CHICKS LAYING NEST EGGS: How 10 Skirts Beat the Pants Off Wall Street... and How You Can, Too!

For women uneasy with finance, but eager to start or join an investment club, this excellent introduction boasts practical information that's entertainingly presented. Housley, wife of a pro hockey player and mother of four, started the Chicks Laying Nest Eggs Investment Club with a group of friends and relatives after she tried reading investment books but found them dull, and her financial planner told her she'd never "get it." Now the club steadily beats the S&P 500. No Beardstown Ladies, the smart, feisty and funny Chicks discuss everything from pregnancy, moving and illness to the stock market. The women communicate online and hold one annual retreat. Their investment philosophy consists of a dozen tried and true strategies, including buying a familiar company, looking for a leader in its field, checking a company's cash flow, etc. Investment club essentials—tax issues, bookkeeping, etc.—are helpful, but most memorable are the Chicks' e-mails: "I finally feel like I can do an S&P report without crying. Sheez, it's been a roller coaster here lately. Jana, give us some of your pregnancy stories to pick us up a bit!" However, sophisticated investors may find the presentation irritatingly cutesy. Housley says many husbands won't support their wives' financial initiative, so women shouldn't tell them much until the clubs are active. In today's dual-income era, such outmoded suggestions can rankle. Still, this book is a welcome addition to investment literature. (Apr. 17)