The authors unlock the doors to the secrets of what every private investor should know - how to secure a more certain tomorrow by embracing the risks and perils of a less-than-certain world today. - David Kuo, Investment Expert, The Motley Fool, www.fool.co.uk A refreshing, smart, investment book. The recession starkly revealed most economists didn't get it right. This book, drawing from sociology, psychology, and institutional economics shows the challenges real people in real lives face as they increasingly try and fail to manage life risk's through commercial and unstable financial markets. - Teresa Ghilarducci, Schwartz Professor of Economic Analysis, The New School, USA Explaining the complexities of personal investment is a challenge in itself but to locate these decisions in their political and sociological context is a stunning achievement. This is a remarkable and fascinating book that will appeal equally to finance practitioners and students of social change. - Peter Howells, Professor of Monetary Economics, Centre for Global Finance, Bristol Business School, UK An excellent undergraduate text which links the practical aspects of personal finance and investment with the relevant socio-economic theory in an intellectually stimulating manner guaranteed to engage students - Dr. Jim Mallon, Lecturer in Financial Services, School of Accounting, Economics& Statistics, Edinburgh Napier University, UK The Personal Finance Society supports the Open University and Palgrave's aim to improve understanding and inspire confidence in personal investment decision making. Personal Investment - Financial Planning in an Uncertain World will provide a good introduction to many of the key considerations underlying personal investment planning. As the UK's leading professional body for the financial advisory profession, the Personal Finance Society's mission is to improve consumer trust in personal finance by setting high technical and ethical standards for those working in the sector. In recent years financial planning has made considerable advances from a sales-led industry to a valued advisory profession. The advent of Chartered status for financial planners, and a commitment to higher professional standards, has made a career in financial planning an attractive and highly respected option for graduates. - Fay Goddard, Chief Executive, the Personal Finance Society, UK This book not only explains personal finance to those who may be confused, but also helps the reader understand why it can be so confusing. Using a thematic approach to the topic, addressing important and universal issues of risk, uncertainty and ethics, this book is more than just a traditional primer or guide to personal financial issues. It explains simply and clearly a range of concepts from economics and finance that underpin our everyday personal experience of financial services. With a broad range of topical and everyday examples, it thus sets the issue of personal finance in its wider economic and social context, providing a book that is informative and critical as well as being (importantly for this area) an accessible and enjoyable read. A good introductory textbook for universities and colleges, with a wide range of potential application, it will also be a source of guidance for those seeking a better understanding of how to cope with the risks and uncertainties that bedevil all of our personal finances. - Patrick Ring, Senior Lecturer in Financial Services, Programme Leader, Finance, Investment and Risk, Caledonian Business School, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
