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A Message from Nancy Margolis, Senior Editorial Director
of MsMoney.com:
After 10 years in the book business, I still feel about
books the way I did as a 12-year-old, whiling away the
hours, lost in the pages of a cherished novel. Books
were captivating because they had the power to convey
me to a world where my mind was stretched, provoked,
and entertained and where I felt anything was possible
and learning was infinite. As an editor, I have become
a more discriminating reader, but my criteria for what
makes a truly great book haven’t changed--the best
authors are those who share their knowledge in a way
that stimulates readers and makes them aware of their
limitless capacity for learning and discovery.
Each week in Editor’s Pick, I will introduce
you to a book that meets these criteria--a book to jump-start
or extend your financial education and put you one step
further on your path to financial health and independence.
Happy reading, and please feel free to contact me at
editor@msmoney.com.
Savvy Investing for Women: Strategies From a Self-Made
Wall Street Millionaire
By Marlene Jupiter
 Marlene
Jupiter has a great story to tell. A pre-med in college, Marlene
went on a date with a student in the business school who steered
the conversation towards investing and explained how anyone
could turn a small amount of savings into a considerable sum.
Flash forward one year: Marlene had abandoned her plans to
become a doctor and had moved to New York City, "careerless
and clueless." Taking a job as a secretary in Paine Webber's
Options Department, she embarked on what would develop into
a 20-year career as a derivatives salesperson and retired
as a millionaire at the age of 39.
In Savvy Investing for Women, Marlene speaks from the
twin vantage points of a veteran player on Wall Street and
a once uninformed woman who decided to educate and empower
herself in the field of money management. In straightforward
language that enlightens rather than intimidates, she teaches
anyone how to make money in the stock market, with a particular
sensitivity to the challenges faced by female investors. "Women
control roughly 55% of America's wealth," she writes, "yet
they are tragically vulnerable when it comes to making important
investment decisions."
Marlene covers all the basics in well thought out chapters
("Shopping for Stocks," "Buying Bonds," "Choosing an Investment
Advisor"), but the subject that receives the greatest attention
(and deemed the "most important chapter in the entire book")
is how to avoid con artists and steer clear of bad advice
that can wipe out an investor's life savings in a matter of
months, weeks, or even minutes. She contends that knowledge,
patience, and above all, courage are what's needed to become
rich. Ironically, she remarks that any woman brave enough
to tread on Wall Street turf is much more likely to fall prey
to a commission-obsessed broker than be counseled by a wise
and ethical money manager. "Women are victimized by crooked
automobile mechanics far more often than men are, and the
same is true for women in their dealings with the male 'mechanics'
who control Wall Street." It is therefore imperative for investors
to familiarize themselves with the variety of financial instruments
on the market today before consulting an "expert" or putting
their assets at risk.
Besides issuing a wake-up call to investors to beware of
unscrupulous stockbrokers and financial advisors, Savvy
Investing for Women urges readers to establish a new relationship
with risk-taking that can lead to substantially greater rewards
in the long run. "The market will always be turbulent and
it's easy to get frightened," she writes. "Remember that the
long term is your goal." Marlene's stated goal is to help
women overcome the disadvantage of inadequate financial training.
She explains all the financial tools available to investors,
describes what savvy investors look for when choosing winning
stocks, makes technical analysis seem easy, and empowers readers
to take action and responsibility for their own financial
fate. Savvy Investing for Women is filled with solid
investment advice from someone looking back on two decades
of financial learning and success with "20/20 hindsight."
She has much to teach women--and men--interested in understanding
and growing their investments.
Read more and buy a copy today!
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