BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR
As with last Christmas I have researched a few last-minute book buys for Christmas with a financial bent. Again, so many just drive our fears and needs and are openly greed driven. So, what I thought was let’s look at a few good books that would be worth reading over the festive period.
We are continually being encouraged to do our best for our homes and the planet, but it’s often hard to find the time and energy to think of alternatives. In Nancy Birtwhistle book Green Living Made Easy you are given 101 tips, ideas and recipes that will help you to live an eco-friendlier life without giving up on any home comforts.
It’s a book to guide you in reducing your environmental impact while saving time and money. Inside, are tips on everything from cleaning, upcycling, small-space gardening and creative crafts, plus a selection of delicious recipes. Clearly explained, it is the perfect guide for anyone looking to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle but unsure where to start.
Crypto currencies, the most recognisable being Bitcoin have taken a battering this year with some crashing out completely. The average portfolio of crypto currency is down approximately 66% to date. Some say its finished others that now is the time to invest.
Siam Kidd’s book The Crypto Book “lifts the bonnet” to explain and illustrate everything you need to know about this “fascinating market” from what it is?, why does it exist at all?, what is the future of the currency? and, most importantly, how to invest safely, if there’s such in think in this volatile market!
The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing is the classic guide about the markets. Legendary mutual fund pioneer John C. Bogle reveals his key to getting more out of investing: low-cost index funds. Bogle describes the simplest and most effective investment strategy for building wealth over the long term, “buy and hold, at very low cost, a mutual fund that tracks a broad stock market Index such as the S&P 500”.
The book helps you understand that stock returns are generated by three sources (dividend yield, earnings growth, and changes in market valuation) in order to establish rational expectations for stock returns over the coming decade.
I make mention of two books again this year as they are still well worth a read. So often having been encouraged by what we have read we set out our financial goals but often we become waylaid as the year progresses. According to John Kay, the author of ‘Obliquity’ ,many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly. The most successful people are not the most materialistic, the happiest not necessarily those who focus on happiness, and the most profitable companies are not always the most profit oriented. History shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in times of difficulty.
Trouble changing your habits? The problem isn’t you, it’s your system! says James Clear the author of Atomic Habits. He is one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation. He says “bad habits” repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change; “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” In this book you’ll get a proven system that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviours that lead to remarkable results that can take you to new heights.
And finally, a book with an Irish bent — John Lowe’s excellent book The Money Doctor. A book for everyone living in Ireland who wants to better manage and structure their personal finances. Written in plain English with case histories, real life examples, checklists and “actioned-orientated advice”.
Each chapter begins with a summary and ends with a list of action points. The book is a complete service and with the free website www.moneydoctor.ie you will find a huge range of topics for all conceivable needs.
086 8362622
