My seminar on 'An Introduction to Finance and Investing'; A recommended reading list on successful companies
As we move through the holiday season, I'm sharing a "peek behind the curtain" on something I've received plenty of requests on in recent years...
Ever since I taught a five-day seminar on finance and investing to two dozen high school and college students (including one of my own daughters) in 2018, friends and readers have often asked me whether I'll be teaching it again.
When I tell them I have no plans to do so, they ask me if I have anything I can give them to share with their children to help them learn the basics. (And in many cases, it's information that anyone who's investing can use – not just younger folks.)
So I've put together a collection of materials, which I'll share in today's e-mail. If you have some extra time around the holidays this year, it's a great time to take advantage – as I always say, it's critical to be curious and become a "learning machine"...
As a start, folks should read my two daily e-mails on financial advice to a recent college graduate and financial advice to retired readers. (Please keep in mind that I can't offer personalized financial advice – this is more generalized advice.)
Then, read my four dailies on how to get a job in money management, breaking into money management (part 1 and part 2), and tips on the "first step" of securing a successful financial future.
Then, check out my presentations on The Basics of Economics, Understanding Financial Statements, How to Achieve Superior Performance, and The Best of Value and Growth: Make Money Investing.
I also recommend watching this video from my college buddy Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management: Everything You Need to Know About Finance and Investing in Under an Hour. And watch the following six videos I've done over the years:
(On a separate note, one of my biggest tips for folks this year has been to make sure you're earning the maximum return on your cash. I made the mistake of keeping my cash in a low-interest account for far too long – read more about this in my e-mails on April 18, April 19, April 22, and April 29.)
Additionally, I devour books about successful companies – what better way to develop the skill of identifying great businesses (ideally early on, before everyone else does so and they are valued at hundreds of billions of dollars) by studying the greatest of all time?
That's why I've read dozens of books by and about the most successful businesses and entrepreneurs in history. Looking at my bookshelf, a number of them jump out at me (some of them date back more than 20 years!)... So again, if you have extra time around the holidays this year, I suggest reading one (or more!) of these:
- The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life (also Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist)
- Elon Musk (also Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future and Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX)
- The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon (also Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire)
There's a lot of content linked here – but that's the point! And looking ahead, as we move further into the holiday season, I'll continue this series with more details from some of my educational presentations... so stay tuned!
Best regards,
Whitney
P.S. I welcome your feedback – send me an e-mail by clicking here.