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How do I Choose the Best Investor Guide?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

To choose the best investor guide, you need to consider your skill and knowledge level and the type of investment information that you are looking for. Make sure to assess the qualifications of any author before making your purchase. Also try to avoid purchasing a guide whose content is inaccessible before you spend your money.

Theoretically, anyone can write an investor guide. This does not, however, mean that it is advisable for you to risk your money based on the advice of just anyone. Two things that you want to consider before making your choice are who the author is and how he or she qualifies as an authority. If you are not familiar with the author, this may require you to do a background check. Also keep in mind that being a celebrity does not necessarily qualify a person to provide investment guidance.

Businessman with a briefcase
Businessman with a briefcase

There are several other things to consider when determining if an investor guide meets your needs. If you want to concentrate on a specific type of investment, such as gold coins, it is probably best to buy a guide that concentrates on that topic. If you want a guide that will provide an overview of several investment vehicles or strategies, choose one that is relevant to the locations where you will invest. For example, although an investor guide written by a person in France may be very informative, that information may not be relevant for an American investor.

Guides are produced for people with varying knowledge and skill levels. You should choose an investor guide that accommodates yours. If you are a beginning investor, for example, it is not wise to choose a guide for seasoned investors. Most likely much of the material will be beyond your comprehension. Furthermore, if you are a beginning investor or one who is looking to explore more advanced or specialized areas, you should seriously consider an investor guide that includes a glossary.

You can use reviews to help you make your decision. This is not to suggest that you base your decision entirely on a book review, because such works are often influenced by trends and popularity. On the contrary, reviews can help you to determine what the strengths and weaknesses of a particular guide are and what is included and omitted.

Since it has the potential to be an important resource, it is best to choose an investor guide that you can preview. You may have a tendency to shop online. If you are able to read excepts before you make your purchase, this shopping option is fine. If, however, you are not able to do so, you should consider visiting a bookstore or library to ensure that the guide that you are considering is really the one that you want to buy.

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      Businessman with a briefcase