I recently received this email from a Beat the Bank reader:

My wife and I are mid thirties with two loving girls, seven and five. We have been fully self directed investors for 3 years now, with a core holding of low cost Vanguard ETFs for our US and international exposure. We have a mix of ”blue chip” individual Canadian stocks for our CDN exposure (we re-invest the dividends). We have a mix of RRSPs, TFSAs, and RESPs.

People out there like you and MoneySense magazine (was a five year subscriber until they ended the print magazine) have brought the scams of Old Bay Street to light!!! We have used your T-REX Score website many times over the last couple years, it is so great too.

We bought your book this week from Chapters Indigo and have already finished it!! It is a great book Larry, so many people should be required to read it. It is very well written, easy to follow, and has great examples. Well done!!!

I find it frustrating when I explain to family and friends who I know are invested in their big bank “balanced” mutual funds, but they think mutual funds are great and they never have to worry. They believe their “advisor” is great at picking all the right funds. Makes me laugh. I explain that they lose more than 50% of their savings over time, but they look at me like I have three heads!! I don’t know how to get them to change, but I also don’t want to push too hard. Any ideas, and I will pass your wonderful book on to them to read.

Thanks again Larry.