At Benchmark Financial, we aim to educate as much as advise. Here is our database of recommended books, videos, and terms to further educate yourself.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
With Winning the Loser’s Game, you have anything you need to identify your unique investment objectives, develop a realistic and powerful investment program, and enjoy superior results.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
This book helps the individual understand the world of investing, and simplifies the jargon/terminology of the investment world.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
Follow the advice in The Smartest Retirement Book You'll Ever Read and you will find simple strategies to maximize your retirement nest egg.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
Time and again, individual investors discover, all too late, that actively picking stocks is a loser's game. The alternative lies with index funds.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
Daniel Solin cuts through the financial hype to show you exactly how to invest-with an easy-to-follow four-step plan that lets you create and monitor your investment portfolio in ninety minutes or less.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
With the current market maelstrom as a background, this timely guide describes just how to plan a lifetime of investing, in good times and bad, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns
Difficulty Level:
Advanced
The Four Pillars of Investing gives investors the tools they need to construct top-returning portfolios--without the help of a financial adviser.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
This book guides you with the transition from the world of work to the next phase of your life. Called retirement by many.
Difficulty Level:
Advanced
Bogle takes a critical look at the mutual fund industry and helps investors navigate their way through the staggering array of investment alternatives that are available to them.
Difficulty Level:
Advanced
The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing
Difficulty Level:
Advanced
Everything you need to know about how to Implement a smart asset allocation strategy.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
A wonderful collection of the personal stories of 30 people who found financial freedom. The book does a wonderful job of providing inspiration that we can all get to freedom.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
A nine-step program for living more meaningful lives, showing readers how to get out of debt, save money, reorder priorities, and more.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
What happens inside our brains when we think about money? Quite a lot, actually, and some of it isn’t good for our financial health.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
Dave explains why debt is your enemy and how you can kick it out of your life.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
A quick and easy read that will put you on the path to becoming both rich and happy - and keep you there.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
A regular guy shares his story and explains how he changed his financial life.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
Readers with an entrepreneurial turn of mind will devour The Millionaire Mind because it provides road maps on how millionaires found their niches
Difficulty Level:
Easy
Tim Kasser offers a scientific explanation of how our contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
Dr. Thomas J. Stanley is a recognized and highly respected authority on how the wealthy act and think.
Difficulty Level:
Easy
From budgeting, saving, and reducing debt, to making timely investment choices and planning for the future, this book gives readers the tools they need to take charge of their financial life.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
The day you get a diploma is not the end, but the beginning. That is the day you start down a path, searching for fulfillment and meaning in your life.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
This best-selling guide to personal finance offers advice and strategies for investing, borrowing, meeting financial goals, and planning for retirement.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
More than ever before, people in their twenties and thirties need help getting their financial lives in order. And who could blame them?
Difficulty Level:
Easy
Michael Mihalik describes the 10 steps he personally used to gain control of his finances and pay off a large amount of debt.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner
Discover how to bridge the gap between the world of money and the ultimate prize we all seek, true and long lasting happiness.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
This book covers the tricks companies use to manipulate our minds and persuade us to buy.
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
Even the most disorganized among us can take control of our on- and off-line details so our loved ones won’t have to scramble later. The experts at Everplans, a leading company in digital life planning, make it possible in this essential and easy-to-follow book.
Sending your kids or loved ones to college is a big decision. Thankfully, there are many strategies that can be utilized depending on your unique situation. At Benchmark Financial, we aid in establishing and implementing a suitable plan of action for you and your teenager.
If you hold investments, they will be taxed in various ways. We help optimize investment and withdrawal strategies to minimize the taxes you will pay throughout your pre-retirement and retirement years. You will be kept up-to-date on new tax polices and how they may, or may not, impact your tax situation.
If you have money in any of the following account types listed here, please reach out as we may be able to help you pay less in taxes.
Everyone has their own unique goals when it comes to investing. We are here to help you achieve those goals in the most stress-free environment possible. Here is a brief overview of our proven investment strategy:
There is a single factor that has been shown to be correlated with higher returns—low fees. A study conducted by Morningstar® concluded that the expense ratio, or annual cost, of a fund is the only dependable predictor of future performance.1
By dividing your investments across different asset classes (e.g. bonds, U.S. stocks, international stocks) rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, you can reduce risk by letting one part of your portfolio cushion the blow if another part goes down.
Markets consistently fluctuate as speculation and basic human psychology influence investor behavior. Despite this volatility, the overall market has produced a 10.2% gross average return in the last 89 years.
The primary goal of insurance is to mitigate risk and put some of your worries at ease. At Benchmark Financial, we help determine which insurance policy best suites your unique situation. Moreover, we help determine if you are carrying a policy that you actually don’t need — this is where a lot money can be saved.
If you have an existing policy or policies, we take a look at all the relevant details. We make sure that the amount of coverage you have is appropriate, that you are maintaining the correct deductible, and more.
But many times you may be overinsured and not know it. For example, if you have a healthy emergency fund, you probably don’t need a $500 deductible on your auto policy. This means you are wasting valuable money on a product which could be better utilized elsewhere; such as investment products that earn interest.
Preparing your estate to transfer to your heirs can be cumbersome. That’s why we help you to determine how your assets will transfer in the most tax efficient way possible. That means we look at your entire portfolio, including investments, real estate, business interests, and more.
