the tricks of the trade and hidden fees are going to eat into your profits and at the very least you should want to know where your money is going. Thinking of seeing a financial planner? Read this book to arm yourself against some of ploys they might use against you. Using a full service stock broker in your trades? Some of what goes on behind closed doors might surprise you.

You should understand how car salesmen work before buying a car, why not understand how mutual fund salesmen work before investing, especially since the amount of money is probably going to be a much larger amount.

It is the naïve and uninformed get soundly fleeced everyday in the financial markets, at the very least, read this book before making any large financial decisions that involve trusting the advice from a financial advisor, banker or stock broker. These often have built in conflicts of interests that could cost you money.

While pros and those in the know will probably not find anything here new, and stock brokers and other financial salesmen probably hate this book, I strongly recommend it to any that are thinking about entering the financial markets.