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  • The Simple Path to Wealth

  • Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life
  • Written by: JL Collins
  • Narrated by: JL Collins, Peter Adeney
  • Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (275 ratings)

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The Simple Path to Wealth

Written by: JL Collins
Narrated by: JL Collins, Peter Adeney
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Publisher's Summary

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
  • The truth behind Social Security
  • A case study on how this all can be implemented in real life

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 JL Collins (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

What the critics say

"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)

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great read

great overall book on indexing and such a simple read. keep it simple stupid pretty much

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Please listen to this book

I’ve tried many different investment guides and gurus and this is the one I shall choose for life.

Anyone can do this

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One of the key books on personal finance

This book deserves all the praise. The information here definitely summarizes a large portion of what should be learned.

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Good concepts, not realistic numbers in 2024 though

Good book - easy listen and great principles, although the actual percentages of what he believes you should save are nowhere near realistic for 99% of people living in 2024 unless you somehow win the lottery every year without fail.
Regardless, it does paint a clear picture on just how much money invested that you need to support your lifestyle in retirement and to be financially independent, while explaining how to actually get there.
Ps. Be prepared for this to be a several hour long Vanguard advertisement.

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The best!

By far the best book I've ever read/listen on personal finance! If you're interested on this subject you MUST read it!

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3 people found this helpful

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Highly recommended

Picked up this book after reading lots of reviews and glad that it was a good choice. Listened to some other investment books in audible before this one, none was as good as this one and some were rather disappointing. A few chapters are totally dedicated for USA readers but other than that, majority of the content stays true for North American readers.

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3 people found this helpful

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all you need to know and then more

I was curious of many things when it came to investing but now after this book alone I feel like I have all the tools I need. of course trials and tribulation are in order as nothing is truly absolute but after this book I know my financial freedom is!

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4 people found this helpful

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Takes the fear out of investing!

Great book for any beginner to approach the world of investing and wealth building without fear.

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1 person found this helpful

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Money Made Easy

JL Collins takes a twisted, tangled birds nest of a mess that is all things financial and unwinds it for the reader.
It’s simple , easy to listen to and even entertaining.
One of the best books on F.I. ever.

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Life changingly simple

An author who is also a great narrator, what a great surprise!

Ever wonder what the difference between stocks and bonds are? Which should I buy? When do I buy them? How many? Which ones? How does all of this work?
Then this is the book for you!

Great for getting into a basic overview of investing and for those planning for retirement. Great examples and inspiring stories along the way to help with such a dry topic!

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