Brian Feroldi

My Mission: To Spread Financial Wellness I tweet about money, investing, and self-improvement I email free financial graphics daily ➜ https://t.co/bnByYt7aEP

We may earn commissions for purchases made via this page

Book Recommendations:

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@StocksWithBrian @mrmoneymustache I love finding a book that messes with my money mindset. The last book that did that was Die With Zero by Bill Perkins. (from X)

A WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER A Common-Sense Guide to Living Rich….Instead of Dying Rich Imagine if by the time you died, you did everything you were told to. You worked hard, saved your money, and looked forward to financial freedom when you retired. The only thing you wasted along the way was…your life. Die with Zero presents a startling new and provocative philosophy as well as practical guide on how to get the most out of your money—and out of your life. It’s intended for those who place lifelong memorable experiences far ahead of simply making and accumulating money for one’s so-called Golden Years. In short, Bill Perkins wants to rescue you from over-saving and under-living. Regardless of your age, Die with Zero will teach you Perkins’ plan for optimizing your life, stage by stage, so you’re fully engaged and enjoying what you’ve worked and saved for. You’ll discover how to maximize your lifetime memorable moments with “experience bucketing,” how to convert your earnings into priceless memories by following your “net worth curve,” and find out how to navigate whether to invest in, or delay, a meaningful adventure based on your “spend curve” and “personal interest rate.” Using his own life experiences as well as the inspiring stories and cautionary tales of others—and drawing on eye-opening insights about time, money, and happiness from psychological science and behavioral finance —Perkins makes a timely, convincing, and contrarian case for living large.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

Millions of books exist. Only a few will change your life. Fooled by Randomness by @nntaleb is one such book. Here are 5 powerful lessons that everyone should memorize: https://t.co/YkA5IyVTwO (from X)

Fooled by Randomness is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are The Black Swan, Antifragile, Skin in the Game, and The Bed of Procrustes. Now in a striking new hardcover edition, Fooled by Randomness is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world. Nassim Nicholas Taleb–veteran trader, renowned risk expert, polymathic scholar, erudite raconteur, and New York Times bestselling author of The Black Swan–has written a modern classic that turns on its head what we believe about luck and skill. This book is about luck–or more precisely, about how we perceive and deal with luck in life and business. Set against the backdrop of the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill–the world of trading–Fooled by Randomness provides captivating insight into one of the least understood factors in all our lives. Writing in an entertaining narrative style, the author tackles major intellectual issues related to the underestimation of the influence of happenstance on our lives. The book is populated with an array of characters, some of whom have grasped, in their own way, the significance of chance: the baseball legend Yogi Berra; the philosopher of knowledge Karl Popper; the ancient world’s wisest man, Solon; the modern financier George Soros; and the Greek voyager Odysseus. We also meet the fictional Nero, who seems to understand the role of randomness in his professional life but falls victim to his own superstitious foolishness. However, the most recognizable character of all remains unnamed–the lucky fool who happens to be in the right place at the right time–he embodies the “survival of the least fit.” Such individuals attract devoted followers who believe in their guru’s insights and methods. But no one can replicate what is obtained by chance. Are we capable of distinguishing the fortunate charlatan from the genuine visionary? Must we always try to uncover nonexistent messages in random events? It may be impossible to guard ourselves against the vagaries of the goddess Fortuna, but after reading Fooled by Randomness we can be a little better prepared. PRAISE FOR FOOLED BY RANDOMNESS: Named by Fortune One of the Smartest Books of All Time A Financial Times Best Business Book of the Year “[Fooled by Randomness] is to conventional Wall Street wisdom approximately what Martin Luther’s ninety-five theses were to the Catholic Church.” –Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink “The book that rolled down Wall Street like a hand grenade.” –Maggie Mahar, author of Bull! A History of the Boom, 1982—1999 “Fascinating . . . Taleb will grab you.” –Peter L. Bernstein, author of Capital Ideas Evolving “Recalls the best of scientist/essayists like Richard Dawkins . . . and Stephen Jay Gould.” –Michael Schrage, author of Serious Play: How the World’s Best Companies Simulate to Innovate “We need a book like this. . . . Fun to read, refreshingly independent-minded.” –Robert J. Shiller, author of Irrational Exuberance “Powerful . . . loaded with crackling little insights [and] extreme brilliance.” –National Review

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@Rojostyle1130 Great book (from X)

With an insider's view of the mind of the master, Mary Buffett and David Clark have written a simple, easy-to-follow guide for reading financial statements from Warren Buffett's successful perspective. Buffett and Clark clearly outline Warren Buffett's strategies in a way that will appeal to newcomers and seasoned Buffettologists alike. Inspired by the seminal work of Buffett's mentor, Benjamin Graham (The Interpretation of Financial Statements, 1937), this book presents Buffett's interpretation of financial statements with anecdotes and quotes from the master investor himself. Potential investors will discover: -Buffett's time-tested dos and don'ts for interpreting an income statement and balance sheet -Why high research and development costs can kill a great business -How much debt Buffett thinks a company can carry before it becomes too dangerous to touch -The financial ratios and calculations that Buffett uses to identify the company with a durable competitive advantage—which he believes makes for the winning long-term investment -How Buffett uses financial statements to value a company -What kinds of companies Warren stays away from no matter how cheap their selling price Once readers complete and master Buffett's simple financial calculations and methods for interpreting a company's financial statement, they'll be well on their way to identifying which companies are going to be tomorrow's winners—and which will be the losers they should avoid at all costs. Destined to become a classic in the world of investment books, Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements is the perfect companion volume to The New Buffettology and The Tao of Warren Buffett.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@10kdiver A great book on this topic is "how the mighty fall" by Jim Collins (from X)

Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed. Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course? In How the Mighty Fall, Collins confronts these questions, offering leaders the well-founded hope that they can learn how to stave off decline and, if they find themselves falling, reverse their course. Collins' research project—more than four years in duration—uncovered five step-wise stages of decline: Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death By understanding these stages of decline, leaders can substantially reduce their chances of falling all the way to the bottom. Great companies can stumble, badly, and recover. Every institution, no matter how great, is vulnerable to decline. There is no law of nature that the most powerful will inevitably remain at the top. Anyone can fall and most eventually do. But, as Collins' research emphasizes, some companies do indeed recover—in some cases, coming back even stronger—even after having crashed into the depths of Stage 4. Decline, it turns out, is largely self-inflicted, and the path to recovery lies largely within our own hands. We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, our history, or even our staggering defeats along the way. As long as we never get entirely knocked out of the game, hope always remains. The mighty can fall, but they can often rise again.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

Lean In by @sherylsandberg Subject: Career, Leadership & Self-Confidence This book is aimed at women, but it's filled with advice that anyone can use to get ahead in their career. My favorite quote: “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” https://t.co/hVrQ3IVpyS (from X)

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A landmark manifesto" (The New York Times) that's a revelatory, inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth that will empower women around the world to achieve their full potential. In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto. Lean In continues that conversation, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can. Sandberg, COO of Meta (previously called Facebook) from 2008-2022, provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career. She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment, and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women both in the workplace and at home.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

$100 Million Offers by @AlexHormozi Subject: Sales & Marketing Learning to sell is an incredibly useful skill. This is the best book I've ever read about why people buy, how to make great offers, overcoming objections, and pricing for success. https://t.co/cGIpA1MKzD (from X)

** OVER 500,000 COPIES SOLD!! ** Number 1 Amazon BEST SELLER for over TWO YEARS! I took home more in a year than the CEOs of McDonalds, IKEA, Ford, Motorola, and Yahoo….combined….as a kid in my twenties….using the $100M Offer method. It works. And it will work for you. Not that long ago though, my business had gotten so bad that I literally couldn’t even give my services away for free. At the end of each month, I would look at my bank account hoping to see progress (but there wasn’t). I knew something had to change...but what? Over the next 48 months, I went from losing money to making $36 for every $1 spent. In that time period, we generated over $120,000,000 across four different industries: service, e-commerce, software, and brick & mortar. But, unlike everyone else, we didn’t have great funnels, great ads, or a wealthy niche. In fact, we didn’t even send emails until we had crossed $50M in sales(!). Instead, we were able to do this one thing really well….we created offers so good, people felt stupid saying no. Here’s exactly what this book will show you how to do: How To Charge a Lot More Than You Currently Are… a- The Tiny Market Big Money Process we use to laser focus on niche markets overflowing with cash b- The “Unfair” Pricing formula….how we 100x’d our pricing (and got more people to say yes….for real) c- The Value Flip...so you never get price compared again (that’s a promise) d- The Virtuous Cycle of Price...use it to outspend your competition (for good) while using your product to attract the best talent 2.How To Make Your Product So Good, Prospects Find A Way To Pay For It a- The Unbeatable Value Equation….to make what you sell worth more than your prospects have ever received b- The Delivery Cube….to make delivering your products and services cost less but provide more c- The Trim & Stack Hack….to maximize profit using the absolute best delivery methods. (This has never been shared publicly and was how we made $17M in profit on $28M in revenue in a year when I was 28 years old) 3.How To Enhance Your Offer So Much, Prospects Buy Without Hesitating a- The Scarcity Stack….how to use the three different types of scarcity in every offer you make (without lying) to get people to buy the moment you ask b- The “Everyday” Urgency Blueprint... to get prospects to buy RIGHT NOW, using everyday life to create real, ethical time pressure c- Unbeatable Bonuses...and watch your prospects' hesitations melt away as they begin reading their credit cards to you before you even finish! d- God-mode Guarantees...so good they make anyone say yes (even people who would never normally consider buying). I’ll show you how to stack and layer all 4 types of guarantees together. I even give you my 13 favorite guarantees word-for-word to swipe for yourself. e- Magic Naming Formula to get the absolute highest response rates and conversion rates from everything you do to get new clients and so much more… The methods contained within this book are so simple, so instantaneous, and so effective, it’s as if they work by magic. If you implement even one tactic in this book, you’ll see the change in your prospects' demeanor. And you’ll know the $100M Offer method worked when you start hearing “What do I need to do to move forward?” ...before you even ask for the sale. If you want to get more prospects to reply to your ads for less advertising dollars and get them to say YES to breathtaking prices...then ADD TO CART, use its contents, and see for yourself.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@retirein1500 @JLCollinsNH A wonderful book written by a great human (from X)

"In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence. You'll never find a wiser advisor with a bigger heart." -- Malachi Rempen: Filmmaker, cartoonist, author and self-described ruffian This book grew out of a series of letters to my daughter concerning various things-mostly about money and investing-she was not yet quite ready to hear. Since money is the single most powerful tool we have for navigating this complex world we've created, understanding it is critical. "But Dad," she once said, "I know money is important. I just don't want to spend my life thinking about it." This was eye-opening. I love this stuff. But most people have better things to do with their precious time. Bridges to build, diseases to cure, treaties to negotiate, mountains to climb, technologies to create, children to teach, businesses to run. Unfortunately, benign neglect of things financial leaves you open to the charlatans of the financial world. The people who make investing endlessly complex, because if it can be made complex it becomes more profitable for them, more expensive for us, and we are forced into their waiting arms. Here's an important truth: Complex investments exist only to profit those who create and sell them. Not only are they more costly to the investor, they are less effective. The simple approach I created for her and present now to you, is not only easy to understand and implement, it is more powerful than any other. Together we'll explore: Debt: Why you must avoid it and what to do if you have it.The importance of having F-you Money.How to think about money, and the unique way understanding this is key to building your wealth.Where traditional investing advice goes wrong and what actually works.What the stock market really is and how it really works.Why the stock market always goes up and why most people still lose money investing in it.How to invest in a raging bull, or bear, market.Specific investments to implement these strategies.The Wealth Building and Wealth Preservation phases of your investing life and why they are not always tied to your age.How your asset allocation is tied to those phases and how to choose it.How to simplify the sometimes confusing world of 401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRA and Roth accounts.TRFs (Target Retirement Funds), HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions).What investment firm to use and why the one I recommend is so far superior to the competition.Why you should be very cautious when engaging an investment advisor and whether you need to at all.Why and how you can be conned, and how to avoid becoming prey.Why I don't recommend dollar cost averaging.What financial independence looks like and how to have your money support you.What the 4% rule is and how to use it to safely spend your wealth.The truth behind Social Security.A Case Study on how this all can be implemented in real life. Enjoy the read, and the journey!

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@supersingr1 Great book (from X)

A legendary mutual-fund manager explores the advantages average investors have over professionals and how they can use them to achieve financial success. America’s most successful money manager tells how average investors can beat the pros by using what they know. According to Lynch, investment opportunities are everywhere. From the supermarket to the workplace, we encounter products and services all day long. By paying attention to the best ones, we can find companies in which to invest before the professional analysts discover them. When investors get in early, they can find the “tenbaggers,” the stocks that appreciate tenfold from the initial investment. A few tenbaggers will turn an average stock portfolio into a star performer. Lynch offers easy-to-follow advice for sorting out the long shots from the no-shots by reviewing a company’s financial statements and knowing which numbers really count. He offers guidelines for investing in cyclical, turnaround, and fast-growing companies. As long as you invest for the long term, Lynch says, your portfolio can reward you. This timeless advice has made One Up on Wall Street a #1 bestseller and a classic book of investment know-how.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@50billioncent I got an early copy of @dollarsanddata book -- it's great! (from X)

Everyone faces big questions when it comes to money: questions about saving, investing, and whether you’re getting it right with your finances. Unfortunately, many of the answers provided by the financial industry have been based on belief and conjecture rather than data and evidence―until now. In Just Keep Buying, hugely popular finance blogger Nick Maggiulli crunches the numbers to answer the biggest questions in personal finance and investing, while providing you with proven ways to build your wealth right away. You will learn why you need to save less than you think; why saving up cash to buy market dips isn’t a good idea; how to survive (and thrive) during a market crash; and much more. By following the strategies revealed here, you can act smarter and live richer each and every day. It’s time to take the next step in your wealth-building journey. It’s time to Just Keep Buying.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

@10kdiver Wonderful thread as always! A great book on CEOs that allocate capital best (and the returns that ensue): The Outsiders by William Thorndike (from X)

“An outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation.” — Warren Buffett #1 on Warren Buffett’s Recommended Reading List, Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Letter, 2012 Named one of “19 Books Billionaire Charlie Munger Thinks You Should Read” in Business Insider. “A book that details the extraordinary success of CEOs who took a radically different approach to corporate management.” — Charlie Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation “Thorndike explores the importance of thoughtful capital allocation through the stories of eight successful CEOs. A good read for any business leader but especially those willing to chart their own course.” — Michael Dell, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Dell What makes a successful CEO? Most people call to mind a familiar definition: “a seasoned manager with deep industry expertise.” Others might point to the qualities of today’s so-called celebrity CEOs—charisma, virtuoso communication skills, and a confident management style. But what really matters when you run an organization? What is the hallmark of exceptional CEO performance? Quite simply, it is the returns for the shareholders of that company over the long term. In this refreshing, counterintuitive book, author Will Thorndike brings to bear the analytical wisdom of a successful career in investing, closely evaluating the performance of companies and their leaders. You will meet eight individualistic CEOs whose firms’ average returns outperformed the S&P 500 by a factor of twenty—in other words, an investment of $10,000 with each of these CEOs, on average, would have been worth over $1.5 million twenty-five years later. You may not know all their names, but you will recognize their companies: General Cinema, Ralston Purina, The Washington Post Company, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics, Capital Cities Broadcasting, TCI, and Teledyne. In The Outsiders, you’ll learn the traits and methods—striking for their consistency and relentless rationality—that helped these unique leaders achieve such exceptional performance. Humble, unassuming, and often frugal, these “outsiders” shunned Wall Street and the press, and shied away from the hottest new management trends. Instead, they shared specific traits that put them and the companies they led on winning trajectories: a laser-sharp focus on per share value as opposed to earnings or sales growth; an exceptional talent for allocating capital and human resources; and the belief that cash flow, not reported earnings, determines a company’s long-term value. Drawing on years of research and experience, Thorndike tells eye-opening stories, extracting lessons and revealing a compelling alternative model for anyone interested in leading a company or investing in one—and reaping extraordinary returns.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

3/ @chrismayer on corporate lifespans (his book 100-Baggers is great) https://t.co/GhcqjevjWA (from X)

This book is about 100-baggers. These are stocks that return $100 for every $1 invested. That means a $10,000 investment turns into $1 million. Chris Mayer can help you find them. It sounds like an outrageous quest with a wildly improbable chance of success. But when Mayer studied 100-baggers of the past, definite patterns emerged. In 100-Baggers, you will learn the key characteristics of 100-baggers why anybody can do this. It is truly an everyman's approach. You don t need an MBA or a finance degree. Some basic financial concepts are all you need - a number of crutches or techniques that can help you get more out of your stocks and investing. The emphasis is always on the practical, so there are many stories and anecdotes to help illustrate important points. You should listen to this book if you want to get more out of your stocks. Even if you never get a 100-bagger, this book will help you turn up big winners and keep you away from losers and sleepy stocks that go nowhere. After reading 100-Baggers, you will never look at investing the same way again. It will energize and excite you about what's possible. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

BF

Recommended by Brian Feroldi

2/ @awealthofcs on stock market returns (his book Everything You Need To Know About Saving For Retirement is great) https://t.co/XznLqgbVhc (from X)

When it comes to planning for retirement the majority of people are on their own. There’s no one to coach you or hold your hand to make sure you understand what you need to do, when you need to do it, or how to make wise decisions with your life savings. The goal of this book is to help remove some of the stress, confusion, and anguish involved in the process of saving and investing for retirement. Money is a tool that can either cause or solve a lot of problems in your life. This book guides you through the big decisions necessary to get you on the right track towards financial independence so you can move on with your life to focus on more important things and let your money do the work for you. Everything You Need to Know About Saving For Retirement covers:•How to get started with your retirement savings •Why saving is more important than investing •How much you should save for retirement •How to spend your money on the things you care about •Where to invest your money •How to become a 401(k) millionaire •How to make up for a late start to saving and retirement planning •How much you need to retire •How to think about Social Security •The 3 biggest things you need to know about investing and much more Ben Carlson is the Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. He has spent his career working with nonprofits and individuals to help them plan and invest their money wisely. Ben is the author of three other books including A Wealth of Common Sense: Why Simplicity Trumps Complexity in Any Investment Plan as well as the blog A Wealth of Common Sense.