David Chilton - Wealthy Barber [Guide to Financial Independence] (1998)

This is David Chilton's informative book The Wealthy Barber - Everyone's Commonsense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent (1998) which is a good starting point for anyone who wants to construct a personal financial plan. Many people are so scared of dealing with their money that they don't do anything at all - only to suffer for it over the long haul. In contrast to other personal finance planning books this one takes the form of a novel. The narrator, Dave, a 28-year-old school teacher and expectant father, his sister, who runs a small business, and his buddy, Tom, who works in a refinery, sit around a barber shop and listen as the well-to-do barber, teaches them how to get rich. He is a simple, down-to-earth barber dispensing homespun wisdom while he lops a little off the top. Ray's barbershop isn't the place to learn strategies for trading options and commodities. Instead, his advice covers the basics of RRSPs, mutual funds, real estate, insurance, and the like. His first and most important rule is "pay yourself first." Take 10 per cent off every pay cheque as it comes in and invest it in safe interest-bearing instruments. Through the magic of compound interest, this 10 per cent will turn into a substantial nest egg over time. It's not about how to get rich quick. It's about how to get rich slowly and stay that way. Chilton simplifies the complex puzzles of personal finance and helps you achieve financial independence. His plan, detailed in an entertaining story, is no get-rich-quick scheme, but it does make financial independence possible on nothing more than an average salary. Even if you consider yourself a financial "basket case," The Wealthy Barber explains how you can easily put an effective financial plan into action. 220 pages. A must read for everyone.