The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of

In a wise and witty manner, brothers David and Tom Gardner, founders of the multimedia investment company The Motley Fool, impart their investment strategies to the adolescent masses with The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens.

In eight teen-friendly sections, the brothers Gardner and writing partner Selena Maranjian demystify the stock market by describing and defining mutual funds, banking practices, IRAs, and drip investing. The authors also include numerous quotes from money-savvy adolescents who detail some of their rookie market moves in an attempt to help their peers steer clear of similar mistakes. Parents will approve of the strongly worded sections on credit card debt and the costly financial and physical tolls a smoking habit takes on both wallet and health. In fact, parents would do well to pick up this investment primer for their own edification, if they find the stock market a confusing and chaotic business. Loaded with worksheets, helpful Web sites on a variety of financial subjects, a concise glossary, and a comprehensive index, this is one investment guide that both generations can and will turn to again and again.

Traditionally, teens have been known for having a hard time seeing the proverbial Big Picture. But the Gardners respond admirably to this characteristic, by constantly emphasizing the fortune teens can make in the future by investing now and reminding them that investing money is the least labor-intensive way to make more of the desirable green stuff. A perfect gift for the burgeoning Warren Buffet in your life. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Description:

From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors.

The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens.

The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend -- time -- to watch their profits multiply.

• Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to:
• Question authority when it comes to managing your money
• Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!)
• Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults
• Get started investing -- online and off -- with just a few dollars
• Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips

Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.

Amazon.com Editorial Review

The Little Book of Main Street Money: 21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money

Street Smart Tips for Main Street
Content from author Jonathan Clements

1. Don’t pay an insurance company to shoulder risks you can afford to shoulder yourself.
2. To make it easier to amass enough for retirement, aim to start saving no later than age 30
3. Make it a point to sock away tax refunds, year-end bonuses, overtime pay, and any other extra money you receive
4. Mentally divide your portfolio into growth money and safe money – and expect a rough ride from the former and comfort from the latter
5. The harder you try to beat the market, the more likely you are to fail, thanks to the investment costs involved.
6. By building a portfolio that is unlikely to suffer big short-term losses, you should improve your long-run investment compounding.
7. Unless your health is poor, plan on a retirement that lasts until age 90 – and maybe longer.
8. Resist following the crowd, whether it’s chasing hot performers in bull markets or shunning stocks during market declines.
9. Before purchasing a house, make sure you will stay put for at least five years and preferably longer.
10. If you’re a conservative investor inclined to buy bonds, consider making extra principal payments on your mortgage instead.


21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money
Content from author Jonathan Clements

1. Our finances are bigger than a brokerage account
2. We can’t have it all
3. Money can buy happiness – if we spend it carefully
4. Even the best investors need to be great savers
5. Time is as valuable as money
6. No investment is risk-free
7. Portfolio performance – it’s all in the mix
8. Stocks are worth SOMETHING
9. To add wealth, we need to overcome the subtractions
10. Aiming for average is the only sure way to win
11. Wild investments can tame our portfolios
12. Short-term results matter to long-term investors
13. A long life is a big risk
14. Markets may be rational, but we aren’t
15. Our homes are a fine investment that won’t appreciate much
16. Paying off debts could be our best bond investment
17. Saving taxes can cost us dearly
18. A tax deferred is extra money made
19. Insurance won’t make us any money – if we’re lucky
20. Even if we have a will, we may not get our way
21. Financial success: it’s about more than money

Book Reviews:

"A gem from one of the most brilliant minds in personal finance."
—Ben Stein, author, actor, TV personality, and New York Times columnist

"Investing, as it is said, is simple but it is not easy. Jonathan Clements's fine new Little Book underscores the priceless (and price-less) value of simplicity. And his sage advice on living the good life and on spending well and saving wisely will surely make it, if not easy, at least easier for us to achieve financial peace of mind."
—John C. Bogle, founder of Vanguard and author of Enough

"Nobody, and I mean nobody, can make the world of investing as easy to understand as Jonathan Clements can. In this wonderful book, he teaches Main Street how to beat Wall Street at its own game-and how to have fun along the way. This book does not stop at merely making you richer and smarter; it will even help you lead a better life."
—Jason Zweig, author of Your Money and Your Brain and editor of Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor

"Jonathan Clements is one of our wisest and finest writers in the field of personal finance. This Little Book contains gems of wisdom not only about investing, but also about living a full and satisfying life."
—Burton G. Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

"Easy to read, easy to understan-and easy to put to work-this Little Book is a winner. I'm getting copies for our children-and their children, too."
—Charles D. Ellis, author of Winning the Loser's Game