Publishers Rush to Meet Need for Financial Advice

Book publishers and sellers are rushing to meet demand for personal-finance titles as the unrelenting economic crisis combines with New Year’s resolutions to prompt consumers to seek professional advice, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, the thrown-together texts might not prove very helpful: Many authors fail to provide specifics and contradict their previous investment strategies and market forecasts.

On the plus side, books can present investment plans in an easy-to-digest format that readers can’t get from other media—or even in discussions with financial advisers. Experts suggest choosing bearish tomes and steering clear of gimmicks. “You can often recognize when a book is going to be the latest version of the grapefruit diet,” says one financial planner. (More financial planning stories.)