self help finance books
Best way to learn about investment management and practice it?
I've become very interested in finance/international finance and all related topics (Investment, private equity, mutual funds, hedge funds, stock market, portfolio, securities, trading ect), this has come to me since starting to work at a bank. I do more traditional banking now which is relatively easy, I currently work as a teller.
I want to go back to school and I've been eying a Global Business and Public Policy degree as well as a Finance Degree. Someone taught me that I can self teach myself all the skills I need for the topics listed above and has given me a list of books I should buy, implying that paying for college might be unnecessary. Can that be true? All those analysts, brokers, hedge fund managers, don't they go to school first and then get some hands-on experience with firms and banks? Any help is appreciated.
There is tremendous information on the net about investing. Investopedia.com also listed below is a good place to start. The series 65 test/exam allows you to become an investment adviser. However just reading the info regarding this and many other test like the series 7 or series 63 will really give you an understanding about how little we know about money and investing. This should be a great place to start.
http://finance.yahoo.com/ is another helpful tool if you are looking at following different markets. Good Luck.
How to Write a Self-Help Book that Sells Well - Write the Solution
Why do people buy self-help books? Most readers buy books to solve problems or help with fulfilling a need. For example, when I started speaking for a fee I went out and bought a couple of popular books about speaking.
Browsing in the bookstore, I was attracted to Lilyan Wilder's book "7 Steps to Fearless Speaking" I read the back cover. I noticed she could help with 7 easy steps. I skimmed the table of contents, read a few lines and immediately liked her easy to read style. It went in my purchase basket.
Because I wanted to hear from several authorities on the subject, I picked up another book by Nido R. Qubein, "How to Be a Great Communicator: In Person on Paper, and on the Podium." His cover design was white with clean lines and a personable picture of him on the front.
His style of writing was not as easy to read but it still went in my purchase basket as well. Which brings us back to my original point; people buy self-help books to solve problems. To identify your targeted market, pinpoint a problem they have and the solution, of course.
Problems come in all shapes and sizes. Usually a general category problem applies to all types of markets.
Hobbies.
Is your tennis game, golf game, bridge game as good as you'd like? Are you considering taking up horse-back riding? Want to improve your computer skills? What ever the case may be, your desire to improve or change your level of performance is considered the problem.
Health.
What's the first thing you do when your doctor diagnose your cholesterol is high and you need to lose 20 pounds? You go look for a book that will walk you through step by step to lose weight or lower cholesterol. You turn to someone that has solved the problem to learn from their experience.
Mental State.
Are you feeling stressful about the economy? Are you noticing unexplained physical symptoms possibly related to stress? Once again, you have a problem and you are looking for a solution in book form. Someone who has outlined easy steps or ways to de-stress in our society.
Personal Finance.
Worried about lay-offs, down-sizing, retirement? Books that offer financial solutions to economic problems during shaky times are guaranteed to succeed.
Marketing.
We live in a competitive society. Small business owners and managers everywhere need a growing database of customers and clients. Therefore, they seek out how to books that offers solutions on improving their advertising copy, improving their business image or their website.
Each of the problem categories describes a problem and a need for a solution. The main goal of your marketing plan is to identify the problem your book solves and then present the solution. The more intense the problem and the easier you can make your solution, the more readers will seek out your book.
Your task becomes to re-structure your knowledge into bite-size reader solutions. Appeal to the masses, by letting them know what's in it for them and how easy the solution is with your book. For example, let's consider the book title I mentioned earlier about speaking. The title could have been: "How to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking" instead of "7 Steps to Fearless Speaking" The latter is more appealing because it alludes to only 7 steps to my solution.
Don't put it off any longer. If you wait, you can be this time next year without fulfilling your dream of writing a successful book. You know the solution. Now write it down. While you're at it, use the tips above and write a book that sells well. Make it different. Make it count. Make it yours.
About the Author
Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner
helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine "iScribe." Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course "Jumpstart Writing Your Book" or visit her at http://www.bookwritinghelp.com
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Anthony Robbins: Financial Freedom - 3 Steps to Creating and Enjoying the Wealth You Deserve List Price: $19.98 Sale Price: $6.99 Used From: $16.29  |
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Trusting Your Own Inner Voice: The Most Important Skill to Learn in This Lifetime List Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $8.84 Used From: $0.17 |
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What if you had a beautiful loving voice inside you that could answer every question in a way that no one else could? What if you had an inner advocate that believed in your dreams and could comfort, inspire, and bolster you every step of the way? You do... |
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Receiving Prosperity DVD List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $19.95 Used From: $11.28 |
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Are you as wealthy and successful as you'd like to be? Whether you realize it or not, your level of wealth and success reflects exactly what you believe you deserve. In this lively discussion with her audience, Louise explains how we can use our mindpower to attract anything we want into our lives—more money, a rewarding career, fulfilling relationships, and more fun! Feeling "not good enough," fearing success, and accepting our parents' negative attitudes and beliefs about money are a few of the feelings and patterns that can prevent us from having a prosperous life... |
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Montel Williams: Living Well - Dollars and Sense List Price: $49.95 Sale Price: $1.89 Used From: $1.15 |
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Living Well: Dollars & Sense features material on how to super-size your nest egg rethinking retirement 8 tools to live a richer more joyful life how to become financially fit and other ways to become more consciouis about money... |
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Can Any Small Business Make You Rich? List Price: $14.49 Sale Price: $11.38 Used From: $11.44 |
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This book contains a wealth of knowledge about how to really make money in business, and at the same time have a quality life and not be completely tied to your business 24 hours a day. My small business is quite profitable, and much to the surprise of most people I do not take incoming telephone calls, I do not accept incoming Email and I rarely have to return a phone call... |
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Why We Want You To Be Rich - Two Men: One Message by Donald Trumo and Robert Kiyosaki - Copyright 2006 List Price: $18.99 Used From: $10.99 |
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Why We Want You To Be Rich - Two Men: One Message by Donald Trumo and Robert Kiyosaki - Copyright 2006 |
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Awaken the Giant Within: How to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny by Anthony Robbins - Copyright 1991 List Price: $19.99 Used From: $12.47 |
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Awaken the Giant Within: How to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny by Anthony Robbins - Copyright 1991 |
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Age Smart: Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond List Price: $29.99 |
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This is the eBook version of the printed book.Americans are embracing an entirely new way of aging: one that's based on staying productive, staying active, and staying young in body and mind. Jeffrey A... |
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People List Price: $11.95 |
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In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. |
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Interview answers (52 Brilliant Ideas) List Price: $0.99 |
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Interview answers is unlike the majority of interview techniques books because it steers clear of blindingly obvious advice such as not to wear track-suit bottoms or turn up drunk to your interview, and instead provides a way into the mind of the interviewer so that you can spot the likely questions and know how to answer them differently depending on the perspective of the interviewer. |
Ben Stein: The Real Stars
