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The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing
The essential stock market guide, now updated with even more timely and necessary information
Now in its fifth edition, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing has established itself as a clear, concise, and highly effective approach to stocks and investment strategy. Rooted in the principles that made it invaluable from the start, this completely revised and updated edition of The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing shares a wealth of information, including:
• What has changed and what remains timeless as the economy recovers from the subprime crash
• All-new insights from deep historical research showing which measurements best identify winning stocks
• A rock-solid value averaging plan that grows 3 percent per quarter, regardless of the economic climate
• An exclusive conversation with legendary Legg Mason portfolio manager Bill Miller, revealing what he learned from the crash and recovery
• Thoroughly updated resources emphasizing online tools, the latest stock screeners, and analytical sites that best navigated recent trends
Accessible and intelligent, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing is what every investor needs to keep pace in the current market.
Now in its fifth edition, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing has established itself as a clear, concise, and highly effective approach to stocks and investment strategy. Rooted in the principles that made it invaluable from the start, this completely revised and updated edition of The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing shares a wealth of information, including:
• What has changed and what remains timeless as the economy recovers from the subprime crash
• All-new insights from deep historical research showing which measurements best identify winning stocks
• A rock-solid value averaging plan that grows 3 percent per quarter, regardless of the economic climate
• An exclusive conversation with legendary Legg Mason portfolio manager Bill Miller, revealing what he learned from the crash and recovery
• Thoroughly updated resources emphasizing online tools, the latest stock screeners, and analytical sites that best navigated recent trends
Accessible and intelligent, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing is what every investor needs to keep pace in the current market.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
458 people are currently reading
1768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
March 3, 2016
In a word, The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing is EXCELLENT. It is exactly what I have been looking for. The Dave Ramsey books are great, but this book by Jason Kelly specifically deals with the stock market itself. In it, he covers everything a person would ever need to know to begin investing in stocks. In addition to defining crucial terms, he also offers proven strategies to help ensure success. Kelly is an expert researcher who points out similarities and differences in the advice of Wall Street experts. He offers a realistic and practical approach to the market. I will absolutely read this book at least another two times. It has given me the confidence I have long sought after to begin my Wall Street adventure!
November 17, 2009
This book was concise and a very quick read, but because of that I have to disagree with the title and premise of the book. It was more of a summary booklet for the buy-and-hold investor. It raised a lot of questions that it didn't answer.
It's hard to write a book that is useful as a quick reference, but also covers enough details for the beginner and I don't feel that this book covered it. the author does go into detail about finding a broker and research source etc. but I think it would have spent a little more on the background of the market and other areas. It would work good as a quick reference if you skip the middle section and are not interested in learning more than the minimum required to invest, but if you have a greater interest in the markets then you'll need to add to this with other sources.
It's hard to write a book that is useful as a quick reference, but also covers enough details for the beginner and I don't feel that this book covered it. the author does go into detail about finding a broker and research source etc. but I think it would have spent a little more on the background of the market and other areas. It would work good as a quick reference if you skip the middle section and are not interested in learning more than the minimum required to invest, but if you have a greater interest in the markets then you'll need to add to this with other sources.
January 23, 2008
I don't enjoy financial stuff, and consider investing one of those required adult activities right up there with laundry and taxes. That said, this is a great book. The length isn't overly intimidating, and the author offers clear, fairly easy-to-understand summations and explanations without being patronizing. In fact, I'm sure that one of these days I'll even get around to finishing it. :)
January 10, 2016
Really good book if you are a complete newbie into investing. Jason Kelly breaks down the fundamentals of different investing strategies and shows new comers what different terminologies mean and which ones matter to the average investor. If you are looking to start investing in stocks but have no idea where to begin or what things in the stock market mean, this books is the place to start.
March 31, 2023
Will I be investing after reading this book? Hell no. Was it interesting to learn about anyways, yeah it was. Considering the current ongoing crises, this was really interesting while still being very readable. But I especially appreciate the final chapter, in which the author also warns of the emotional toll investing can take on someone when they see stocks losing value or when headlines turn ugly about companies you may have invested in.
July 4, 2024
Really informative
June 9, 2015
I Believe Jason Kelly did a wonderful job skimming the top of how the stock market functions and the debs and flows of the market. However I saw a need for a more in depth emphasis of expanding you investment horizon. Jason focused mainly on growth and value stock options with little coverage on bond and other debt equity investment opportunities. There was little to no coverage on hedging; and very minimal exposure to his own personal experience witch suggests one could have attained this information in other ways. I was anticipating a more personalized view of his opinions not the numerical side of the industry: which can be easily attained by a more seasoned investors novel. Overall this book is prime for getting a knowledgeable foothold in the stock market however, if your interested in sort of rule book by more expressed investor i would suggest The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham.
November 23, 2018
I’m glad to have finished up this book finally, it gives a massive amount of information and is great to have on hand when researching for your portfolio. Some of the claims that this book makes (i.e. this book ALWAYS works, claiming a for sure 3% per quarter) are inherently false and I think that that kind of pulls the book down in itself. Other than that the book is very well written and I’m very interested to read any other books by the author.
June 21, 2008
This book is a great intro to both fundamental and technical investing. It teaches you the various calculations needed to determine different buy/sell triggers.
This book also gives a nice high level overview of the various masters of investing different styles.
This book also gives a nice high level overview of the various masters of investing different styles.
February 7, 2020
This is a small book for beginners which contains a summary of other investing/trading books. A few good points but nothing has been explained in detail. Jason Kelly brushes over a few thing but fails to dig deep into anything. The list of funds/ETF are quite dated. I did not learn anything new.
March 3, 2017
I thought it was a very good and informative book. It is easy to read and is packed with useful information about investing in the stock market.
May 29, 2021
This is the 2012 5th edition of a book first written in the 1990s. I was expecting to read this, capture notes, then send this book along to Goodwill or Half-Price Books. But I think it's probably a keeper, as the the book contains useful summaries that might be worth revisiting later as a reference.
Jason Kelly first gives very basic definitions. Then proceeds to outline the investment strategies and wisdom of a handful of master investors, including the obligatory Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch, as well as Bill Miller, a well-known mutual fund manager of recent decades. Miller is no Buffett or Lynch, but he did become famous for beating the indexes every year for 15 years until the financial crisis of 2008 slapped him around pretty good.
Kelly then gives Cliff-Notes summaries of a couple of other books, "Beating the Dow" by O'Higgins and "What Works on Wall Street" by O'Shaughnessy (for discovering O'Shaughnessy's book alone I'd say this book by Kelly was worth it). Next is a review of various information sources and websites current as of 2012, including instructions on how to read and and understand data in Investors Business Daily and Value Line.
Finally he lays out a strategy for building a portfolio and spreadsheet screening and analysis of stocks. If you're starting from scratch this could be valuable; not so much if, like me, you've evolved your own systems and preferences and don't find much new in Jason Kelly's approach.
Ultimately I'd say this book is worthwhile for the summaries and references it includes, and particularly useful for a new investor getting started or a less sophisticated investor wanting to refine their knowledge and skills.
Jason Kelly first gives very basic definitions. Then proceeds to outline the investment strategies and wisdom of a handful of master investors, including the obligatory Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch, as well as Bill Miller, a well-known mutual fund manager of recent decades. Miller is no Buffett or Lynch, but he did become famous for beating the indexes every year for 15 years until the financial crisis of 2008 slapped him around pretty good.
Kelly then gives Cliff-Notes summaries of a couple of other books, "Beating the Dow" by O'Higgins and "What Works on Wall Street" by O'Shaughnessy (for discovering O'Shaughnessy's book alone I'd say this book by Kelly was worth it). Next is a review of various information sources and websites current as of 2012, including instructions on how to read and and understand data in Investors Business Daily and Value Line.
Finally he lays out a strategy for building a portfolio and spreadsheet screening and analysis of stocks. If you're starting from scratch this could be valuable; not so much if, like me, you've evolved your own systems and preferences and don't find much new in Jason Kelly's approach.
Ultimately I'd say this book is worthwhile for the summaries and references it includes, and particularly useful for a new investor getting started or a less sophisticated investor wanting to refine their knowledge and skills.
May 15, 2016
I recommend this to people who have zero or little knowledge in stock market investing. First, it explains the terminologies and concepts related to stock market. Then the author presented the methodologies used by those people who made it big on the business. He showed what he thinks are the traits that we can pick up from them that can serve as guide when we invest in the market. He also showed good measures that we can use to know if a stock is a good buy.
November 30, 2014
a nice write-up for people without prior knowledge. I like the entertaining and honest style. After reading it, I can confirm what I've known for a long time. All financial experts do as well as a random generators to predict the future.
April 27, 2015
Good easy-to-read intro to equity investing. Definitely recommend.
November 1, 2015
Great beginners book that covers everything required to start-up in stock trading. Taking the best advice from experts across the trading world and collating them in an easy-to-understand text.
January 29, 2016
A simple and rich guide for newcomers to stock market investing
February 14, 2016
I really liked it, it covers all the basics and serves as a nice foundation on which to build a deeper understanding of the market.
March 15, 2016
Not any different from the many other stock market books you can get.
Merged review:
Not any different from the many other stock market books you can get.
Merged review:
Not any different from the many other stock market books you can get.
April 1, 2016
great intro to the stock market. Useful information for someone who already knows the basics but wants to learn a little more.
February 13, 2015
great book for beginners who are interested in a stock market.
March 24, 2017
Very basic 101. Would be a good read for an absolute beginner.
January 14, 2016
A nice nugget of a read, easy to follow, and interesting.
December 19, 2018
This is less a guide to stock market investing than a scattershot overview of resources available to help beginning investors, with a side order of sometimes contradictory advice from a few famous investors who have wildly different styles.
One of these is not so much an investor as a momentum-based technical trader who publishes Investors' Business Daily. William O'Neil's valuation-ignoring advice contradicts that of the famous investors and I don't think he deserves equal time with investor legends Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Bill Miller and Philip Fisher.
There's even a quick mention of passive, index investing. A very broad survey, but he highlights a few useful-sounding online data sites.
Two thirds of the way through the book, I started to wonder how the author was going to pull this all together into a coherent strategy.
Sadly, he doesn't.
Jason Kelly suggests making a decision sheet of what he calls "Reasons and Limits" for each stock, which is a good idea. He lays out criteria investors ought to seek in good stocks, also a good idea. He manages to leave out some of the criteria highlighted by his famous experts and also mentions price targets, but doesn't discuss valuation at all. So readers are left wondering how they should set price targets. Maybe that's in his next book, "The 3% Signal"?
I wasn't sufficiently impressed with this book to want to read that one.
One of these is not so much an investor as a momentum-based technical trader who publishes Investors' Business Daily. William O'Neil's valuation-ignoring advice contradicts that of the famous investors and I don't think he deserves equal time with investor legends Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Bill Miller and Philip Fisher.
There's even a quick mention of passive, index investing. A very broad survey, but he highlights a few useful-sounding online data sites.
Two thirds of the way through the book, I started to wonder how the author was going to pull this all together into a coherent strategy.
Sadly, he doesn't.
Jason Kelly suggests making a decision sheet of what he calls "Reasons and Limits" for each stock, which is a good idea. He lays out criteria investors ought to seek in good stocks, also a good idea. He manages to leave out some of the criteria highlighted by his famous experts and also mentions price targets, but doesn't discuss valuation at all. So readers are left wondering how they should set price targets. Maybe that's in his next book, "The 3% Signal"?
I wasn't sufficiently impressed with this book to want to read that one.
March 8, 2020
The best thing about this book is how innately accessible it is to those of us without business or economics degrees.
I've now read this book 3 times - each of the past 3 editions - because it's an incredible source of grounding in my investment endeavours. I would still recommend the works of Benjamin Graham, or James O'Shaugnessey, but Jason Kelly's book is an excellent starting point for the beginner, or those of us who have investing experience, but sometimes want a bit of a refresher.
TNLGTSMI presents core investing concepts clearly, concisely, and in a manner that makes them simple to comprehend. Jason never tries to come off as a definitive authority; he's more of a guide who happens to have some success and experience, and that tone is appreciated. If you have teenagers, this would make an excellent gift as I think this book should be mandatory in school curriculums.
Alas, if you're a hardened veteran, you'll already know most of what's written here as there are no advanced investment strategies discussed, other than a few short blurbs about chart analysis. The core message, however, is that there need not be any advanced startegies to successful investing. Just buy solid 'value-creating, strong businesses, with great competitive advantages, and strong management'. This book will show you how.
I've now read this book 3 times - each of the past 3 editions - because it's an incredible source of grounding in my investment endeavours. I would still recommend the works of Benjamin Graham, or James O'Shaugnessey, but Jason Kelly's book is an excellent starting point for the beginner, or those of us who have investing experience, but sometimes want a bit of a refresher.
TNLGTSMI presents core investing concepts clearly, concisely, and in a manner that makes them simple to comprehend. Jason never tries to come off as a definitive authority; he's more of a guide who happens to have some success and experience, and that tone is appreciated. If you have teenagers, this would make an excellent gift as I think this book should be mandatory in school curriculums.
Alas, if you're a hardened veteran, you'll already know most of what's written here as there are no advanced investment strategies discussed, other than a few short blurbs about chart analysis. The core message, however, is that there need not be any advanced startegies to successful investing. Just buy solid 'value-creating, strong businesses, with great competitive advantages, and strong management'. This book will show you how.
May 24, 2025
Good read for beginners who don't know where to begin. I have been investing for a few years and am familiar with many of the concepts described in the book, but still picked up some useful perspectives and strategies - so intermediates may also pick up some things. He also talks about the mentality and strategies of some of the greatest investors of our time, which I enjoyed.
Some things in the book are a bit dated, even though I read the 2012 edition. The book doesn't put enough weight on the fact that you can find a lot of information on the Internet. Newspapers and calling companies for investor packages aren't as relevant anymore. You can get these things online, and a lot of data about earnings etc... is available for free. Nevertheless, this is just a small part of the book.
Mind that this is a book about investing - not about trading. You're not gonna read this book and get rich next week. Patience is key. You will, however, learn what makes a company valuable and how you can position yourself for wealth in the long-term.
Some things in the book are a bit dated, even though I read the 2012 edition. The book doesn't put enough weight on the fact that you can find a lot of information on the Internet. Newspapers and calling companies for investor packages aren't as relevant anymore. You can get these things online, and a lot of data about earnings etc... is available for free. Nevertheless, this is just a small part of the book.
Mind that this is a book about investing - not about trading. You're not gonna read this book and get rich next week. Patience is key. You will, however, learn what makes a company valuable and how you can position yourself for wealth in the long-term.
December 16, 2021
I found this really useful as an introduction to stock market investing. It goes into not just defining language or one particular strategy, but it gives you some insights into historical strategies taught by some of the top investment earners in history. This is not an "invest in these exact companies" book, this is a fundamentals book with some sense of the fact that gurus are often wrong in their advice. Also, even though people have different ideas about smart investments, this book points out a few fundamental things that all successful investors swear by. I think this has helped me get a handle on what I am looking at if I read a stock page or am trying to evaluate some fund. I read the 2012 edition, and despite being almost 10 years old, I think the basics are all here. Recommended!
August 16, 2019
Very well written and concise!
This book is a great book for beginner.
Kelly will explain to you concepts of how to invest in stock intelligently with measurement to improve your performance overtime which is great!
He will bring you examples from the recent US market crash and a plausible way to avoid it.
I bought this book to learn how to invest and make money quickly.
I've finished this book with an entirely different mindset!
He will keep reminding you to be careful and mindful of decision to buy and sell.
It's very concise. If you wanna get start investing in stock market.
This book is for you.
This book is a great book for beginner.
Kelly will explain to you concepts of how to invest in stock intelligently with measurement to improve your performance overtime which is great!
He will bring you examples from the recent US market crash and a plausible way to avoid it.
I bought this book to learn how to invest and make money quickly.
I've finished this book with an entirely different mindset!
He will keep reminding you to be careful and mindful of decision to buy and sell.
It's very concise. If you wanna get start investing in stock market.
This book is for you.
March 13, 2020
An excellent book for a beginning investor. Jason Kelly does all the research for you and compiles it into one easy to read place. He really dumbs everything down for the layman and sets out a good plan for making money on the stock market. I have been a self-taught investor for a while now and there were definitely some interesting strategies in this book that I will begin to use. Some of the chapters are not useful as they talk about finding a broker and where to get information on the stock market (both easily accessible online at this day in age), but 5 stars for putting together a coherent summary of how to invest for retaining reliable returns.
August 29, 2020
Just finished re-reading. An indispensable introductory guide to stock market investing. Well worth re-reading every couple of years. For myself, I learn both by experience and reading and I have to read the text then experience it in the real world, try out the ideas I've read about in order to deepen my understanding. Then I live with those ideas for a couple of years, then come back to the text with a new understanding and begin the process again. Slowly I'm beginning to put Mr. Kelly's ideas into practice. I don't have lots of spare income to allot to investing so the build up of my portfolio has taken years, but now I feel that I'm starting to see the portfolio take shape and grow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews