This book was originally inspired by my desire to give each of my five children a gift. I figured if I could teach them how to make money for themselves, then I would be giving them a great gift—truly one that would keep giving. I also figured that if I could explain how to make money in terms that even my kids could understand (the ones already in sixth and eighth grades, anyway), then I could pretty much teach anyone how to be a successful stock market investor.
While the concepts covered in this book may seem simple—perhaps too simple for sophisticated investors—each step along the way is there for a reason. Stay with it, and I assure you the payoff for both beginning and experienced investors will be huge.
After more than 25 years of investing professionally and after 9 years of teaching at an Ivy League business school, I am convinced of at least two things:
- If you really want to “beat the market,” most professionals and academics can’t help you, and
- That leaves only one real alternative: You must do it yourself.
Along the way, you will learn:
- How to view the stock market
- Why success eludes almost all individual and professional investors
- How to find good companies at bargain prices
- How you can beat the market all by yourself
I have included an Appendix section for those of you with a higher level of financial training, but it is not necessary for people to read or understand the appendixes to be able to understand and apply the methods found in this book. The truth is that you don’t need an MBA to beat the market. Knowing lots of sophisticated formulas or financial terms isn’t what makes the difference. Understanding the simple concepts in this book . . .
is.