Sheldon Jacobs

Jacobs, Sheldon

Sheldon Jacobs was born in Milwaukee, WI and grew up in Deadwood, SD. He attended the University of South Dakota before transferring to the University of Nebraska/Lincoln where he earned his BS in Business. After graduating from Nebraska, he entered the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant during the Korean War. He served in the Military Police in Korea and New York. After the war, he got his Masters in statistics/retailing from New York University. He served in the reserves reaching the rank of Captain.

Mr. Jacobs worked in retailing for a short time before taking a job in the research department at the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 1961. He later worked at NBC as a Director analyzing viewership statistics. He appeared on The Today Show, to discuss his first book: "Put Money in Your Pocket", the first self-help book ever on no-load mutual funds. Published in 1974 by Simon and Schuster, "Put Money in Your Pocket" was influential in fostering the subsequent huge growth of no-load funds. It launched a career that enabled him to found a popular investment newsletter, "The No-Load Fund Investor", which he published for twenty five years with more than 30,000 subscribers. The Investor went on to become the number one financial newsletter in America for risk-adjusted performance for the 15 years ending June 2006. Additionally he co-founded the BJ Group with nationally syndicated radio host Bob Brinker. The BJ Group was a Registered Investment advisor that managed money for over 1000 clients.

In July of 1993, Sheldon Jacobs was one of five nationally recognized mutual fund advisors chosen by The New York Times for a mutual fund portfolio competition. His portfolio produced the highest return of all contestants for seven years, and the Times quarterly publication of this contest helped him become one of the best-known mutual fund advisors in America.

Another huge honor for Mr. Jacobs was his inclusion on a Sunday Morning edition of the Wall Street Journal Report that featured three men who had been successes in their second careers. The other two were Ray Kroc (McDonalds) and Colonel Harland Sanders (Kentucky Fried Chicken).

Mr. Jacobs' most recent book, Investing Without Wall St: The Five Essentials of Financial Freedom was published by John Wiley & Sons in 2012.

True to his lifelong work ethic, Mr. Jacobs continued to work up until the time of his death at the age of 84. He gave a speech to a Minneapolis Investment Club the day before his death. He lived in both NY and Arizona.

Mr. Jacobs is survived by his wife Bette' Jacobs, his brother, Doran Jacobs and wife Arlene, his children Roy Jacobs and wife Gloria, Julie DuPree and husband Matt, his mother-in-law, Martha Jacobs-Tidwell, stepchildren Bonnchiska (Tanya) Duproy and Scott Gordon and his 9 grandchildren.

Services will be held on Sunday, March 29th. Visit with the family at 5:30 p.m. and a service at 6:00 p.m. at the Edwards Dowdle Funeral home located at 64 Ashford Avenue in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Phone: 914-693-3330. Following that, there will be a "Celebration of Life" event at 7:30 p.m. at the Double Tree at 455 S. Broadway, Tarrytown. Details: Call 914 631 9700.