The year’s best: Our book picks for your clients

(December 2003) Looking for some books to recommend to clients about certain financial planning topics? Advisor.ca has compiled a list of some of this year’s financial titles that might be just what you’re looking for:

The basics

Money 101: Every Canadian’s Guide to Personal Finance, by Ellen Roseman (John Wiley & Sons), ISBN: 047083236-3, $26.95 Cdn.: Here’s a Canadian version that is for the novice or experienced investor. The back cover dubs this book as “a crash course on financial basics,” and looks at how to save money and follow a budget, how to get the insurance you need, and how to start saving for your kids’ education and your retirement. A solid overview of all things financial. To order, call Wiley at 1-800-567-4797.

Money 201: More Personal Finance Advice for Every Canadian, by Ellen Roseman (John Wiley & Sons), ISBN: 0470834013, $26.99 Cdn.: A continuation of Money 101, Money 201 looks at how to handle other financial situations, including keeping interest rates under control and dealing with sudden wealth from an inheritance. To order, call Wiley at 1-800-567-4797.

The Teenage Investor: How to Start Early, Invest Often and Build Wealth, by Timothy Olsen (McGraw-Hill), ISBN: 0-07-141663-3, $23.95 Cdn.: This book is written by a 13-year-old who began investing at age 8. Olsen goes over the basics of investing, dollar-cost averaging and the role of investment advisors. Although this book is written by Americans, it can be a great starting point for any new investor. To order, go to www.books.mcgraw-hill.com.

For the business-minded client

Making Money: An Insider’s Perspective on Finance, Politics and the Central Bank, by John Crow (Wiley), ISBN: 0-470-83180-4, $36.95 Cdn.: It is the Canadian way to downplay its ground-setting achievements. Former governor of the Bank of Canada outlines the successes of his reign of the central bank, and reveals how tenuous Canada’s good economic health is in his book Making Money (Wiley). Read Advisor.ca’s review by clicking here, or order your copy at www.chapters.indigo.ca.

The Bubble and the Bear: How Nortel Burst the Canadian Dream, by Douglas Hunter (Doubleday Canada), ISBN: 0385659199, $22.95 Cdn.: Journalist Douglas Hunter answers the question of what went wrong with Nortel in The Bubble and The Bear, which looks at the company’s rise and fall through the eyes of investors. Click here to read Advisor.ca’s review of this book.

Income, insurance and tax

Buying Time: Trading Your Retirement Savings for Income and Lifestyle in Your Prime Retirement Years, by Daryl Diamond (Wiley), ISBN: 0-470-83285-1, $26.95 Cdn.: Daryl Diamond is attempting to boldly go where few advisor/authors have gone before. While the vast majority of industry players focus on building assets for retirement, the Winnipeg-based financial planner picks up where they leave off — at the point of actually retiring. Here is our review of Diamond’s new book Buying Time.

The Facts of Life: How to Build Wealth and Protect Your Assets with Life Insurance, by Paul Grimes (Wiley), ISBN: 0-470-83325-4, $24.95 Cdn.: With more insurance products brought to market every day, it makes sense to ask: what is the purpose of insurance? As with many financial products, it’s about risk. But what risks? How well, or how onerously, do various types of insurance actually hedge those risks — and at what cost? Educate your clients about the importance of insurance with this title. Click here to read Advisor.ca’s review of Grimes’s book.

The Tax Freedom Zone, by Tim Cestnick (Viking Canada), ISBN: 0-670-04345-1, $24.50 Cdn. (if you order through www.timcestnick.com): At this time of year there are hundreds of titles on bookstore shelves offering up ways to pay less tax. Do Canadians really need another? The quick answer is yes — but only if you choose it wisely. The Tax Freedom Zone, by self-proclaimed “tax geek” Tim Cestnick, describes the very same strategies that helped him when he realized he was paying too much tax. His 212 ways to help clients pay less tax don’t hurt, either. Click here to read Advisor.ca’s review to see if it’s suitable for your clients.

Niche clients

Surprise! You’re Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide to Protecting Her Wealth, by Patricia Lovett-Reid (Key Porter), ISBN: 1-55263-467-1, $24.00 Cdn.: Your holiday gift-giving for female clients might be made simpler by a new book from well-known media guru and financial planner, Patricia Lovett-Reid. The book targets a high-income-earning female audience. Women recognize they have complex financial needs and Surprise!, helps to address them. To find out more about this book, click here.

The Canadian Widow’s Guide To Enjoying Your Retirement Dollars & Making Them Last, by Benjamin McLean (McGraw-Hill Ryerson), ISBN: 0-07087-399-2, $24.99 Cdn.: Helping widows cope with both emotional loss and their financial and estate planning challenges is an important role for a financial advisor. Benjamin McLean, president of Toronto-based financial services marketing firm Benjamin McLean & Associates, has written a comprehensive guide for Canadian widows that contains valuable information for advisors, too. For more about this book, click here to read Advisor.ca’s review.

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Filed by Wendi Phillips, wendi.phillips@advisor.rogers.com.

12/19/03