Until recently, I believed I would never write another personal-finance book. Luck played such a huge role in The Wealthy Barber’s success that I didn’t want to tempt fate. So what changed my mind? Frustration. After watching Canadians’ savings rates plunge, debt levels skyrocket and investment returns consistently disappoint over the last decade, I was pulling my hair out. I wondered, “How can I help?” I’m hopeful that The Wealthy Barber Returns will answer that question. Although it doesn’t use its predecessor’s novel format (yes, that’s a generous use of the word “novel”), this, too, is an unusual financial-planning book. There are no checklists, no graphs and almost no charts. Heck, there’s hardly any math. Essentially, it’s just me chatting casually about the world of money. It’s almost as though I’m in your living room except better because, well, I’m not. I’ll admit that The Wealthy Barber Returns is certainly not comprehensive. Neither my knowledge nor a mere 200 pages would allow for that. And by no means is it the definitive word on how to manage your finances. (Sadly, that doesn’t exist.) In fact, you might disagree with some of my opinions — I’m sure that many in the industry will. But I’m confident that what follows will make you think differently and more wisely about your saving, spending, borrowing and investment decisions. In a way, I’ve been writing this book for more than 20 years. I really hope you enjoy and benefit from its ideas. Even if you don’t, though, please tell others that you did.
