Learn Investing Secrets

'The Wealthy Barber' will show you how to plan for your retirement, save for large purchases or future needs, invest, protect your family and avoid being victimized by financial blunders by exposing some financial products and services which you may not need, but are sure to be sold.

Although the story is set in a Canadian town, the general methods and training provide a valuable education in personal financial planning.

Having a clear understanding of your financial situation and preparing a plan is no longer a mystery.

If you, like most people, have not seriously considered what steps you should take for planning your finances and are now planning on purchase a house, getting married or having children, you will do well to read David Chilton's book 'The Wealthy Barber'.

It will not matter if you have never heard of a mutual fund or even unchangeable your checkbook. If dry financial reading is not up your alley, you will STILL find 'the Wealthy Barber' easy reading. It will have you fluent in financial planning in weeks.

The key to David Chilton's success with his book is that it is written as a story, rather than a manual. You follow three 30ish individuals as they expand their financial houses from scratch. They get their information from one of the most knowledgeable and financially secure individuals in town - the barber.

The gem of this story lies in the fact that the process shows how income is not the master factor in planning for financial prosperity - proper planning is. And you can have your own finances in order by reading and the tasks he assigns his 'students' while they visit for their monthly trim.

'The Wealthy Barber' has been favorably commented on by newspapers and financial reviewers as things go it does not stress rake-off or a reduced standard of living. It is these steps which often sabotage the best intentions of individuals. The sooner the methods are applied, the easier it will be to see their effects while maintaining your lifestyle, but it is on and on triumph to start now than not start at all.

'The Globe and Mail' calls 'The Wealthy Barber' "...a perfect gift for young couples trying to live nice and save money in an increasingly tough world". Is that not a gift worth receiving?

'The Wealthy Barber' will show you how to plan for your retirement, save for large purchases or future needs, invest, protect your family and elude considering victimized by financial blunders by exposing some financial products and services which you may not need, but are sure to be sold.

Although the story is set in a Canadian town, the general methods and training provide a valuable education in personal financial planning.

Having a cut down understanding of your financial situation and preparing a plan is no longer a mystery. some decisions require the guidance of an expert, arming yourself with the right questions and unadorned knowledge will ensure your best financial outcome.

In today's world financial education is often sorely lacking. Taking steps to educate yourself, and pass that education on to your posterity will protect your family and provide an bonanza whether you are current millionaires or not.

Someone who reads my blog sent me this email:

Geoff,

I came from Japan to US for business school in 2001. I became extremely intrigued by Buffett's value investment philosophy. I wanted to read everything available about his philosophy and became more and more familiar with his investment philosophy. And I personally pick stocks too. 

Anyway, about investment in Japan, I read your "Japanese stocks: Now 34% of My Portfolio - Plan to hold Them For At Least 1 Year", I see one part in "Buy Japan", you are talking about "Japan is barely a capitalist country." I see that you see Japan pretty well. They care much less about generating profits to shareholders than people do here in US. I imagine, that US investors who invest in Japan would feel slighted. They should be the boss, but not in Japan actually. 

Here is the key point why I wrote. You say "It’s definitely the most investor unfriendly place on the planet – excluding a few countries that seize private property". In my view, Japan is a country that would seize private property away from you. Not by legitimate ways, but more subtle but practical ways. Who has the largest control over Japanese economy? The system of capitalism?  Absolutely no. Bureaucrats have. They have tremendous control over businesses with both explicit laws and implicit powers. 

They have ways to drag down companies performance that they don't like. If a business is strong enough and brave enough to openly fight against bureaucrats, like Softbank did in the past, there is chance to win. But most businesses are afraid of this structural, chronic bully that deprives Japan of economic flexibility over the years. But interesting thing to me is, this chronic inefficiency sometimes works well, but sometimes doesn't. Like it worked in our 70s to 80s. But not in the later decades. My father always tells me that this is just like fascism that drove Japan in WWII all the way to final disaster. When it works well, we are invincible, but once the ship turns to a wrong way, we are unstoppable. Being said that, I wonder how, like you mentioned, pre-war southern states unraveled their woven bonds and connections and became part of the rest of the capitalism world. Losing the war changed their way of business life completely? Then, maybe Japan also needs dramatic change like that. 

In my view, the Japanese have strong fear of sticking out. If you stay in a crowd, you are invisible and no one would say anything. But if you stick out too much, bureaucrats will get you. Rising stars in business are always the easiest to go after for bureaucrats who are influenced by competitors. In US capitalism holds the power. This is the rule of the game and it seems that even the government cannot defy this rule. In Japan, bureaucrats rule the market most definitely. 

And most obviously, this system is not working for our prosperity. 

So, I just wanted to point out your assumption that Japan is not a country who seizes private property may not hold.

Shin

Talk to Geoff about Japanese Stocks

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