[Book Review] - Kicking Financial Ass
Kicking Financial Ass
[Book Review] Author: Paul Christopher Dumont
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I received a copy of Paul Christopher Dumont's self-published, about-to-be-released book Kicking Financial Ass: Punch Debt in the Face, Invest for the Future, and Retire Early! via NetGalley. The bullet...It's a highly accessible, easy to understand guide to money for anyone.
While Dumont wrote the book for his own generation of Millenials, it is actually an excellent financial resource guide for anyone. I've read a lot of great money books over the years including
The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, and, my favorite of all
It's Not About the Money: A Financial Game Plan for Staying Safe, Sane, and Calm in Any Economy
They are all exceptional, but I can honestly say that Dumont's Kicking Financial Ass: Punch Debt in the Face, Invest for the Future, and Retire Early! is the most comprehensive and the easiest to understand. If you follow his practical advice, which most of us should, you can, like him, potentially "work 9 to 5 like most ... readers [and be] on track to retire in 10 years even though [he] had $50,000 of debt only four years ago."
Dumont spends some time talking about values in the book. I actually think he could go much deeper into this topic but he does get at happiness and trying to determine what will make you happy (hint - it's not about stuff). I actually think combining Dumont's book and It's Not About the Money would be an excellent combo to help you better understand your own money style and then apply that with Dumont's tips and practical advice.
This is also the first book that I've read that does two things. First, it delves into the differences in Canadian accounts. While most of the book is written for Americans, the book also covers Canadian specific retirement issues. I'm just a bit of a nerd so I enjoyed reading this section. Second, Dumont takes an incredibly honest, and in my opinion, very accurate approach to real estate as an investment tool. I know far too many people who have tried to use real estate and got upside down. Dumont talks very honestly about the pros and cons of real estate.
The book also does not need to be read cover to cover. You can absolutely skip around. Kicking Financial Ass will easily become a reference book you come back to year in and year out.
While I live comfortably and with the relative security of anyone who has a good job they love and isn't independently wealthy, I wish I'd made some of the decisions Dumont outlines in his book much earlier in life. Do yourself a favor and pre-order a copy of this book or grab a copy of this book when it releases on August 6, 2019. Grab a few copies for friends and loved ones, especially younger folks who are in the best position to take this advice and run with it.