THE SASSY INVESTOR

by Michelle Hung , illustrated by Fei Lu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 29, 2019

A debut financial guide speaks to an audience of young women.

In this manual, Hung maintains a chatty and upbeat tone while providing accurate and easy-to-follow information about the basics of setting a budget, planning for retirement, and understanding investment options. The book follows the standard format of the genre, addressing ways to cut expenses and earn additional income before moving into a more detailed explanation of retirement, stocks, and bonds. Debut illustrator Lu’s engaging, cartoon-style images appear throughout the volume, and add visual interest and humor (like the drawing of “my face when I hear about a 22 year old investing in bonds”) as well as an effective depiction of financial concepts. Creative metaphors, like the comparison of investing routines to gym habits, provide effective methods of making memorable points about personal finance. Hung, a Canadian, also addresses some of the differences in terminology and tax law between America and Canada, making the book more useful for non-U.S. readers. Further information, including videos, is available on the work’s website (thesassyinvestor.ca), as readers are reminded by callouts through the text. The guide provides solid and actionable advice on saving and investing, on par with most other titles in the genre, and focuses on the options available to average readers, not financial savants. The breezy tone of the writing (“Unless there is a zombie apocalypse, the stock markets will not go to zero”) may not appeal to all readers, but the suggestion to “have a mani/pedi party at someone’s house” as a money-saving technique takes nothing away from the well-organized and thoughtful explanations of bond yields and P/E ratios. Although it is instructive, the manual contains relatively little text for its length; in addition to the graphics-heavy format, several pages are set aside for readers’ notes. For readers who find the tone and format useful, this guide is a solid introduction to the mechanics of personal finance.

A coherent and informative explanation of investing and saving, targeting young female readers with a casual voice and an attractive presentation.

Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5255-0901-8

Page Count: 180

Publisher: FriesenPress

Review Posted Online: April 22, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION