Reading

Below is a list of reading materials that I have found useful in my quest. There are only a few listed so far but I will continue to add as time permits.

If you have book you think I should list, let me know about it! If I get enough requests I can start another section with reader recommendations.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street

by Burton G Malkiel

Not a Canadian book, but a great classic all the same. Now don't equate the word 'classic' with out-dated information. Although there is some of that, the concepts are still true as ever (plus the version I have says it was revised and updated in 2007). Burton is a firm believer in efficient markets, which basically means that stock prices reflect all known information and therefore it is impossible to beat the market. So with that idea in hand, he goes about how to lay out an investment portfolio that should beat any portfolio that is actively managed. It is an easy (dare I say fun) read and covers topics such as historical crazes and bubbles (e.g. the doc-com bubble), behavioural finance, the flaws of technical analysis, and much more.

The Four Pillars of Investing

by William J. Bernstein

This is another classic book on investing. The sub-title of this book is 'Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio'. Spoiler Alert! The four pillars are: 1) The Theory of Investing, 2) The History of Investing, 3) The Psychology of Investing and 4) The Business of Investing. It is a staple in the library of all DIY investors and includes a chapter on assembling the four pillars.

Shakespeare's Investment Primer

by Keith R. Betty

Here's a great Canadian focused website dedicated to helping out do-it-yourself investors. I read it myself when started out and still refer to it from time to time. Topics include asset allocation, managing risk, tax-efficiency and sample portfolios.

website: http://www.shakesprimer.com/

No Hype - The Straight Goods on Investing Your Money

by Gail Bebee

Here's a great book, written for Canadians, that I sure wish I had when I first got started in investing on my own. The book is logically broken into seven parts and touches on all aspects of investing from determining whether you have the right mindset to invest on your own through to building your investment portfolio. I found that the book did a great job of covering, even if briefly, lesser known or talked about aspects of investing, whether it be the various types of financial service providers or the wide range of investment vehicles available. Any novice should certainly read this book and even those who feel they may know all this should read if just to re-enforce or re-establish that they have no holes in their own investment plans.