TOP DRAWER BOOK REVIEW
by
HL Carpenter

 

Everybody Wants Your Money
by David W. Latko
ISBN 0-06-085115-5
266 pages; hardcover; $22.95
HarperCollins, New York, 2006

 

Who’s reaching for your wallet? David Latko, financial advisor, wants you to know. Oh, and you probably ought to be aware financial advisors make the list.

Other culprits include stockbrokers, Realtors, car salesmen, your soon-to-be-ex spouse and assorted run of the mill con artists, such as government legislators. Are you beginning to think there’s no one you can trust?

Your paranoia may be well founded. Everybody Wants Your Money even points out instances where you are your worst financial enemy.

Fortunately, the book also provides information and anecdotes designed to help you hang on to your riches. Of course, generic advice has limitations. For instance, you may not agree with some recommendations, such as never buying a new house or choosing to join a destination club instead of owning a vacation home. And Mr. Latko does not seem too clear himself on certain guidance, such as when he discusses registered investment advisors and the role of your CPA in managing your finances.

Still, Everybody Wants Your Money is a wry, witty reminder that common sense is your best ally in any matter concerning your money. To that end, here’s a tip the book doesn’t mention: If you want to read it, borrow a copy from the library - and keep one more hand out of your wallet.

 

Review originally published November 2006.