Emperor's New Clothes, The

“Once upon a time...” Do those words call up an image for you? A fantasy, perhaps, of a fairy tale with a well deserved happy ending? If so, you’re not alone. Most of us as children heard fairy tales from our parents. We saw the movies. We read the books. Those stories all had lessons, some more obvious and some quite subtle. As children, we had our own unique ways of interpreting what these lessons meant to us. Well, we’re adults now, and it’s our turn to read the stories to our kids. Have you ever stopped to think about what the lessons mean to you now? Many of the teachings still apply, but in more complex ways than we may have previously considered. Nowhere is this truer than in your financial life. Take for instance, the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” When it comes to money, too many of us behave like the protagonist in “The Emperor’s New Clothes”: We’re somewhat self-satisfied about our investment abilities, only to be exposed as financially “naked” when the actual results arrive. Now, renowned financial advisor Saly A. Glassman shows how to recognize when you’re deceiving yourself (or when others are trying to influence you)—and offers the common-sense techniques you need to build real wealth over time. Glassman demonstrates why diversification offers even more benefits now than it did before…how to avoid getting enticed by “magic bullet” solutions like gold or real estate…how to implement safeguards that reduce your risk of making common investment mistakes…how to avoid going broke while you’re reducing debt…how to manage the twin emotions of greed and fear that bedevil investors…how to gain the courage to face the truth—and use that knowledge to build on the potential for long-term financial security.