Acclaimed financial author

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Books and practical resources for people who want to understand the decision before they buy the product.

Cover of Financial Fitne$$ For Everyone

Financial Fitne$$ For Everyone (2016)

An introduction to taking control of your financial future, evaluating advisers and products, understanding common pitfalls, and breaking complex financial questions into understandable pieces.

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Cover of How to Not F$$k Up Your Financial Future

How to Not F$$k Up Your Financial Future and the Rest of Your Life (2018)

A practical argument for treating your personal financial life like a business: understand what you own, evaluate the people and products being presented to you, and make decisions deliberately rather than through advertising or habit.

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Cover of The 25 Financial Secrets of the R.O.M.E.O. Club

The 25 Financial Secrets of the R.O.M.E.O. Club (2026)

Financial insights and lessons that even experienced professionals may not know.

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About the book

The 25 Financial Secrets of the R.O.M.E.O. Club

Every morning at a Panera Bread in South Florida, a group of retired men — worth a combined fortune built the hard way — gathers over cheap coffee and day-old pastries. They call themselves the R.O.M.E.O.s: Retired Old Men Eating Out.

Among them: a CPA who got rich by studying how his wealthiest clients avoided taxes. A WWII veteran who repaired machines into his 90s. A garment-center hustler who turned stress into a fortune. And the author — a Princeton and Wharton graduate who left a career in finance to help people stop getting ripped off.

Between the crumbs and the coffee stirrers, these men have spent decades learning what works, what doesn’t, and what the financial industry doesn’t want you to know. This book is their playbook.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • Why smart, educated people still make terrible financial decisions — and how to stop
  • The “bucket strategy” that prevents you from ever running out of money in retirement
  • How the wealthy legally pay almost no taxes on their retirement income
  • The truth about life insurance: which policies build tax-free wealth and which are designed to enrich your agent
  • Why Medicare Advantage should be called “Medicare Disadvantage” — and what to choose instead
  • How to spot a bad financial advisor before they cost you your retirement
  • The annuity strategies that guarantee income for life — without stock market risk
  • Why underfunded IUL policies end up in lawsuits, and how to structure yours correctly
  • A complete financial review checklist, legal document guide, and advisor vetting framework

Written in plain English by someone who has seen the best and worst of the financial industry, The 25 Financial Secrets of the R.O.M.E.O. Club is part financial education, part cautionary tale, and part the best advice you’d get if you pulled up a chair at the table.

Louis Berlin holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance. He has spent decades helping clients navigate insurance, retirement planning, and wealth preservation — and writing books that explain what most advisors won’t.

This book is written for you. Pay attention. Follow the rules, and profit handsomely.

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Financial Fitne$$ For Everyone

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Financial Fitness with Louis Berlin

Articles and explanations

Plain-English discussions of insurance, retirement decisions, financial products and the questions consumers should ask before acting.

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