New Seasonal Books (Boating) - February 2009

The Smart Cookies' Guide To Couples And Money: Earn More, Argue Less, Achieve The Life You Want . . . Together by Andrea Baxter, Angela Self, Katie Dunsworth

This book gives couples the perfect excuse to break the silence and start talking about…money! Staying on top of your finances when you''re single can be tough enough - add another person to the mix and it can seem downright daunting. Even if you''ve got your own finances in order, there are inevitable money issues that come up when you''re part of a couple, not just because one of you may be in better shape financially than the other, but because you may each have very different perspectives on money and how to manage it.

The principles the Cookies set out in their first book about the basics of life planning and investing can work for couples, too, and this guide offers simple techniques that will help readers with everything from dealing with "money baggage" to getting out of debt to planning for retirement. Again they draw practical advice and meaty anecdotes from their own financial escapades, as well as readers'' queries and the personal experiences of five focus couples.
The Sceptical Investor by John Reynolds

Every RRSP owner watched in horror as the value of assets dropped steeply during the last months of 2008. Some lost more than 50 percent of their portfolio's value; many of these investors were approaching the point in their lives when they planned to use their RRSP assets as retirement income.

These unfortunate events have made one thing very clear: It is not enough to build up investments - we must learn how to better guard them. John Lawrence Reynolds, author of the bestselling Naked Investor, uses real-life examples and his characteristic wry humour to explain how any investor can take advantage of opportunities now to rebuild a stronger portfolio. The Skeptical Investor offers insight about what happened in the markets, how to spot problems on the road ahead, and most importantly, how to build a strong portfolio and safeguard that fortress through trying times.
Ultimate TFSA Guide by Gordon Pape

Tax-Free Savings Accounts are a revolutionary new way to save money. Financial expert Gordon Pape explains how you can get started building your tax-free investments. The Ultimate TFSA Guide is an indispensable book that will help you meet your financial goals with the best savings program since the introduction of RRSPs.

Pape provides the latest information and clearly explains everything you need to know about Tax-Free Savings Accounts, including:
-The best TFSA investments
-How to choose the right plan
-Contribution rules and limits
-Solving the TFSA/RRSP dilemma
-Tips to maximize tax savings
-TFSA Q & A
I.O.U.: why everyone owes everyone and no one can pay by John Lanchester

The wildest story in the world these days is not fiction, it's what's really happening all around us as the world's global economy has gone into freefall. How did we get here? What does it all mean? How could so many smart people be so dumb and believe their own hype? Accessibly, cleverly, and with mordant humour, Lanchester trots the globe in search of the answers to these questions - to Iceland, the scene of catastrophic bank collapse, to Hong Kong, the city of his birth built at the altar of free-market capitalism, to the high-stakes leveraging of Wall Street and to the tragedy of lost homes in small-town America. And in his capable hands, we see and understand what went wrong and why. Lanchester believes that this crisis gives us an opportunity to bring about much-needed change and that a stonger and more compassionate system can emerge from the wreckage. This is the book that people will still be reading a generation from now, as we read Galbraith's brilliant analysis of the Great Depression.
Debt-Free Forever: take control of your money and your life by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

Gail Vaz-Oxlade's brand of money management isn't full of tricks. There's no hidden agenda. There's no mystery. As Gail says, "Money isn't rocket science -- it's discipline." Gail has made it her life's mission to make money management something everyone can do. And she won't take no for an answer. Hers is a style that's unique, with a voice that is demanding, and an approach that is holistic.

Debt-Free Forever will help readers take responsibility for, and control of, their money. Gail's rules are simple: you can't spend money you don't have, you must save something, and if you're in debt, you must get the albatross off your back. But Gail knows following the rules can be tough. That's why Debt-Free Forever gives you a road map to getting out of the red in 36 months or less. By following Vaz-Oxlade's detailed plans and drawing on her unflagging faith in people's ability to take control, readers will reach the right destination: a debt-free life.
Stock-Investing for Canadians for Dummies by Andrew Dagys

This 3rd Edition includes information on stock investing in both bear and bull markets; unique investment segments; stock investing for different types of situations; and examples straight from the real world of stock investing as they have occurred in the past three years. With up-to-date references and resources, this book is the most reliable resource for the new stock market investor.

New in this edition: Investigating how governments affect markets: The authors present an unbiased look at how government intervention can and has shaped the markets, so that investors know what to watch for and can respond appropriately to protect their investments -- or even benefit. Explaining economics: As governments around the world intervene in the markets, media coverage of the economic theory behind these moves (and the economic theories that deplore them) has expanded greatly -- and most of it's muddled. New content in the book explains what investors need to know about economics. Exploring stock trading: For readers that want to move stocks quickly rather than invest for the long run, the authors offer a crash course in the fundamentals of trading, and some critical do's and don'ts.

This edition also offers a brand-new part of tens, focusing on how investors can protect their money and spot warning signs that a good stock is about to go bad.
Chatelaine’s Earn, Spend, Save: the savvy guide to a richer, smarter, debt-free life

Most Canadian women would rather talk about their sex lives than their bank accounts? Not so for Chatelaine-from managing a budget to making sense of a daunting economic climate, Earn, Spend, Save gets personal about your finances!

Learn how to say goodbye to debt, boost your income, plan for retirement, and manage your money like a pro. From taming that paper pile to recession-proof investment strategies, the experts at Chatelaine have created an eight month, step-by-step plan to help every Canadian woman come out on top. 

Coming back from mat leave? Buying a home? Staring at a pre-nup? Earn, Spend, Save draws on Chatelaine''s unique ability to connect women and address their foremost concerns. Bursting with smart advice and real-life tips you can apply right now, Earn, Spend, Save is the ultimate financial resource for Canadian women.
When Can I Retire? : planning your financial life after work by Andrew Allentuck

Retirement is one of the most decisive financial and personal decisions people make. Leaving a career for the unknown is risky, and timing is an issue in the decision of when to access registered savings. To help make sense of the confusing business of retirement, financial journalist Andrew Allentuck explains how to navigate Old Age Security, Canada and Quebec Pension Plans, Registered Retirement Savings Plans, tax-efficient investments, and more to build wealth for retirement.
Rob Carrick’s Guide to what’s good, bad and downright awful in Canadian investments today

This is the kind of investment advice that Canadians crave , at a time when they need it most: super-savvy, easy to use, and written in a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners style that's often outrageously outspoken.

Rob Carrick is a highly respected Globe and Mail columnist and expert on personal finance and consumer banking, The Real Deal is the only all-Canadian practical guide to protecting yourself and prospering in a challenging economy.

Systematically arranged with clear and logical headings and handy lists of information, this is a book that can be read cover to cover with enjoyment and to great personal benefit, and used also as a reference for answers to specific concerns.
New Pension Strategy for Canadians by Andrew Springett

Stability is the key to success. Invest wisely now, retire comfortably later. When is the best time to invest for my retirement, and how? This is a question that astute investors should be asking themselves. The New Pension Strategy for Canadians offers simple guidelines on how to harness the techniques used by larger pension plans and make them work for your individual needs. The key to successful investing is to structure your portfolio to achieve the maximum possible return, with the minimal amount of risk. Andrew Springett returns with an updated and revised edition that clarifies the complexities of the world's best-run investment plans and reviews the importance of creating an individual optimal portfolio by using modern portfolio theory, dynamic asset allocation, and diversification. This second edition has been expanded to include two new chapters of current valuable information needed to continue investing wisely. What role should the Tax-Free Savings Account play in a retirement plan? "Lessons Learned from a Crisis" is a section of information compiled by professionals from within the financial industry, and there's also a chapter on the importance of integrating financial, investment, and tax planning with risk management and estate planning. The book is built upon the work of Nobel Prize winners William F. Sharpe and Harry M. Markowitz.