The Portfolio Chef is a guide to understanding and creating a financial investment portfolio. For the novice to the experienced investor, it takes the mystery out of the intimidating world of investments and the stock market. Using food analogies, the book describes stocks, bonds, and preferred shares, among others, and how to invest in them. Why the food analogy? Similarly to having a well-balanced meal, an investor should have a well-balanced portfolio. So bonds are equated with potatoes, blue chip stocks with meat, and speculative stocks with dessert. The Portfolio Chef describes and explains the various types of investments available and then explains how to choose the ones suitable for each individual. With a majority of adults earning or inheriting higher levels of assets, this book is a must-read to become a well-informed investor. Most publications forget that everyone begins as a novice, but The Portfolio Chef does not. Even for the experienced investor, this book is a tool to help the reader better understand the importance of having a suitable asset mix and risk exposure. As statistics show, the population has an active interest in investing. With the burgeoning popularity of the Internet and its role in increasing the accessibility of information, more people are able to provide their own services in a way that would not have been possible a decade ago. The Portfolio Chef is tailor-made to reach the people who are comfortable researching for themselves, but haven’t yet found the appropriate resources. It delivers powerful knowledge in a way that is easy to digest.

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Nancy Woods in an investment advisor and associate portfolio manager with RBC Dominion Securities, and has over 15 years of investment experience. She lives in Toronto with her husband and four children.