by Ben Stein, Phil DeMuth
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| List Price: | $14.95 |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $6.61 |
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Product Description
With the bursting of the stock market bubble, and after 13 rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, yields on CDs and Money Market funds tread at historic lows—a negative return after inflation. Gone are the days when investors could earn 5 percent interest, risk-free. With smaller savings coupled with lower returns on what savings remain, retirees and others living on fixed-income investments watch in horror as their income checks shrink with each passing month. However, there are investments that still earn a significant rate of return—and do so reliably and consistently. These fixed-income securities include bonds, real estate investment trusts, preferred stocks, and emerging market debt, among others. They earn the kind of returns that baby boomers and the retirement community need in the same way they need to draw breath, yet hardly anyone knows anything about them. As 70 million Americans reach retirement age in the next 15 years, fixed-income investing will become a sociologically inevitable megatrend. Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor! shows you how you can safely secure the highest possible yield from your savings, even in a treacherous investment environment.
Amazon.com Review
Aimed at those living on a fixed income or on the cusp of retirement, Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor! explains the basic building blocks of fixed-income investing and offers advice on getting the highest possible yield while minimizing capital losses. At a time when interest rates are unusually low and with more Americans than ever reaching retirement (a trend that will continue for the next 15 years), this is particularly timely information. Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth sift through dozens of investment options and highlight the stocks and bonds with the greatest income yields in recent years as well as some strategies and investments that should be approached with caution. They also discuss how to develop a diverse portfolio, name specific investments and explain their yields and risks, and help readers develop an overall strategy based on goals and needs. There are also chapters on the bond market, annuities, winning stocks, various investment products, real estate investment trusts, and a look at the hard numbers on various mutual funds. Stein, an economist and part-time TV and movie personality, and DeMuth, an investment psychologist, make a good writing team. They combine a wealth of information, including hard data, graphs, and charts, with a clear and precise writing style that investment novices will appreciate. The book also contains practical tips and advice designed to help readers do their own research and know the questions to ask when dealing with investment professionals. --Shawn Carkonen
Average Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Income Investor, 2008-07-13
Excellent book ... short, easy to read with good illustrations. Would have liked an explanation as to how to select dividend stocks rather than using the recommended list since the recommended list will change over time.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great Primer on Income Investing, 2008-01-18
Fine book on income investing. Good for all. Highly recommend this to all who are interested in increasing their income and preserving capital. Hats off to the authors.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Take with a grain of salt, 2007-12-26
A good book but not as complete as Yes, You can still Retire Comfortably.
Does not fully elaborate on the risks of bonds in dealing with Financials (sub-prime) and Bond defaults. Perhaps an update of this book is in order.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Invest for Yield people, 2007-05-06
This is an excellent book to teach you how to invest for the highest yield. I should add that Jeremy Siegel's books are also good for this type of investing. Say bye to the Apples, Microsofts, retailers, Googles, and other growth stocks, and hello to high yield, income producing securities. The key is to buy and hold forever, reinvesting your dividends along the way. As the years unfold you will find your portfolio grow larger and larger. Who cares if the market is up or down? Let it go down, and your reinvested dividends will buy you more shares.
This book is highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A very different investment book, 2007-01-05
This is a very different investment book. While the books one typically sees suggest ways to get rich-- that is, to accumulate capital-- as quickly as possible, this short, readable book suggests that those near or in retirement should be thinking about how to deploy their resources in a way that maximizes their income. That is, staying comfortable is more important than getting rich.
Stein and DeMuth explain that most investment fads are not only unsuitable for older investors, but, worse, they just don't work. They make a point that many people who lost their money in the market meltdown a few years ago should have thought about: If an investment is too complicated to understand, then it should be avoided. In the end, there's no magic bullet; diversification and adherence to investment basics will pay off. The body of the book is devoted to explaining how to do that.
The book discusses various types of bonds, dividend-paying stocks, real estate investment trusts, and annuities. The one thing that is mentioned in every chapter is the basic principle that risk and reward are in balance; the only way to get a high reward is to take more risk. Striking the correct balance is, of course, an individual decision, and the most important part of the book is the discussion about how to combine various types of investments in in a way that balances risk and reward. There are numerous sample portfolios and many specific bond and stock funds suggested-- and also numerous cautions that investors need to do their own research before they buy anything. The authors provide a link to their website, which provides current information and links.
A bonus is that unlike many investment books, this one is very readable. The authors don't dumb anything down, but they take pains to explain things without using jargon. Readers familiar with Stein's TV and movie style of delivery will recognize it here, too.
This is a very valuable book that will provide the reader with a lot to think about-- and a good way to do that thinking.
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
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