Description

*** Wall Street Journal bestseller ***

Investing isn’t a man’s world anymore—and this provocative and enlightening book shows why that’s a good thing for Wall Street, the global financial system, and your own personal portfolio.

Warren Buffett and all of the women of the world have one thing in common: They are better investors than the average man. It’s been proved by psychologists and scientists, and the market calamities of the past two years have only provided more statistical and anecdotal evidence of the same. Here are just a few characteristics of female investors that distinguish them from their male counterparts.

• Women spend more time researching their investment choices than men do. This prevents them from chasing “hot” tips and trading on whims -- behavior that tends to weaken men’s portfolios.

• Men trade 45% more often than women do, and although men are more confident investors, they tend to be overconfident. By trading more often -- and without enough research -- men reduce their net returns. But by trading less often, women get better returns and also save on transaction costs and capital gains taxes.

• A study by the University of California at Davis found that women’s portfolios gained 1.4% more than men’s portfolios did. What’s more, single women did even better than single men, with 2.3% greater gains.

• Women tend to look at more than just numbers when deciding whether to invest in a company. They invest in companies they feel good about ethically and personally. And companies with good products, good services, and ethics tend to have better long-term prospects -- and face fewer lawsuits.

Women, with their capability for patience and good decision-making, epitomize the Foolish investment philosophy and the investment practices of the most successful investor in history: Warren Buffett. While men are brash, compulsive, and overly daring, women tend to be more studious, skeptical, and reasonable. This indispensable volume from the multimedia financial education company Motley Fool offers essential advice for every investor hoping to turn today’s savings into wealth for a better tomorrow.

About the Author

Tom Gardner, along with his brother David, cofounded The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial education company, in 1993. They have coauthored five books and oversee the award-winning website Fool.com (with approximately five million unique visitors per month); a nationally syndicated newspaper column, carried by over two hundred papers; and fourteen premium investing services.

LouAnn Lofton has been with The Motley Fool since January 2000, first as a writer, then as the managing editor for online content. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Praise For…

“You’ll have to read her book to see the criteria she used, but I’d say I probably plead guilty.” — Warren Buffett

“At last, The Motley Fool hits on the real “secret to success” that dozens of other books on Warren Buffett have overlooked - temperament. A witty, well-researched roadmap.” — Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

“A well-written, sound investment book....[A] fine, readable book which is of real practical help to investors.” — Andrew Kilpatrick, author of Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett

“Lofton’s BFF-style advice is fun to read and well-worth taking, whether your chromosomes are XX or XY.” — Nell Minow, corporate governance expert

“Through this refreshingly new approach to understanding Buffett, Lofton convincingly argues that both men and women can improve their stock returns by studying how women (and Buffett) have been more successful in investing.” — Prem Jain, author of Buffett Beyond Value: Why Buffett Looks to Growth and Management When Investing

“The essential ingredients of Buffett’s investing philosophy have been overlooked until now, argues author Louann Lofton in her new, must-read book. ...Go forth, buy the book, and love your inner Buffett.” — DailyWorth.com

“Before reading Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl, I thought that I had studied Warren Buffett from nearly every angle. LouAnn Lofton offers a new perspective on Buffett’s investment success.” — Lauren Templeton, co-author of Investing the Templeton Way: The Market-Beating Strategies of Value Investing's Legendary Bargain Hunter, and founder of Lauren Templeton Capital Management

“Lofton lays out sound feminine and Motley Fool-worthy rules for investment that men would be wise to heed.” — Kirkus Reviews

Thoroughly researched… [Lofton] has drawn up a blue-print for sensible stock picking that is relevant irrespective of whether you are male or female. — Daily Mail (London)

“Entertaining….The idea of using Mr. Buffett as the symbol for her investing approach is effective.” — New York Times

“Lofton (and the Fools) do an admirable job of parsing out the tried and true tenets of smart, sound investing and hitting on how you can improve your investment returns.” — USA Today