Investopoly: The 8 golden rules for mastering the game of building wealth

by Stuart Wemyss

Winning at Monopoly requires having a little bit of luck, making the most of your luck and applying certain rules – such as buying as much property as possible, not spending all you cash (having some savings) and negotiating to get a full set of properties as soon as you can. Building wealth is no different. You can win at the game of building personal wealth by applying a set of proven rules: the 8 Golden Rules.

In Investopoly, Stuart Wemyss explains the rules he has formulated and refined over two decades of practice, observation and experience. They are not just theory, they are rooted in simple maths, academic studies and/or common sense. They are tested and have been proven to work. They are the rules of the investment game.

If you are looking to build wealth that will ensure you are financially secure then this is the book for you. Stuart possesses the rare skill of being able to make financial planning interesting. In this engaging and informative book, he gives sound, easy-to-understand information and encouragement to readers to help them with their planning, saving and investing for a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

Genres: Finance

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2018

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough resource on financial planning, smarter investing, asset protection, and wealth creation. Each chapter dives straight in without the fluff, providing valuable insight into how to best determine the right assets to choose and how to implement sensible investment strategies.

Particularly interesting content on asset allocation for different shares/index funds, including how to implement this in a super environment for suitable readers. The part on asset protection, including the benefits of income protection outside of super being tax deductible vs. TPD/Life insurance being deductible inside super was something new to me.

Highly recommend to those looking for a resource that is relatively comprehensive whilst still being written in a format that is easily digestible for readers who aren’t particularly well versed in wealth creation. I’ll be interested in reading his next book specifically on property investment. Stuart’s knowledge and experience is evident in his writing style and I will be curious to see how he expands on this knowledge in a dedicated resource.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. Having studied Financial Planning, this book simplifies the process down into eight rules. I particularly enjoyed the section on low-cost passive investing as it aligns with my philosophy.

I borrowed this book from my local library, but will invest in purchasing my own copy for future reference. Highly recommended.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! The chapter on how to choose an investment-grade property is worth the purchase price alone.

Also learned about value investing index funds - BetaShares FTSE RAFI - where returns beat traditional indexing by 2.47% p.a (back-tested over 10 years).

Have subscribed to Stuart's website posts, which are also great: https://www.prosolution.com.au/blog

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, very approachable and understandable to someone who isn't very clued up in this area. The advice given has lots of evidence/references to support it. I've already picked up a few things from this book (capital growth over income generation, TPD inside super but IP outside).

If you liked the Barefoot Investor but found that a bit too "common sense", then Investopoly is definitely the next level up.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really useful and inspiring. It's comprehensive, but worded simply so it was easy to grasp as a layperson. I will be implementing his advice and referring back to this book over the years! Highly recommend.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always great to see an Australian-centric personal finance book. Often these types of books can be boring, and dry, but Wemyss makes it engaging and relevant.

His take on investment-grade property is interesting, and worth the price of the book. Plus his exploration of active vs passive investing is worth listening to.

If you're an Australian and had to read one personal finance book, this would be it.

"Building wealth is simple: spend less than you earn and invest the difference regularly. It's simple strategy and it works"

"Life is about balancing your enjoyment of financial rewards now while still saving for the future"

"The main problem with investing for income is you lose too much of your investment return through the payment of income tax"

"A property needs to have a substantial land value component for it to be able to achieve an adequate rate of capital growth. Put differently, it is impossible for a property to appreciate in value over the long run if it does not have a strong land value component."

"Debt is a great servant, but a very bad master. You must control it, not the other way around"

"In summary, it is nearly always the best approach to borrow the full cost of a property and deposit cash in the offset"

Wemyss also has a podcast featuring the same name. Explores more of these ideas, and looks at some case studies from his firm.

[Jordan Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, an Australian-specific investing book that focuses on offering tried and tested investing advice, rather than acting as a sales funnel for the author. Stuart’s advice is authentic and not once whilst reading this book did I feel like he was trying to sell his ability as a financial planner.

Easily the best (of 8 so far) investing book I have ever read.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great as it is written in a mostly conversational way that is easily understood.

It provides a step by step guide to building wealth.

Some concepts you will find in many personal finance/investing books but I still recommend it.

[Joe Zacharia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for a 40 year old

Like : totality. It covers all aspects from insurance to wealth creation in terms of strategy
Simple and executable strategic solutions.

[Sarah Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good easy read with a common sense approach.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good advice

This book contained, I believe good solid practice advice. No get rich quick schemes.Reading this book was like sitting down with a good financial advisor, of which the author is. Definitely a worthwhile investment in your time to read.

[Prasad Wimalasiri]

Investopoly is a great book that condenses the abc's of investing. Stuart covers and condenses investing strateies that worked for him and others into an easy to ready book that will no doubt be a good 1st read or revision for some.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent beginners book