Give a Great Financial Read This Holiday Season!
Here at Savant, we often hear from clients who are interested in educating themselves and their loved ones about investing, the markets, and general financial management. You may not know it, but we have several advisors at Savant who are also published authors, one of whom just published a new book! Looking for a great gift idea? Here’s a list of books written or co-written by members of our team, as well as some recommendations from around the firm.
NOTE: We have included Amazon links for your convenience. Savant Wealth Management does not have an affiliate marketing relationship with Amazon and does not earn commissions if you purchase from these links. We also encourage you to support your local independent bookstore, used bookstore, or library.
Books by Savant Authors:
The Allocator’s Edge: A Modern Guide to Alternative Investments and the Future of Diversification (by Phil Huber, Savant’s chief investment officer). A perfect gift for those interested in portfolio construction and alternatives to the classic 60/40 portfolio. In this 300+-page read, Phil Huber, CFP®, CFA®, explores the evolution of asset allocation and how a portfolio made up of just stocks and bonds may no longer be sufficient in helping investors achieve their financial goals. Phil believes alternatives present new opportunities, and he encourages investors to think differently as alternatives become a larger part of the investable universe.
Victory Lap Retirement: Work While You Play, Play While You Work (by Mike Drak; Rob Morrison, CFP®, Savant’s chief innovation officer; and Jonathan Chevreau). Know an executive or professional who’s tired of the corporate rat race and looking for a different way to spend their next chapter? In Victory Lap Retirement, the authors – including our own Rob Morrison — demonstrate how the rules of retirement have changed, from working full time and stopping completely, to envisioning a meaningful transition that may involve full-time work, part-time work, volunteering, or consulting – all on your terms. This book provides the tools you need to envision your Victory Lap and make it happen!
Retirement Heaven or Hell: 9 Principles for Designing Your Ideal Post-Career Lifestyle (by Mike Drak, with Susan Williams and Rob Morrison, CFP®). Thinking of retiring in 2022? Rob Morrison joins Mike Drak once again, with Susan Williams, to talk about what your life will look like when you stop working. This book goes beyond the numbers to help you discover and plan for your version of Retirement Heaven, the post-career life that’s right for you — a special period in your life when you can reconnect with yourself, those you love, and your passions to create a lifestyle with more balance, purpose, and fulfillment than ever before.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Financial Well-being (by Wayne B. Titus III, CPA/PFS, AIFA®, financial advisor and managing director of Savant’s Michigan office). Entrepreneurs often have the passion and persistence to turn their visions into reality. But that doesn’t mean they have the expertise to grow and scale a company or create long-term wealth for themselves and their families. In this short, easy-to-read guide, Wayne Titus draws on his own entrepreneurial experience and professional background to walk business owners through how to create a dependable, communicative relationship with a holistic financial advisor who understands the unique needs of entrepreneurs.
Other Recommendations:
The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money (by Ron Lieber, recommended by Janet Petran, CFP®, a Savant financial advisor). Ideal for new parents or parents of young children, this book by Ron Lieber, a journalist at the New York Times, provides a practical guide for talking with kids about money. He covers basics like how to handle the tooth fairy, allowances, chores, charity, saving, birthdays, holidays and more.
Janet also recommends Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth by financial advisor Nick Murray. “This is a great book for any investor to help reinforce the idea of investing for the long run, not trying to market time, and for understanding why owning stocks is one of the only ways to beat long-term inflation,” says Janet.
How I Invest My Money: Finance Experts Reveal How They Save, Spend, and Invest (by Joshua Brown, recommended by Justin Smith, CAP®, CFA®, CFP®, a Savant financial advisor). Have you ever wondered how financial experts invest their money? In this book, author Joshua Brown pulls back the curtain to reveal how a group of portfolio managers, financial advisors, venture capitalists and more navigate the markets with their own capital. “I like this one because it details the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind those investment decisions,” says Justin.
Justin also has a recommendation for kids: The Squirrel Manifesto, by Ric Edelman. In this modern-day fable, Edelman explains how – just as squirrels gather nuts to prepare for the winter by eating some now and storing some for later – kids can learn the value of money by spending some of their allowance now and saving the rest for later.
If the topic of behavioral economics sounds interesting, Ed Cruickshank, CFP®, a Savant financial advisor and team lead, has four recommendations for you! First is The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness, by Morgan Housel. “Morgan is great at simplifying financial topics, and this is a great book on humans, ego/behaviors and money,” Ed says. “We sometimes give this book to new clients or those who are struggling with decisions and their behavior.”
Next on Ed’s list: Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt. First published in 2006, this book details how incentives of the most hidden kind can drive behavior in ways that turn conventional wisdom on its head.
The final two books on Ed’s list include one about the “fathers” of behavioral economics and another by one of those fathers – Daniel Kahneman. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds, by Michael Lewis of Moneyball fame, chronicles the unlikely friendship of Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, whose work created the field of behavioral economics. Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in 2002 for behavioral economics, summarizes his life’s work and describes the two systems that determine how we think and make choices.
Lastly, Joel Cundick, CFP ®, AIF ®, APMA ® , a financial advisor in Savant’s McLean, VA office, recommends The Behavior Gap by Carl Richards, who’s also known as the “Sketch Guy” from the New York Times. In The Behavior Gap, Richards also discusses behavioral economics and the reasons why investors make the decisions they do. “He has an ability to distill complex concepts into simple, but insightful, images,” says Joel.
Happy Reading!
It’s never too late to start learning about money, and there are many titles to choose from this year. Wherever your interests lie, we hope you find the perfect book for those on your holiday list this year!