I became fascinated with retirement plans and policy when I realized that my 401(k)-like retirement plan with a high rate of savings and investment returns would still come up way short in terms of the retirement income needed for me and my family. That led me to initiate a winning campaign to allow those of us in that plan to switch to our employer’s pension plan. In leading that struggle, I had to learn everything possible, beyond what I already knew, about retirement plans. I have a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and have studied retirement plans in Latin America and Europe as well as the United States.
Wolman and Colmosca, former BusinessWeek writers, were among the early writers to expose just how bad 401(k)s were for workers. They showed how Wall Street interests profited from the plans at the expense of retirement security. They knew a lot about stock market investing and doubted that, even in the best of situations, the stock market would be able to produce enough value to adequately support retirees. They came to the conclusion that the 401(k) system could not be reformed and should be abolished. I liked the book because it was coming from people within the system (BusinessWeek) who realized that it was not working.
The American public was hoodwinked: 401(k)s were established to satisfy corporations, not the interests of working Americans. Portrayed as a perpetual wealth machine, the 401(k) was meant to satisfy the needs of every employee. Yet, it was an impossible promise to fulfill: It was the great 401(k) hoax. According to William Wolman and Anne Colamosca, this was the latest act in the gradual erosion of the nation's retirement system. Drawing from reams of historical and contemporary data as well as economic, social, and political trends, they reveal the system's troubled 100year history. Beyond exposing the hoax, the authors urge everyone…
Almost 20 years ago, I committed to investing all of my money–starting with my cash–in ways that align with my values. It’s been a long and arduous journey, even with the help of financial advisors. When I retired, I took control of my money and realized investing this way does not have to be that hard. Moreover, most women want to invest in their values, but no one is helping them. So, I wrote a book to share the knowledge I’ve gained over 40 years as an investor. Later, I co-founded Invest for Better, a non-profit that puts women into investment clubs to help them become confident, values-aligned investors.
It is great to see women stepping up to write investment books that go beyond the status quo–a financial system developed primarily by men for men. Rather, they help us to think–and act–differently.
Unlike other books about investing for impact, this book leads with stories. Although the book addresses practical questions like: Do I need a financial advisor? How do I start as a 401(k) or DIY investor? How do I want to define risk and return?–it also tells the stories of women (and a few men) who are paving a new way of investing for others to follow, inspiring you to join them.
Whether you have $100 or $100 million in your bank account, you have the power to change the world for the better.
Having lived through recessions and pandemics, we all recognize the importance of financial well-being. But we are also living in a time of uncertainty, marked by injustice, climate crisis, and social change. How do we reconcile these two things--our financial well-being and our desire to advocate for a more just and equitable world? Perhaps you already donate to causes you care about, or you're looking to start, but the world of finance and investment feels intimidating, especially if…
My life was turned upside down because of a devastating divorce, becoming an empty nester, and my job as a theology professor ending. The identity crisis was real because the doing that gave me purpose was gone, yet God had a lesson and a purpose. I realized that what was left was more than what left me, and I understand that the key to resilience is your spiritual foundation. I believe the crown you wear is the treasure; elevation begins head first. Today, I empower women to live life confidently, on their terms, with peace and financial security. I help women reframe their stories, reinvent themselves, and reimagine their future.
I am a fan of making sure my financial house is in order. As life happens, we sometimes find ourselves heartbroken. Too many have faced the divorce scenario and lost because of tear-stained pillows. Landers encourages thought-provoking questions in a way that you are very prepared not only for the divorce process but also for what comes after.
Many divorced women end up in poverty because they are unaware of the finances, are blinded when the ex has hidden funds, and are distraught emotionally that they hold onto marital property they can’t afford. I love this book because it explains what is needed to make the right decisions in a crisis situation so that you come out in the best possible position.
UPDATED 2020 VERSION. Divorce is an emotional rollercoaster. And if you’re a woman going through a divorce, you may not be thinking about financial matters, such as how your assets might get divided, tax liabilities, and what your living expenses might be ten years from now. But, here’s the problem: the decisions you make both before and during your divorce will directly impact the rest of your life, for better or for worse. Thinking financially is not always easy. But, it is possible, especially if you have some help. Anyone, no matter how savvy, can benefit from expert advice when…
As I was writing The Coincidence Makers I found out I am not writing about coincidences, at all. I found out I was writing about fate and free will, about the way we make choices, and how these choices affect us, define us and change us. Choices and the way they build our happiness is the theme of this list, which is made out of books that I read before or during the writing process of my own (fiction) book, and probably influenced it, one way or another.
More is not always better. More choices, more options—although they are what we crave to have and even see them as part of our definition of "freedom" sometimes—can be devastating and paralyzing. As I was writing my own book, which deals a lot with choices and the way we make them, Barry Schwartz's clear and smart book was a reminder about how narrowing down our options can be a good thing.
Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions-both big and small-have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all…
I became fascinated with retirement plans and policy when I realized that my 401(k)-like retirement plan with a high rate of savings and investment returns would still come up way short in terms of the retirement income needed for me and my family. That led me to initiate a winning campaign to allow those of us in that plan to switch to our employer’s pension plan. In leading that struggle, I had to learn everything possible, beyond what I already knew, about retirement plans. I have a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and have studied retirement plans in Latin America and Europe as well as the United States.
Retirement Heist is a tour de force. It is a book to make you informed and angry about why pension plans are disappearing in the private sector. In a few words, according to former Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Schultz, it was because corporations took financially healthy pension plans and diverted their surpluses to other uses to inflate their bottom lines. They then ended the plans when they inevitably became financially weaker, substituting them for 401(k)s that do not produce near as much retirement security.
Winner of the 2012 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism
Hundreds of companies have slashed pensions and health coverage for millions of retirees, claiming that a “perfect storm” of stock market losses, aging workers, and spiraling costs have forced them to take drastic measures.
But this so-called retirement crisis is no accident. Ellen E. Schultz, an award-winning investigative reporter formerly of The Wall Street Journal, reveals how large employers and the retirement industry have all played a huge and hidden role in the death spiral of American pensions and benefits.
I am a writer and financial wellness coach, and I am on a mission to help women like you become more confident and capable with money. Previously, I was an award-winning business and financial journalist with The New York Times, Business Week, and CNBC, and I have a graduate business degree from a top university. Even with all that, though, it took me years to build healthy personal financial habits and start using my money to achieve my life goals—so I understand the pain of financial stress and self-blame. I wrote my book to help you find an easier path to financial wellness and empowerment.
I have recommendedClever Girl Finance to several of my coaching clients, and every one of them has reported that they found it very helpful—perhaps because Sukunbi starts by inviting readers to let go of past mistakes. (Regret is a frequent companion of financial anxiety.) Sukunbi is a wonderful storyteller, and she does a great job of breaking down financial concepts to make them clearer and more accessible. The book helps readers master concepts that build upon each other, and as such it is especially useful for women who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of taking charge of their money.
Learn the basics of investing with this approachable guide to the world of finance
Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money is the leading guide for women who seek to learn the basic foundations of personal investing. In a no-nonsense and straightforward style, this book teaches readers:
Exactly how investing works and what you should be doing, no fancy finance degree required
How to leverage investing to build long term wealth even on a modest salary
The key pitfalls to avoid in order to become a successful investor
How to build a nest egg and invest in…
When I was growing up, I saw family members and friends, who were otherwise smart people who could master other aspects of their lives, have difficulty with personal finance decisions and investing. When my dad was laid off during a recession, he had some retirement money distributed to him, and I got interested in investing as he researched and tried with difficulty to handle this money himself. In my young adult years, I was a sponge to learn as much as I could about personal finance.
I liked reading Jane Bryant Quinn’s book as a young adult because it was comprehensive, and it seemed that she didn’t have a bias or axe to grind. Some of the popular financial writers at the time were pitching products in which they had a vested financial interest, which made a strong negative impression on me.
Named the best personal finance book on the market by Consumers Union, Jane Bryant Quinn's bestseller Making the Most of Your Money has been completely revised and updated to provide a guide to financial recovery, independence, and success in the new economy.
Getting your financial life on track and keeping it there -- nothing is more important to your family and you. This proven, comprehensive guidebook steers you around the risks and helps you make smart and profitable decisions at every stage of your life. Are you single, married, or divorced? A parent with a paycheck or a parent at…
My passion for economics began during my first semester of college when I enrolled in a principles of macroeconomics course only because the professor was my father’s friend. The power of economic reasoning to explain the world around me has held my fascination every since. After graduate school, my interests turned to encourage others to use the economic way of thinking to better their lives. My life as an economic educator spans more than 40 years, having taught thousands of college students across several universities, from first-semester freshmen to matriculating doctoral candidates. My work has taken me around the world and back to my undergraduate alma mater in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Even a professional economist is likely to find something surprising in this book.
Editor John Siegfried has collected a dozen essays written by notable and award-winning economists explaining how economic research has improved our lives over the past two generations. Several of these essays do not focus on obvious examples but rather on those that are a step or two removed from what many laypersons would consider the domain of economics.
For example, Alvin Roth’s chapter on “deferred-acceptance theory” describes how economics improved the efficiency of educating doctors by better matching prospective medical residents with training hospitals.
Other chapters explore how economic research helped eliminate the military draft and replace it with an all-volunteer armed service, how economists shaped the welfare-to-work reforms of the 1990s, and the impact of economic research on the allocation of the radio spectrum which was necessary to establish our modern cell phone networks.
"Better Living Through Economics" consists of twelve case studies that demonstrate how economic research has improved economic and social conditions over the past half century by influencing public policy decisions. Economists were obviously instrumental in revising the consumer price index and in devising auctions for allocating spectrum rights to cell phone providers in the 1990s. But perhaps more surprisingly, economists built the foundation for eliminating the military draft in favor of an all-volunteer army in 1973, for passing the Earned Income Tax Credit in 1975, for deregulating airlines in 1978, for adopting the welfare-to-work reforms during the Clinton administration, and…
Almost 20 years ago, I committed to investing all of my money–starting with my cash–in ways that align with my values. It’s been a long and arduous journey, even with the help of financial advisors. When I retired, I took control of my money and realized investing this way does not have to be that hard. Moreover, most women want to invest in their values, but no one is helping them. So, I wrote a book to share the knowledge I’ve gained over 40 years as an investor. Later, I co-founded Invest for Better, a non-profit that puts women into investment clubs to help them become confident, values-aligned investors.
While writing my book, I learned about investment opportunities that I had never heard about before, even though I had decades of experience as an investor and had a series of financial advisors.
A great example is the Self-Directed IRA, a type of retirement account rarely discussed even though it is enormously powerful. While most retirement accounts and 401(k)s offer a small set of bond and stock market funds you can invest in, SDIRAs allow you to invest in almost anything as long as you follow the rules.
This book does a great job of explaining SDIRAs and Solo 401(k)s, how they work, and how you can set one up with some of your retirement assets.
"As so many Americans feel powerless to confront a financial system designed to serve the few, Shuman offers us real choices: tools that align our lives with our values. That's power. I love this highly readable, timely, surprising book." --Frances Moore Lappé, author of Daring Democracy and Diet for a Small Planet
Americans agree on very little these days, but red state conservatives and blue state progressives can agree on one critical point: Wall Street can no longer be trusted. Yet most of us continue to invest our money in the stocks and bonds of Fortune 500 companies, transferring our…
Almost 20 years ago, I committed to investing all of my money–starting with my cash–in ways that align with my values. It’s been a long and arduous journey, even with the help of financial advisors. When I retired, I took control of my money and realized investing this way does not have to be that hard. Moreover, most women want to invest in their values, but no one is helping them. So, I wrote a book to share the knowledge I’ve gained over 40 years as an investor. Later, I co-founded Invest for Better, a non-profit that puts women into investment clubs to help them become confident, values-aligned investors.
Shareholder activism is a very powerful tool for people who want to use their investments to hold corporations accountable for their actions and ensure that CEOs consider the impact of their businesses on the long-term well-being of our families, communities, and environment.
This book explains shareholder activism, how it works, and how to use your investments to participate. It also introduces you to freely available online tools that you can use to better understand the types of businesses and impact you are making with your current stock portfolio–because all of our money is having an impact. The question is whether that impact is something you abhor or support.
“A valuable call to action for small shareholders to change the ways big corporations do business.” —Robert Reich, former US Secretary of Labor
Want to make misbehaving corporations mend their ways? You can! If you own their stock, corporations have to listen to you. Shareholder advocate Andrew Behar explains how to exercise your proxy voting rights to weigh in on corporate policies—you only need a single share of stock to do it. If you’ve got just $2,000 in stock, Behar shows how you can go further and file a resolution to directly address the board of directors. And even if…
