Published by Gbaf News
Posted on August 21, 2018
8 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
By: Brian Dennehy
How can we avoid the investment pitfalls of past financial crises? The million-dollar question, or maybe not…
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Brian Dennehy, a highly respected investment veteran publishes his first book, CLUELESS, anchored to the findings of ground-breaking investment fund research conducted over the past decade, to help investors tackle the perennial issue that most funds are simply not good enough!
Dennehy’s CLUELESS pulls no punches:
“Why did no one see this* coming?” asked the Queen in November 2008. Brian Dennehy reveals that it was nothing new:
“Centuries of crises were fuelled by greed, deception, delusion, herding and easy availability of debt – oh, and on this occasion [2008], bonkers maths”
In 2008 in particular:
“the combination of muddled maths, complexity, greed and leverage (debt) meant the finance industry was out of control”……and it is not clear today that any lessons have been learnt.
But CLUELESS is not all doom and gloom and offers a happy ending. Readers will discover how to make extraordinary profits from ordinary investment funds, year after year – whether within a multi-million pound portfolio, or an ISA or SIPP.
CLUELESS reveals the uncomfortable truth about the investment fund industry in a story which has never been told before.
One pre-publication reviewer said that the book reveals “a level of carelessness, laziness, hubris and incompetence – often institutionalised – which the book highlights pretty ruthlessly“. The reviewer continued: “The book has a powerful story to tell” The alarming truth is that 92% of today’s funds are mediocre at best. Index trackers or ETFs don’t help – you get slightly lower charges but then have entrenched mediocrity”.
The evidence has mostly been ignored for decades, as the book reveals in detail. Supported by ground-breaking research conducted over the past decade, Dennehy tackles head-on the enduring problem for investors: that most funds are simply not good enough.
But more importantly he presents compelling and straightforward solutions.
The extensive evidence Dennehy reveals vividly illustrates that investors can make extraordinary profits with ordinary funds… and achieve results that will undoubtedly be transformative for some.
The first half of CLUELESS is an entertaining sweep across four centuries that helps explain how we got into this financial mess, and uncovers many clues to the solution. It is a story with many heroes and villains: the man who stopped Napoleon in his tracks, piratical fund managers, an accidental meeting which changed the world, and more than one pivotal person who just needed to get out more!
The second half of CLUELESS sets out the straightforward formula for investment success, ending with a highly practical blueprint for any investor, big or small, experienced or beginner to start using today. Every step is supported by a volume of evidence of transformational success. To ensure the book remains relevant, it also includes links to FREE online downloads which are continually updated, providing readers with all the ingredients for success for many years to come.
Whether a sophisticated investor or beginner, ultra-high-net-worth or saving for retirement, readers will finish with a simple strategy to help them consistently pick winners and transform their investing success.
Brian Dennehy co-founder and managing director of Dennehy Weller & Co, and founder of FundExpert.co.uk, comments:
“As we rapidly approach 10th anniversary of the financial crash, investors need to get a grip – and fast. If prior crises stretching back centuries, and including 2008, were characterised by greed, deception, delusion, herding and easy availability of debt then ahead of us lies something very unpleasant.
This anniversary is the perfect opportunity for investors to glance over their shoulders, learn the vital lessons of history, and urgently build a bomb-proof investment plan which can survive the nasty downturn that lies ahead, which could persist for years, and with falls in excess of 50% a certainty”.
“I have deliberately pulled no punches when writing CLUELESS, as I am passionate about helping investors in funds to avoid the errors of the past, and achieve the best possible investment outcomes, all of which is underpinned by comprehensive research.
In light of where we are in the cycle, the book is a timely financial wake-up call for both investors and the investment fund industry. I believe the book will resonate with any investor, big or small, experienced or beginner”, concludes Dennehy.
For more information about the book please visit: www.cluelessthebook.co.uk
By: Brian Dennehy
How can we avoid the investment pitfalls of past financial crises? The million-dollar question, or maybe not…
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Brian Dennehy, a highly respected investment veteran publishes his first book, CLUELESS, anchored to the findings of ground-breaking investment fund research conducted over the past decade, to help investors tackle the perennial issue that most funds are simply not good enough!
Dennehy’s CLUELESS pulls no punches:
“Why did no one see this* coming?” asked the Queen in November 2008. Brian Dennehy reveals that it was nothing new:
“Centuries of crises were fuelled by greed, deception, delusion, herding and easy availability of debt – oh, and on this occasion [2008], bonkers maths”
In 2008 in particular:
“the combination of muddled maths, complexity, greed and leverage (debt) meant the finance industry was out of control”……and it is not clear today that any lessons have been learnt.
But CLUELESS is not all doom and gloom and offers a happy ending. Readers will discover how to make extraordinary profits from ordinary investment funds, year after year – whether within a multi-million pound portfolio, or an ISA or SIPP.
CLUELESS reveals the uncomfortable truth about the investment fund industry in a story which has never been told before.
One pre-publication reviewer said that the book reveals “a level of carelessness, laziness, hubris and incompetence – often institutionalised – which the book highlights pretty ruthlessly“. The reviewer continued: “The book has a powerful story to tell” The alarming truth is that 92% of today’s funds are mediocre at best. Index trackers or ETFs don’t help – you get slightly lower charges but then have entrenched mediocrity”.
The evidence has mostly been ignored for decades, as the book reveals in detail. Supported by ground-breaking research conducted over the past decade, Dennehy tackles head-on the enduring problem for investors: that most funds are simply not good enough.
But more importantly he presents compelling and straightforward solutions.
The extensive evidence Dennehy reveals vividly illustrates that investors can make extraordinary profits with ordinary funds… and achieve results that will undoubtedly be transformative for some.
The first half of CLUELESS is an entertaining sweep across four centuries that helps explain how we got into this financial mess, and uncovers many clues to the solution. It is a story with many heroes and villains: the man who stopped Napoleon in his tracks, piratical fund managers, an accidental meeting which changed the world, and more than one pivotal person who just needed to get out more!
The second half of CLUELESS sets out the straightforward formula for investment success, ending with a highly practical blueprint for any investor, big or small, experienced or beginner to start using today. Every step is supported by a volume of evidence of transformational success. To ensure the book remains relevant, it also includes links to FREE online downloads which are continually updated, providing readers with all the ingredients for success for many years to come.
Whether a sophisticated investor or beginner, ultra-high-net-worth or saving for retirement, readers will finish with a simple strategy to help them consistently pick winners and transform their investing success.
Brian Dennehy co-founder and managing director of Dennehy Weller & Co, and founder of FundExpert.co.uk, comments:
“As we rapidly approach 10th anniversary of the financial crash, investors need to get a grip – and fast. If prior crises stretching back centuries, and including 2008, were characterised by greed, deception, delusion, herding and easy availability of debt then ahead of us lies something very unpleasant.
This anniversary is the perfect opportunity for investors to glance over their shoulders, learn the vital lessons of history, and urgently build a bomb-proof investment plan which can survive the nasty downturn that lies ahead, which could persist for years, and with falls in excess of 50% a certainty”.
“I have deliberately pulled no punches when writing CLUELESS, as I am passionate about helping investors in funds to avoid the errors of the past, and achieve the best possible investment outcomes, all of which is underpinned by comprehensive research.
In light of where we are in the cycle, the book is a timely financial wake-up call for both investors and the investment fund industry. I believe the book will resonate with any investor, big or small, experienced or beginner”, concludes Dennehy.
For more information about the book please visit: www.cluelessthebook.co.uk
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