Long ago, and not entirely consciously, Liz Perle made a quiet contract with cash: she would do what it took to get it-work hard, marry right-but she didn't want to have to think about it too much. The subject of money had, since childhood, been quietly sidestepped, a shadowy factor whose private influence was impolite to discuss. This deliberate denial eventually exacted its price, however, when a sudden divorce left Perle with no home, no job, and a four-year-old with a box of toys. She realized she could no longer afford to leave her murky and fraught relationship with money unexamined.
Named the best personal finance book on the market by Consumers Union, Jane Bryant Quinn's bestseller Making the Most of Your Money has been completely revised and updated to provide a guide to financial recovery, independence, and success in the new economy.Getting your financial life on track and keeping it there -- nothing is more important to your family and you. This proven, comprehensive guidebook steers you around the risks and helps you make smart and profitable decisions at every stage of your life. Are you single, married, or divorced? A parent with a paycheck or a parent at home? Getting your first job or well along in your career? Helping your kids in college or your parents in their older age? Planning for retirement? Already retired and worried about how to make your money last? You'll find ideas to help you build your financial security here.Jane Bryant Quinn answers more questions more completely than any other personal-finance author on the market today. You'll reach for this book again and again as your life changes and new financial decisions arise. Here are just a few of the important subjects she examines:• Setting priorities during and after a financial setback, and bouncing back• Getting the most out of a bank while avoiding fees• Credit card and debit card secrets that will save you money• Family matters -- talking money before marriage and mediating claims during divorce• Cutting the cost of student debt, and finding schools that will offer big "merit" scholarships to your child• The simplest ways of pulling yourself out of debt• Why it's so important to jump on the automatic-savings bandwagon• Buying a house, selling one, or trying to rent your home when buyers aren't around• Why credit scores are more important than ever, plus tips on keeping yours in the range most attractive to lenders• Investing made easy -- mutual funds that are tailor-made for your future retirement• What every investor needs to know about building wealth• How an "investment policy" helps you make wise decisions in any market• The essential tax-deferred retirement plans, from 401(k)s to Individual Retirement Accounts -- and how to manage them• How to invest in real estate at a bargain price (and how to spot something that looks like a bargain but isn't)• Eleven ways of keeping a steady income while you're retired, even after a stock market crash• Financial planning -- what it means, how you do it, and where to find good plannersPage by page, Quinn leads you through the pros and cons of every decision, to help you make the choice that will suit you best. This is the single personal-finance book that no family should be without.
This is a book for people like us, and we all know who we are. We make our own hours, keep our own profits, chart our own way. We have things like gigs, contracts, clients, and assignments. All of us are working toward our dreams: doing our own work, on our own time, on our own terms. We have no real boss, no corporate nameplate, no cubicle of our very own. Unfortunately, we also have no 401(k)s and no one matching them, no benefits package, and no one collecting our taxes until April 15th. It’s time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. Ask yourself: Who is planning for your retirement? Who covers your expenses when clients flake out and checks are late? Who is setting money aside for your taxes? Who is responsible for your health insurance? Take a good look in the mirror: You are. The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed describes a completely new, comprehensive system for earning, spending, saving, and surviving as an independent worker. From interviews with financial experts to anecdotes from real-life freelancers, plus handy charts and graphs to help you visualize key concepts, you’ll learn about topics including: • Managing Cash Flow When the Cash Isn’t Flowing Your Way • Getting Real About What You’re Really Earning • Tools for Getting Out of Debt and Into Financial Security• Saving Consistently When You Earn Irregularly • What To Do When a Client’s Check Doesn’t Come In • Health Savings Accounts and How To Use Them• Planning for Retirement, Taxes and Dreams—All On Your Own
Overwhelmed by debt? Start here. Facing wage garnishment, car repossession, foreclosure, lawsuits, or collection calls? Solve Your Money Troubles provides you with the legal and practical information you need, plus sample letters and budgeting worksheets, so that you can get out of debt and make a fresh start. Learn how to:
prioritize debts and create a budget
understand your options
negotiate with creditors
stop harassment by debt collectors
deal with wage garnishment, car repossession, and foreclosure
reduce student loan payments
know what to expect if a creditor sues you
rebuild credit
decide if bankruptcy is right for youThe new edition of Solve Your Money Troubles is updated with changes to federal student loan repayment programs, new foreclosure protections, legal information specific to your state, and the latest legal developments in the world of debt, credit, and bankruptcy.
Most people aren't enjoying their money. Trapped in boring jobs and weighed down with debt, they can't seem to get ahead. This multiple award winning book can help you get out of debt and accumulate wealth; get ahead, even when the work you love doesn't produce big bucks;find your strengths and passions and make a living with them; live a more fulfilled life. Readers love its combination of solid research with an entertaining story line, making it the ideal financial book for people who don't like financial books. One professor called it "A fast, fun read with practical and often remarkable insights." A CPA observed, "It's rare and refreshing to find a book so enjoyable, so accurate, and so life changing." Chapters include Discover the Basics, Catch the Vision, Don't Lose Money in Stocks, Make Money in Mutual Funds, Diversify with Real Estate, Live WAY Beneath Your Means, Save on Food and Clothes, Save on Cars, Save on Houses, Ten Popular Ways to Lose Loads of Money, Find Those Dream Jobs, Excel at Your Job, Invest in Your Mind, Look for Happiness in the Right Places.
Jason is typical of today's college students, who are assuming unprecedented debt burdens because of relaxed limits on student loans and easily obtained credit cards. Many on college campuses are calling it a fiscal crisis. Financial Basics tackles the gaps in the personal financial knowledge of college students. Beginning with debit-credit card issues, student loan decisions, and the challenge of managing and reducing debt, Knox walks readers through money management. She skillfully addresses the how to's of checking accounts, spending plans, emergency funds, and credit histories. She discusses financial personalities and the emotions of money, as well as practical record-keeping and simple filing techniques. In Financial Basics, Knox blends her extensive money-management experience with her desire to inform and help students master their finances: she shares experiences about money lessons learned in college, and offers sound solutions and advice for students and their families. Since everyone does not handle money in the same way, Knox gives money-management options for readers to find their best way. The book includes helpful worksheets and is written in an easy-to-read style, using testimonials and examples that will ring true to students.
The best financial planner Michelle Singletary ever knew was Big Mama, her grandmother. Big Mama raised Michelle and her four brothers and sisters on a salary that never reached more than $13,000 a year. Yet at her death, Big Mama owned her own home, had paid off a car loan, and had a beautiful collection of Sunday-go-to-meeting church hats and a savings account that supplemented her Social Security check and small pension. Most important, she had taught Michelle “7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life.” Those mantras serve as the inspiration for this straight-talking book of practical personal financial advice that really works.The 7 Money Mantras are:1. If it’ s on your ass, it’s not an asset!2. Is this a need or is it a want?3. Sweat the small stuff.4. Cash is better than credit.5. Keep it simple.6. Priorities lead to prosperity.7. Enough is enough.Michelle Singletary is a syndicated columnist for The Washington Post whose popular personal finance column appears in more than 120 newspapers. She’s also a mother of three children who understands what it’s like to live on a budget. In a plainspoken, sassy, no-nonsense voice, Michelle provides answers to the financial issues that confront almost every household: how to teach children the value of money; how to address money issues in a relationship or marriage; household saving tips; getting the best loans; and much more.“This book is about saving enough money to have choices,” she writes. “It’s about feeling free to be cheap if you can’t afford to buy a ton of gifts at Christmas. It’s about eliminating wasteful spend-ing so you can begin to save and invest. It’s full of uncommon commonsense lessons and guidance on the way people should use their money.” With humor and down-home financial wisdom, Michelle Singletary offers practical and realistic advice that will help you live well with the money you have.Michelle Singletary on . . .Romance and Money“It’s okay to say: ‘Honey, I love you and everything, but if you need money, ask your mama.’”Credit Cards “We are minimizing our financial potential by making minimum credit-card payments.”Car Buying“If you want to save money, keep your car until you’re on a first-name basis with the local tow-truck drivers.”Leasing a Car“You, too, can drive a car you can’t afford and then have to give it back. It’s crazy.”Gift Giving“Generosity isn’t about how much you spend. It’s about how much thought you put into the gift.”Penny Pinching“I once bought a stick-shift car because it was $1,000 cheaper than the automatic in the same model. There was just one little problem. I couldn’t drive a stick-shift. But at least I saved $1,000!”
