No. of Recommendations: 2
Elizabeth,
Schwab is a good shop to deal with, as are all of them (Fidelity, E*Trade, etc.). But each has its strengths and weaknesses. So which one(s) would best serve your needs depends on what those needs are. (Yeah, Catch-22.) If you're a small money brokerage account, then Schwab's Prime Money Market fund is probably the best of the bunch for you in terms of its 7-day yield. If you're a high-income earner in a high-tax state, then other choices would work better. It all depends on your own, individual situation.
Let me go out you a limb here and offer some advice. There are some truly excellent financial advisors out there, but you can't access them, because your account is too small, nor do they want to deal with you, because you don't know enough. But here's the good news. By the time you do learn enough that you don't have to ask them endless questions, you also don't need them, nor would you want to deal with them, because most are just going to lose your money -- all the while shrugging and saying, "No one could have foreseen that would happen"-- and then charge fees for their bad advice. But if you do want to try to find an adviser, only consider one who is trading for his or her own account and can make a living so. If they have to depend on client fees to make a living, you don't want to deal with them.
Second limb. By and large, men and women are genetically hard-wired to think about money differently. Therefore, where you can, try to learn about money management from women, not men. That's why I like Wright's book, and why I don't hesitate to recommend it. If you want to learn a bit about econ and finance, Danielle Dimartino Boothe is a good source. If it's trading you want to do, Linda Rashcke is one of the world's top traders and very, very generous about sharing. (Check YouTube for her videos).
Final point. Managing money ain't rocket science. But it's not a "read one book and you're good to go" matter, either. A good analogy is gardening. For sure, some people do seem to have "a green thumb". But if you walk or ride by their house and garden as the seasons change, you'll notice they seem to be spending a lot of time outside, clipping, planting, puttering. Investing is no different. It takes time, effort, passion, patience, discipline, and even courage. But the good news is that there is no one right way to do any of this stuff. There is only what seems to work you for.
Charlie
