Book Review - Financial Fitness Forever: 5 Steps to More Money, Less Risk, and More Peace of Mind by Paul Merriman

The new book by Paul Merriman, "Financial Fitness Forever", explains everything you need to know to be a successful investor. This is the kind of book anyone can use and put to work. You can also give it to a new investor so they don't have to learn by trial and error like most of us do. They can get it right the first time. 

The book is laid out in 11 chapters with a data filled appendix at the back. As you go through the book, Merriman takes the mystery of investing and explains it in a easy laid back style. He gives freely the wealth of his 40+ years in the financial advising industry. Paul takes you by the hand like an old friend and walks you down the investing path. With many stories of actual investors experiences he is able to teach you something without you even realizing it.

Each chapter is a stepping stone to the next. Merriman explains how investing is made so much more harder because of human behavior. Investors then look to the media and the financial industry to guide us, but they let us down, too. He is not one to give opinion based on loosely assembled facts. No, he is a numbers guy. Everything he says, in the book, is based on careful academic research. He says we have listened to Wall Street to long and it's mostly benefited them. It's time to listen to "University Street" and not Wall Street.

Why does Merriman write this book? Basically he is a teacher and communicator. He has a passion for helping people get investing done right. With all his years of presenting financial seminars, teaching investors how to do it right, he has cut to the bone and found the best way to be successful in investing. In this book he has put pen to paper and shared his investing know-how. His "Ultimate Buy and Hold Strategy", found in the appendix of the book, is not called "Ultimate" out of boasting. It's called that because the strategy handles risk, asset allocation, human behavior, and portfolio expenses in the best way possible. The strategy sets up a plan that covers all bases so you are in a position to earn the highest return, be able to weather the down markets, and gives you the ability to sleep at night.

Paul Merriman's long career in helping people invest has given him the knowledge necessary to help you be successful in investing. He is the first to say it won't always be easy. But in this book, you will learn there is a better way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get investing right the first time. I wish I had this book 30 years ago when I first started to invest.


Click here to get the book Financial Fitness Forever: 5 Steps to More Money, Less Risk, and More Peace of Mind


Also find Paul Merriman at www.FundAdvice.com. Make sure you watch the online workshop.


Watch his YouTube Channel at for his latest financial lessons.


Paul Merriman will be on many PBS TV Stations in December. Click here for a schedule.