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Beyond the Basics: Maximizing, Allocating, and Protecting Your Capital
A Framework for Sustained Capital Growth
If you already know the financial planning basics, the fundamentals, and the mistakes to avoid but are uncertain of what comes next to increase your wealth, this book is for you.
Most personal finance books fall into one of two categories. Some cover the basics: the smart use of credit cards, debt management, buying a home, how mortgages work, and starting to save early. Some deal with managing your own money by trying to turn you into an investment genius, leaving you under the impression that just by following a few simple formulas or spending a few hours a week, you will beat the pros in an extremely competitive arena. Too few books present a comprehensive approach that takes you beyond the basics and focuses on the key decisions that will increase your wealth.
Sammy Azzouz wrote this book to help bridge that gap—to provide an individual capital allocation framework for successful people who are looking for what to do next.
If you already know the financial planning basics, the fundamentals, and the mistakes to avoid but are uncertain of what comes next to increase your wealth, this book is for you.
Most personal finance books fall into one of two categories. Some cover the basics: the smart use of credit cards, debt management, buying a home, how mortgages work, and starting to save early. Some deal with managing your own money by trying to turn you into an investment genius, leaving you under the impression that just by following a few simple formulas or spending a few hours a week, you will beat the pros in an extremely competitive arena. Too few books present a comprehensive approach that takes you beyond the basics and focuses on the key decisions that will increase your wealth.
Sammy Azzouz wrote this book to help bridge that gap—to provide an individual capital allocation framework for successful people who are looking for what to do next.
- GenresNonfiction
206 pages, Paperback
Published April 21, 2020
5 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Sammy Azzouz
2 books7 followersSammy Azzouz, JD, CFP®, is president and CEO of Heritage Financial Services, based in Westwood, Massachusetts. He is also the author of The Boston Advisor blog (thebostonadvisor.com), which aims to help people who are serious about their finances take their money smarts to the next level.
Sammy has been a wealth manager helping high-net-worth clients achieve their financial and investment goals since 2000. Early in his career, Sammy worked as lead advisor at B&D Advisors, an investment advisory firm run by the estate planning group at the law firm of Bowditch & Dewey, where he drafted estate planning documents, conducted tax research, and worked closely with a robust trust department in addition to his financial planning and investment responsibilities. He then built a national wealth management practice for investment manager Manning & Napier Advisors, where he became one of the youngest and fastest employees to be named a shareholder of that firm. At Manning & Napier, he also served as a portfolio strategist for the firm's dividend-focused investment product.
At Heritage Financial, Sammy works closely with the firm's CEO on all facets of the business. His primary management responsibilities are to help translate Heritage's long-term vision into a strategic direction and to ensure that goals are effectively implemented so the firm can remain at the forefront of delivering high-quality wealth management services to its clients. In addition to his leadership role, he serves as the lead advisor for a select group of high-net-worth clients.
Sammy earned his bachelor of arts from the University of Toronto and his juris doctor from the University of Maryland. After passing the bar in Maryland, he decided to pursue wealth management to help people with all aspects of their finances.
Sammy lives in Millis, Massachusetts, with his wife, Janine, and three children, Yasmine, Aden, and Siena
Sammy has been a wealth manager helping high-net-worth clients achieve their financial and investment goals since 2000. Early in his career, Sammy worked as lead advisor at B&D Advisors, an investment advisory firm run by the estate planning group at the law firm of Bowditch & Dewey, where he drafted estate planning documents, conducted tax research, and worked closely with a robust trust department in addition to his financial planning and investment responsibilities. He then built a national wealth management practice for investment manager Manning & Napier Advisors, where he became one of the youngest and fastest employees to be named a shareholder of that firm. At Manning & Napier, he also served as a portfolio strategist for the firm's dividend-focused investment product.
At Heritage Financial, Sammy works closely with the firm's CEO on all facets of the business. His primary management responsibilities are to help translate Heritage's long-term vision into a strategic direction and to ensure that goals are effectively implemented so the firm can remain at the forefront of delivering high-quality wealth management services to its clients. In addition to his leadership role, he serves as the lead advisor for a select group of high-net-worth clients.
Sammy earned his bachelor of arts from the University of Toronto and his juris doctor from the University of Maryland. After passing the bar in Maryland, he decided to pursue wealth management to help people with all aspects of their finances.
Sammy lives in Millis, Massachusetts, with his wife, Janine, and three children, Yasmine, Aden, and Siena
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 25, 2020
First day of fast so since I couldn’t feed my belly decided to feed my mind and what should arrive in my mail box, hot of the presses, this morning but this little gem!
Immediately won me over when one if it’s earliest recommendations was that one of the best ways to invest in yourself is to constantly be reading. But it saves one of its best points for its final chapter, a point that is particularly timely at the moment. Everyone worried about their portfolio in the current market should immediately flip to page 187 and read “Protecting Your Portfolio from Yourself”.
Once you’ve done that though flip back to the beginning and read the whole thing. Definitely worth it. Will be sending out copies of this to quite a few friends and family as soon as I finish this review.
Immediately won me over when one if it’s earliest recommendations was that one of the best ways to invest in yourself is to constantly be reading. But it saves one of its best points for its final chapter, a point that is particularly timely at the moment. Everyone worried about their portfolio in the current market should immediately flip to page 187 and read “Protecting Your Portfolio from Yourself”.
Once you’ve done that though flip back to the beginning and read the whole thing. Definitely worth it. Will be sending out copies of this to quite a few friends and family as soon as I finish this review.
March 26, 2023
This book surprised me. I've worked in finance my entire career and I've even provided some financial counseling in the past. A friend of mine was mentioned in the Acknowledgements and he gave me a "signed copy" (his own signature, not Sammy's) of the book. I actually liked it and learned some things. I'm not sure I would have spent so much time on taxes so early in the book (I feel like it may cause people to get bored), but overall I thought this was an excellent summary of how to manage your money well and how to think about many different aspects of finance.
Favorite quotes:
p. 13 - "Reading is a career investment."
p. 14 - "Don't force yourself to finish something you're not enjoying." (First time I've ever seen a writer give their readers an out to stop reading their book..pin the first chapter, no less!)
p. 185 - "How you react to the market could be the most damaging thing you can do to your finances."
Favorite quotes:
p. 13 - "Reading is a career investment."
p. 14 - "Don't force yourself to finish something you're not enjoying." (First time I've ever seen a writer give their readers an out to stop reading their book..pin the first chapter, no less!)
p. 185 - "How you react to the market could be the most damaging thing you can do to your finances."
June 1, 2020
The book is very nice although US reality centric in some parts. This is fair enough because taxes as system varies in different countries. The general rules are very much applicable and adjustable to where I creative as well as other countries I used to live.
September 24, 2020
Excellent book!!!
April 26, 2020
Although pitched for readers who are beyond basic concepts like savings, debt and what is a stock and bond, but who don’t know about CAPM, mean variance, options pricing, etc., that would cater to a more sophisticated investor, the information here is not much different than other common investing books than aim to inform interested individuals on how to invest for the long term.
The writing style is engaging and mostly jargon-free but if you have read John Bogle, Charlie Ellis, William Bernstein or Jason Zweig, you will not appreciably increase your understanding of money management. To the authors credit he doesn’t advise trying to beat or time the market but there is a not so subtle sales point in advocating for the use of a financial advisor as the author is one himself. He believes that a set and forget low cost index fund approach can’t prevent buying high when stocks are overpriced or prevent an investor from panicking and selling at a market bottom and missing the gains from a rebound. The question is whether a 1 % fee year after year is worth it from preventing someone from making a market-timing mistake. I don’t believe so but others obviously disagree.
Although not destined to be a standard investment book for DIY investing, it still does a good job explaining the basics of investing including real estate in addition to stocks and bonds, asset allocation, tax considerations and how to evaluate a financial advisor. There is a cursory discussion of insurance and estate planning that round out the book. A solid but unremarkable entry in the field of basic money management
The writing style is engaging and mostly jargon-free but if you have read John Bogle, Charlie Ellis, William Bernstein or Jason Zweig, you will not appreciably increase your understanding of money management. To the authors credit he doesn’t advise trying to beat or time the market but there is a not so subtle sales point in advocating for the use of a financial advisor as the author is one himself. He believes that a set and forget low cost index fund approach can’t prevent buying high when stocks are overpriced or prevent an investor from panicking and selling at a market bottom and missing the gains from a rebound. The question is whether a 1 % fee year after year is worth it from preventing someone from making a market-timing mistake. I don’t believe so but others obviously disagree.
Although not destined to be a standard investment book for DIY investing, it still does a good job explaining the basics of investing including real estate in addition to stocks and bonds, asset allocation, tax considerations and how to evaluate a financial advisor. There is a cursory discussion of insurance and estate planning that round out the book. A solid but unremarkable entry in the field of basic money management
October 9, 2024
I was looking for a 201-level personal finance book and this one was certainly aimed at that gap. There are probably better resources out there, but this was pretty accessible to a beginner without detailed interest. Overall, fine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews