The "new grownup" guide to managing your life and money in the modern economy No One Ever Told Us That is a series of essential life and financial lessons that every adult needs to read before they embark upon their own life's adventures. You've completed your education, your couch surfing, and your internships—now it's time to grow up. You have a "real" job, maybe a family, and maybe a mortgage; but you've been launched into an uncertain world. This book is your much-needed guide to life as an adult, giving you the answers you need about becoming a professional, becoming financially secure, and becoming your own person. You see the world differently when you spend your days supporting yourself and your family, and money management quickly becomes an integral part of everything you do. This useful guide shows you how to do what you need to do, find the people you need on your side, and fulfill your obligations to those who matter most to you.
You may have been used to the idea of "independence" for a while by now, but when the reality of it hits, many new adults are thrown into a sudden state of panic. This book is your guide through the storm, your handbook for adulthood, and your personal companion for the journey ahead.
- John D. Spooner has a dual life. He has been named by Barrons as one of the top 100 financial advisors in America. As an author, the great mystery writer Robert B. Parker has said, "John Spooner is, quite simply, one of the best writers in America."
- Gain a fresh perspective on the world as a grownup
- Meet financial challenges with smart money management
- Assemble your personal, legal, medical, and financial support team
- Learn essential lessons before you suffer their consequences
- Written by the only full-time writer and money manager in America
Nothing in your experience has ever prepared you for the responsibility of responsibility. You've been thrown into the deep end, the undertow is strong, and the stakes are high—it's time to start swimming. No One Ever Told Us That gets you right on track to your brightest future.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Part I Becoming a Professional
Chapter 1: Take the Pro to Lunch 9
Chapter 2: Beware of Experts 11
Chapter 3: If Your Company is Bought by Another 13
Chapter 4: Entitlement 15
Chapter 5: Don’t Be a Wise Guy 17
Chapter 6: A Little Bit of New Jersey or Brooklyn 19
Chapter 7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Stupid or Provocative Questions 21
Chapter 8: Laughter Can Diffuse the Problems 24
Chapter 9: You Never Know Anyone until You Deal with Their Money 27
Chapter 10: Plan for the Worst Case, Not the Best, in Business and in Life 29
Chapter 11: So You Want to Be in the Investment Business 32
Chapter 12: Do Your Homework 35
Chapter 13: How to Get Good Press and Publicity 37
Chapter 14: Acts of Kindness 38
Chapter 15: Tipping 40
Chapter 16: Resumes Redux 42
Chapter 17: Always Have a Fallback Plan 44
Chapter 18: Blood and Water 45
Chapter 19: Media Translations 47
Chapter 20: So You Got Fired 49
Chapter 21: Provocative Headings 52
Chapter 22: Getting Rich: The Ups and Downs 54
Chapter 23: Branding: Pulling the Wagon 57
Chapter 24: Tribes 60
Chapter 25: Weekends 62
Chapter 26: Being an Entrepreneur: What It Takes 63
Part II Becoming Financially Secure
Chapter 27: Interest Rates 73
Chapter 28: Insider Trading 75
Chapter 29: Do You Want to Make Money, or Would You Rather Fool Around? 77
Chapter 30: Doing Stock Research 80
Chapter 31: Make Long-Term Money with Simple Themes 83
Chapter 32: Can You Do It Yourself? 87
Chapter 33: Getting to Peace of Mind 89
Chapter 34: Picking Someone to Watch over Your Money 91
Chapter 35: When You’re Frightened by the News 93
Part III Becoming Your Own Person
Chapter 36: The Actor and the Actress 97
Chapter 37: Having Something to Trade 99
Chapter 38: The 110 Percent Rule 101
Chapter 39: Life Lessons: Don’t Look Back 104
Chapter 40: Get Your Elders’ Stories 107
Chapter 41: Don’t Be a Trustee or an Executor∗ 111
Chapter 42: Buying and Selling Jewelry 114
Chapter 43: Social or Country Clubs 118
Chapter 44: The Incremental Pain in the Butt Theory 120
Chapter 45: Every Family is a Soap Opera 122
Chapter 46: Fathers and Sons 124
Chapter 47: When Family or Friends Are Afflicted 127
Chapter 48: Go to the Source 129
Chapter 49: Philanthropy 131
Chapter 50: Keep the Markers out There 134
Chapter 51: Raising Children 136
Chapter 52: Marriage 138
Chapter 53: Divorce 141
Chapter 54: Someone to Love You 144
Chapter 55: Medical Smarts 148
Chapter 56: Taking Care of the People Who Take Care of You 153
Chapter 57: Losing a Parent 156
Chapter 58: Getting Smart Lawyers on Your Side 159
Chapter 59: Last Chapter 163
About the Author 167
Other Books by John D. Spooner 169
Index 171
About the Author :
JOHN D. SPOONER is the only investment advisor/novelist in America. His bestselling nonfiction includes Do You Want to Make Money or Would You Rather Fool Around? as well as Confessions of a Stockbroker, Smart People, and Sex and Money. His novels include Class and The Foursome. His book No One Ever Told Us That: Money and Life Letters to My Grandchildren has been a Boston Globe #1 bestseller and ranked #2 on Amazon’s bestselling business books list.
www.johndspooner.com
Review :
Having grandchildren has been one of the amazing, unexpected joys of my life. In this book, John Spooner does what all grandparents hope to do for their grandchildren. He takes the life and career experiences he has had and finds a beautiful way to share the lessons learned with his grandchildren so that their lives may be better. All grandparents would wish to do the same.
--Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University men's basketball coach and a grandfather
John Spooner is smarter about money and about life than almost anyone I know. As a blessing for all our grandchildren, he has written down what he has learned. Through charming storytelling, John shares his wisdom. Grandchildren and grandparents alike are the beneficiaries.
-- Shelly Lazarus, Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and a grandmother
Spooner is a phenomenon, as much a psychologist and futurist as an investment advisor.
-- Inc. Magazine
