Spicer's book really hits the nail on the head and I cannot say that clear enough. I am currently a C-Level Executive at an institutional strategic advisory firm very much of the higher level Stephen references in his work and had years of industry experience at Fortune 100 companies that dole out the platitudes Stephen so eloquently pokes holes in. I like Stephen saw through the blanket statements for what they are, a potential moral hazard for the sake of apathy/ignorance on the part of the advisor.

Over the course of the read, I would continually find myself impressed with his ability to pull actual analytics (e.g. Goldman Sachs outlooks, Morningstar surveys) and present the pertinent information within them simplified to the point of clarity, but not to the point of condescending. The no nonsense manner of the book treads a perfect line of being witty yet serious, concerned yet reassuring, and upper level yet accessible. The best analogy that I can think of is to compare it to your favorite professor from college who made everything understandable speaking upon one of the most difficult classes that you took. It really is a masterfully written work offering concision without sparing necessities.

I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone at any stage in the process of managing their personal finances. Whether you are an institutional investor or a recent college grad looking to start your saving, this is a must read.

No matter what stage you find yourself in life, this quick read by Spicer will give you a no-nonsense leg up on the establishment financial advisors. The rock-solid advice that Spicer gives should make you want to take an active look at your investment strategies. He makes some difficult investment concepts easy to understand and fun to read. Finally, a book you can bank on.

I just finished reading my copy of "Stop Investing Like they Tell You" and I must say that I was very impressed. I've been a financial advisor for a large firm for several years now and have shared many of the thoughts and ideas that Stephen eloquently expresses in this book. Stephen has pinpointed a weakness in the old way of thinking about portfolios and investing and does a great job in not only articulating this weakness, but providing step by step options to help protect your portfolio.

Probably my favorite aspect of this book is how it is written for the average reader in mind. Stephen doesn't bother getting bogged down in financial jargon that would drive away the very people that he is trying to enlighten and help. He takes fairly complicated topics and investments and thoroughly defines and describes each of them so that they can be understood and their potential place in your portfolio can be easily visualized. As someone in the industry I understand very well the difficulties of trying to explain some of these strategies to clients and found this book's approach to those explanations most helpful.

I would recommend this book to anyone: either a beginning investor or someone who has been investing for years. The investment world has changed a lot since the recession and continues to do so. Stephen provides you with the knowledge and tools to build a better investment portfolio to take advantage of the upside while at the same time protecting your hard earned assets.