Financial advisor Goldfarb urges readers to “not [allow] your emotions to dictate your investment decisions,” but to focus instead on “long-term investing through education.” Acknowledging the potential risks that come with investing, he emphasizes logical decision-making, risk evaluation, and investing for the long run, with the expectation that downturns will happen, but, with the help of a trained, licensed advisor and a diverse portfolio, financial success is within reach. Most interestingly, he draws from his real-life experience—sharing quotes from his clients over the years—to illustrate common investing pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Investor anxiety will sabotage success, Goldfarb argues, and he is emphatic that logical decision-making must drive the investing equation. He lays out, in direct, easy-to-understand terminology, basic concepts such as asset allocation, risk versus return, and the importance of a financial plan. Other practical tips include how to make a basic cash-flow statement, determine a sensible retirement-withdrawal rate, and how to choose an advisor who is a good fit. Goldfarb is at his best when clarifying such common yet misleading beliefs as reverse mortgages are equal to relinquishing home ownership or investors should expect to “outperform the markets significantly every year,” and his ability to simplify complex topics (beta and standard deviation for measuring risk, exchange traded funds, among others) is refreshing.

You’re Kidding, Right? offers a unique, down-to-earth approach that resonates, and Goldfarb sprinkles comedic touches throughout this debut that make the material entertaining as well as informative. Readers will applaud his candid, no-holds-barred advice, applicable to those who are new to investing as well as seasoned retirees, and he closes with a rundown of smart, responsible ways to access income in retirement—along with a sample cash flow statement readers can utilize in their planning. “Try not to overcomplicate,” he advises, “and most importantly, stay the course no matter how tough things may seem.”

Takeaway: Down-to-earth advice on avoiding investment pitfalls.

Comparable Titles: Cary Siegel’s Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School?, Scott Reed’s Top 50 Rules of Investing.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A