Sound Financial Advice by David McPherson, founder of Four Ponds Financial Planning LLC, Falmouth and Mansfield, Mass.

Sound Advice newsletter: February edition

It took longer than it should have, but the second edition of my newsletter, Sound Advice, is out finally. Among other things, it touches on increased retirement plan contribution limits, a waiver of required minimum distributions for 2009 and my recent mention in the New York Times.

I hope to follow it up soon with next edition in early March. Click here to become a regular Sound Advice subscriber.

Sound Advice newsletter

The Sound Advice newsletter made its debut today after a long delay. I intended to begin publishing this personal finance newsletter for clients and friends alike back in September, but then the financial markets went into a tailspin. That forced me to devote my full attention elsewhere for some time.

The first edition of Sound Advice offers suggestions on ways to cope with the recent market turmoil and highlights the publication of Investing in an Uncertain Economy for Dummies.

The newsletter will be published monthly using iContact, which places a high priority on preventing spam. That means to receive Sound Advice on a regular basis you will need to subscribe and then confirm your subscription. This extra step can be cumbersome, but it ensures you will not be subjected to unwanted email.

Click here to subscribe to Sound Advice.

Email me if you have any comments or suggestions on what makes for an effective newsletter.

Preview: "Investing in an Uncertain Economy for Dummies"

As a contributor to the new book Investing an Uncertain Economy for Dummies, I received the right to post online a PDF version of the chapter I wrote, Diversifying Your Stock Portfolio by Size. The chapter explains the differences between large, mid and small caps and how including a bit of each in your portfolio can help overall performance.

Here's a link to the chapter. It will give you a flavor of what the overall book is like and maybe inspire you to purchase it.

Just published in October, the book was a collaborative effort by financial planners like myself who belong to the Garrett Planning Network. In addition to writing a chapter, I served on the editing team that coordinated the project.

On the shelves: Investing in uncertain times

Looking for a guidebook to help you navigate the current market turmoil?

You might want to check out Investing in an Uncertain Economy for Dummies, a new title in the Dummies series of how-to guide books.

Members of the Garrett Planning Network, including me, wrote the book as a collaborative effort late in the spring. Little did we know how timely it would become by the time publication rolled around in October.

Network founder Sheryl Garrett is listed as lead author, but dozens of financial planners from around the country wrote individual chapters.

My chapter, number 42: "Diversifying Your Stock Portfolio by Size," explains the differences between large caps, mid caps and small caps and the advantages and disadvantages of each. I also served as a member of the Garrett network editing team that helped coordinate more than 80 individual contributions.

Here's a press release I wrote announcing the book's publication.

Published by Wiley, the book's cover price stands at $21.99, though it can be found for less.

I won't be making any money off book sales myself, but I will be looking for opportunities to publicize the book (and figure out what to do with the 20 copies sitting in my office.) Contact me if you have any suggestions.