Publishers Weekly
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Spangler, a pharmacist who dispenses financial advice on TikTok as @ecommjess, debuts with a pragmatic guide aimed at helping women make money on the stock market. Before investing, Spangler recommends getting one’s finances in order by tabulating one’s assets and liabilities, creating a budget, putting aside enough savings to cover three to six months of necessities, paying off high-interest debt, and setting up a retirement account. Outlining the pros and cons of basic investment options, Spangler notes that mutual funds are usually well-diversified, but come with hefty fees to compensate fund managers, and that certificates of deposit are low-risk, but come with early withdrawal penalties if one needs the money back sooner than scheduled. She emphasizes tailoring investment strategies to one’s needs, suggesting that those with such short-term goals as paying off credit card debt will want to go with low-risk options (high-yield savings accounts, CDs) while those thinking further ahead can choose more volatile options (ETFs and individual stocks) and still be confident they’ll profit in the long run. The advice is straightforward if familiar, and the conversational tone keeps the financial discussions light (“For some stocks, shareholders even receive a portion of the company’s profits, known as dividends. Pretty sweet”). Stock market neophytes would do well to start here. (Mar.)