The Zen of Thrift Conversions: How To Turn Hidden Bank Stocks Into Big Gains

Not everyone has the stomach for high-tech stocks, with their violent swings in stocks prices ...seemingly every week.Jim Royal shows investors how to invest in a very safe sector of the stock market (or even pre-IPO!) and make significant returns (above market averages). And, it is not difficult to execute these strategies, nor does it require a lot of investors' time and attention. The three interviews with investors with well-known success in this arena make up the second half of the book, but are a perfect end to the book, raising one's enthusiasm for closing the cover and getting started by investing in "thrifts"!A very interesting read, about a topic that is a "quirk" of the modern investment era, having its roots in the 19th century.

States all the facts and deeply discounted stocks if the bank is profitable

Jim Royal's writing captures the simple, timeless appeal in thrift investing that goes back decades. The concept of buying small thrifts at less than book value combined with some patience for possible positive events to develop is clearly interesting, but how to find and choose them requires a little extra digging. Jim Royal distills where to shine the flashlight to build your own repeatable process and build an approach that works for you. He offers five different methods and shows the full cycle examples of ones that worked and didn't. Like licorice this approach will not be everyone's favorite, but some people will really, really like it.

I loved the book. Thrifts are an interesting part of the market that has very low volatility but has historically generated attractive double digit (or better) returns. My favorite parts of the book were 1) the checklist (walks you through how to analyze a thrift) 2) the case studies of thrifts that look attractive and why and 3) the activist interviews. Highly recommend.

I keep returning to this book, which details a strategy of investing in "thrifts." Dr. Royal presents the information in a systematic manner that is very understandable and actionable. Halfway through "Zen" I made a short trip down the road to make a deposit in my hometown "thrift," and I have already reaped benefits.

I found this book to be a quick read and a fantastic guide to thrift conversion investing. Dr. Royal does a thorough job walking you through how to analyze and invest in the many different types of Thrift Conversions. There are also very helpful examples and interviews.

Excellent book. Clearly explains the process of Thrift conversions and the life cycle of thrifts and investment opportunities. I also enjoyed the interviews at the end of the book with three well regarded thrift investors.

Very good read with useful investing insights.