Book Reviews

“I have had money in the markets for the past 30 years.  I have invested in common stocks, mutual funds and annuities.  I have taken advice from “the investment guy at the credit union” as well as online services such as E Trade, Scot Trade, ING Funds etc., etc.

I have always been disappointed in the results I have received.  In the end I have fallen victim to “advisors” who are on commission and put me into funds that benefit them the most and left me to simply ride out the market swings like a ship without a rudder.

I always thought there must be a way to apply principles that don’t involve too much speculation, market timing or overexposure to the volatility of the markets.

When I started reading The Effective Investor by Mark Lund things started to make sense.  There seems to be a purposeful effort to emphasize core principles that should never be violated.  Ideas like buy low and sell high; invest for the long haul and truly diversify started making sense.  Understanding turnover and portfolio drift and many other principles provided the education I needed to feel confident that my interest was truly being looked after.  The idea that it is more important to understand the markets than to time them is liberating.

The Effective Investor explains and confirms my expectations of the investing process and brings meaning and confidence to the entire process.  I whole heartedly endorse its contents and the continual process of learning and understanding the process of investing.”

Jerry Savage
An enlightened investor

“The Effective Investor by Mark Lund is a fresh voice committed to helping people.  This book is a great resource and I recommend this as a must read for any investor who is open to learning how to better improve their investment portfolio.”

Mark Weisenburger

“I have been representing financial products for over 16 years and have read many books on personal finance.  The Effective Investor explains in a very simple straight forward way how to avoid the hidden costs and fees associated with traditional investments. The book flows very well and is easily understood as the author gets his point across.  The author also discusses other strategies that you need to know to make sure your wealth is diversified, growing and transferring in the most efficient manner. Everyone should read this book.”

Paul G. Ewell
Investment Advisor Representative
Financial Foundations

“When my company eliminated their 401K plan, I had money that needed to be rolled over into an IRA.  Due to past experiences with the stock market, I wasn’t confident in managing the funds myself.  Up to this point I had invested money in other investment companies and had been disappointed by the results that were produced.  ”Investing should not be rocket science” is what I thought, but was frustrated with the amount of confusing information out there on where to invest money.  As I began the roll over process, I established an account with a self service investing company.  It was a company that provided a means to get you money in the stock market but did very little to coach an investor.  I had several questions that I wanted answers to but not sure what questions to ask.  What I really wanted was someone to sit down with me and explain the investment process and what it takes to have my money secure for retirement.  I got a copy of “The Effective Investor” by Mark Lund, which is exactly what I needed.  As I read the book, it made sense.  One chapter provided a building block for another until I was able to get my questions answered.  It was a great tool to help me better understand the market.”

Rob Hilmo

“Mark Lund’s book, The Effective Investor is great to understanding how to have a low-cost, higher-yielding portfolio with more transparency than you could otherwise get. This book helps the average investor to understand the market simply and effectively. It helped me know exactly what I wanted in terms of my basic investing plan, and is in accordance to what most academics and financial experts will tell you. I’ve found it informative and especially useful for the average investor who may not have as much knowledge about the workings of the industry or the options that are available in setting oneself up for retirement. This book was written with the account-holders best interest at heart.”

Dustin Flanary

“We have all heard the axioms and claims… some have even researched data that is supposed to predict the future…

As an engineer, reading past data to predict the future has always seemed unsettling.  In Mark’s book The Effective Investor, he makes it clear using simple analogies how some can claim to “consistently beat the market average year after year…”  It’s not magic; it’s simple probability.

He further explains what “diversity” truly is… much more than I had ever considered. 

Oh, and the insight into fees… I had no idea I was paying so much at so many levels. 

This book offers a great introduction to creating a very efficient and effective portfolio… or to keep things simple, just call Mark!”

Jason Schroeder