Stress-Free Money: Overcome These Seven Obstacles to Find Financial Freedom

Sound financial advice for anyone, regardless of stage of life
I do not know the author personally. I came across a social media post about his book, bought it (Kindle), and read the whole thing today. I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review.This book is a great short read! Most financial freedom books usually talk about the hype: bitcoin (BTC), fix and flip real estate, indexed universal life policies, passive income strategies, etc. This is NOT that book. This book focuses on sound, strategic financial principles that would benefit anyone, no matter how rich or poor you are.Finance is my side hobby and I spend quite a bit of time reading about the pros and cons of various financial products. Despite my education over the past few years, there were some chapters in this book with specific ideas on how I could improve my financial security that I had not previously considered. Definitely worth the money.My favorite chapter was the chapter on focusing on short term and long term goals rather than arbitrary dollar amounts for retirement. Taking a comprehensive goal-based approach makes a lot of sense, but most people don’t take that approach.

Required Reading
There are plenty of personal finance books out there which promise to help us achieve financial freedom, but precious few which have even tried to explain what financial freedom really is. As this gem of a book makes clear, true financial freedom is not simply a matter of having a lot of money; rather, it is the peace of mind that comes from knowing what you want out of life and having a viable plan to achieve it.This book also makes clear (with one cringeworthy example after another) how difficult it is even for intelligent and successful people to set and achieve their financial goals on their own – and how essential it is to obtain professional advice. But who can you trust? Mr. Willardson has made a thoughtful and candid appraisal of the current state of the financial planning profession, and this book is required reading for anyone who is seeking a competent advisor.

A strong case for intentional investing and using a financial advisor
This book has clear objectives outlining the importance of investing your money with written goals for retirement. As someone who has read little within the genre of financial advice, I appreciated the key takeaways listed at the end of each chapter.I also related to analogies that helped me better understand the concepts i.e. likening financial advisors as neutral parties with professional advice to medical doctors; and the day to day following of the stock market as “financial fast food” addicting but not healthy.As a beginner to understanding these concepts, I wish some terms like “Fiduciary” was clearly defined. However, I did gather its meaning through contextual means.Overall a good read and ultimately inspires me to rethink about my financial goals and act with intentional planning.

Excellent advice for people who think they can effectively manage their own money
The target audience for this book is people who have experienced poor results either managing their own money, or using a non-fiduciary to manage it for them. I have a degree in Economics, a MBA and a law degree, have worked in the trusts and estates area of the law, and have followed the markets daily for 25 years. I have never used a financial advisor or asset manager, and never thought I needed one. I was wrong. Reading Chad‘s book helped me to realize how many common financial mistakes I have made over the years, and how much better off I would have been had I received and heeded this advice 25 years ago. Just as the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, the reality is that you really can’t be objective about your own financial situation. It is too easy to let major decisions be influenced by fear and greed, and to not stick to a plan, if you even have a plan, much less a good plan.

Great book. Good takeaways for our family.