UNINVESTED

This book is for anyone who cares about their own financial future, as well as the broader problems facing our economy and society.

Bobby Monks is alarmed because far too many investors have fallen asleep. Sure, we occasionally wake up to glance at our statements and notice that our investments are growing or withering. But that’s usually all we do—until our sleep is disturbed by nagging doubts. How did we end up with these funds? Why is it so hard to know where our money actually goes, who is managing it, and in whose interests? What if it’s being invested in companies we deplore, complicit in environmental ruin, financial apocalypse, and political dysfunction?

Monks is determined to help investors get out of their unhappy dream state. His experiences in the financial sector—both as executive and customer, investor and creditor—give him a unique perspective on how we got to this point and how to fix it. He also draws on original research and interview with key figures such as Vanguard founder Jack Bogle, legendary investor Carl Icahn, and former Congressman Barney Frank, co-author of the Dodd-Frank Act. Monks’s conclusion:

“When we outsource our investing, whether we use a money manager or a mutual fund, we sacrifice control—but not responsibility. My goal in writing this book is to convince you that the best (and only) way to fix this broken system is to awaken a critical mass of engaged investors and recruit them to participate more fully in the investing process. I want to empower investors by enhancing their understanding of what really happens.”

ROBERT C.S. “BOBBY” MONKS is a serial entrepreneur whose ventures have included banking, investment services, real estate development, media, and technology. This is his first book. He lives in New York and Maine.