PRIVATE MONEY LENDING is a layman’s bible for financial literacy. From private mortgage lending to limited liability partnerships, the author, Gustavo J. Gomez, PhD, takes financial terms and breaks them down into easily-ingested explanations. Rather than focusing on one area of financial information, the author attempts to span an entire category, from banking to lending to forming corporations and partnerships, in order to give the reader a well-rounded view of business transactions, business formations, and loan knowledge.

A glossary in the back of the book that organizes sections by topic and term is likely the best place to start, and the most helpful for a reader who will reference this book when questions and confusions arise. The author also cites his sources in an extensive references list in the back of the book – helpful to readers who want to go deeper into a particular topic or idea. Appendixes show charts and graphs such as comparison tables for loans and mortgages, and sample financial documents such as a Payoff Statement Letter. In addition, the author attempts to explain how legislation and regulation has impacted things like loan interest rates and accessibility.

Overall, the author does an excellent job of educating the reader from A to Z on financial topics, supplying knowledge as simple as the difference between checking and savings accounts, and as complex as subprime lending. The central focus of the book, however, is helping the reader gain enough literacy to begin to generate a passive income stream. The book illustrates the history of what has happened to lending markets since 2008, when the U.S. Economy experienced a downturn after real estate investing became distressed. Gomez suggsts that Private Money Lending as a solution to a tough market for those who are soon-to-be retired and seek stable and lucrative investment opportunities. Though not a new concept, Gomez breaks it down in language that any reader can understand, and many readers may be intrigued by the concept of a low-risk, high return investment strategy that only requires a thorough understanding of private money lending.

Gustavo J. Gomez, PhD creates a successful, readable, and thorough guide to financial literacy in the post-2008 market, and an enlightening read for soon-to-be retired individuals seeking safer ways to invest.

~Megan Roth for IndieReader