The Last Safe Investment Book Summary - The Last Safe Investment Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

The Last Safe Investment summary

Michael Ellsberg and Bryan Franklin

Spending Now to Increase Your True Wealth Forever

4.1 (257 ratings)
23 mins

Brief summary

The Last Safe Investment by Michael Ellsberg and Bryan Franklin is a book that challenges traditional investment practices and suggests investing in one's own skills and knowledge to achieve financial security and success.

Table of Contents

    The Last Safe Investment
    Summary of 8 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 8

    To safeguard your future, shift your focus from finances to earning potential.

    What does financial security look like to you? Is it a huge savings fund that generates enough interest to cover your living costs? Or perhaps it’s an extensive investment portfolio. Or it might even mean having a well-paid job in a company that values you.

    All these scenarios align with the advice that most financial advisers give. But they have one major flaw: they all rely on factors that are beyond your control. You could lose your job through no fault of your own. The stock market could crash. Your living costs could unexpectedly change.

    But there’s something you can invest in that won’t ever lose its value, regardless of the state of the world. That something is you.

    The key message here is: To safeguard your future, shift your focus from finances to earning potential.

    What happens to stocks and investments is largely out of your control, which makes most financial plans risky. But if you place yourself at the center of your plan, you can start working toward true wealth. True wealth acknowledges that money alone won’t make you happy. As a human, you also need freedom, love, the potential to grow and learn, and the scope to be creative.

    Based on this concept, the authors have developed an alternative financial plan called SAFE. SAFE stands for self-amplifying financial ecosystem. It's a model that creates financial safety by focusing on three disciplines that support the growth of three key assets: your savings pot; your equity; and your tribe.

    Don’t be put off by the word “discipline.” SAFE isn’t one of those financial plans that’s designed to make your life miserable. It takes your happiness seriously by increasing how much you enjoy life today, rather than expecting you to defer it until you retire.

    Following SAFE’s disciplines will help you develop super skills – the soundest way to maximize your earning potential. What’s more, you’ll see how the SAFE plan can give you financial security and, in the process, ensure you achieve far more than your savings target. You’ll discover a way of life that makes you feel supported, connected and free.

    Want to see all full key ideas from The Last Safe Investment?

    Key ideas in The Last Safe Investment

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is The Last Safe Investment about?

    The Last Safe Investment (2016) flips financial planning on its head by focusing on the one thing you have full control of: yourself. Its model will teach you three disciplines that support three areas of wealth, to shore-up your earning potential and increase your daily happiness.

    The Last Safe Investment Review

    The Last Safe Investment (2016) is a thought-provoking book that challenges traditional notions of retirement planning and offers a fresh perspective on building wealth. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • It provides alternative investment strategies that go beyond the stock market, empowering readers to diversify their portfolios and protect their wealth.
    • Backed by research and interviews with successful entrepreneurs, the book offers practical insights and actionable advice for creating financial security.
    • With its engaging storytelling and relatable examples, the book keeps readers hooked throughout, ensuring that the topic of finance remains intriguing and engaging.

    Best quote from The Last Safe Investment

    The more you love the seedlings that sprout in your mind, the more fertile the mind itself becomes.

    —Michael Ellsberg and Bryan Franklin
    example alt text

    Who should read The Last Safe Investment?

    • Anxious savers seeking greater financial security
    • Professionals wanting to expand their earning potential
    • Investors looking for new ways to build assets

    About the Author

    Michael Ellsberg is a freelance copywriter and activist for civil liberties. He has authored and co-authored several books, including The Education of Millionaires: Everything You Don’t Learn in College About How to be Successful.

    Bryan Franklin is a business strategist who works with VPs and CEOs to enhance their leadership skills. He has been an entrepreneur since high school, where he sold his friends shares in his experimental theater company.

    Categories with The Last Safe Investment

    Book summaries like The Last Safe Investment

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    30 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial

    The Last Safe Investment FAQs 

    What is the main message of The Last Safe Investment?

    Invest in yourself and your relationships for true wealth and fulfillment.

    How long does it take to read The Last Safe Investment?

    The reading time for The Last Safe Investment may vary. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is The Last Safe Investment a good book? Is it worth reading?

    The Last Safe Investment is a valuable read. It offers insights on creating wealth and meaning in your life.

    Who is the author of The Last Safe Investment?

    The Last Safe Investment is authored by Michael Ellsberg and Bryan Franklin.

    What to read after The Last Safe Investment?

    If you're wondering what to read next after The Last Safe Investment, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
    • Why “A” Students Work for “C” Students and “B” Students Work for the Government by Robert T. Kiyosaki
    • The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G. Hagstrom
    • The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
    • The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
    • Nothing But Net by Mark Mahaney
    • Your Best Financial Life by Anne Lester
    • The Snowball by Alice Schroeder
    • Real Life Money by Clare Seal
    • Millennial Money by Patrick O’Shaughnessy