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Personal Finance for Dummies
by
Eric Tyson,
David Silverman (Goodreads Author)
Many Americans don't understand personal finance. If you're among them, it's probably not your fault. Personal Finance 101 is not offered in our schools - not in high school, not even in the best colleges and graduate schools. It should be. There are common financial problems and mistakes and different people keep making those same mistakes over and over again. "Personal F...more
Paperback, 504 pages
Published
February 15th 2000
by For Dummies
(first published 1994)
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I'm about half way through here and this has been a great read. I never thought I'd be so absorbed by a book like this but when you're in that weird transitional state between student and independent adult, a book like this can feel empowering. I can't believe this stuff isn't required education for public schools or even expensive colleges (perhaps those institutions would rather their students not fully understand loans and big money...). I went from having a very basic, very vague sense of bu...more
Thank you for REMINDING AND HITTING me on the head! A VERY GOOD BOOK! three thumbs up!!!
"Another problem with seeking to amass wealth is that tomorrow might not come. Even if all goes acccording to plan, will you know how to be happy when you're not working if you spend your entire life making money? More importantly, who will be around to share your leisure time? One of the costs of an intense career is time spent away from friends and family. You may indeed realize your goal of retiring early,...more
"Another problem with seeking to amass wealth is that tomorrow might not come. Even if all goes acccording to plan, will you know how to be happy when you're not working if you spend your entire life making money? More importantly, who will be around to share your leisure time? One of the costs of an intense career is time spent away from friends and family. You may indeed realize your goal of retiring early,...more
Apr 18, 2013
Mjlibrary NDSCS
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
etransmitter,
non-fiction
332.024 T988
Some of the concepts you will find in this guide include: the best ways to reduce and eliminate debt; using credit to qualify for the best loan terms; the dangers of “free” online advice; new and pending changes in tax laws; tips on buying insurance; strategies for investing; and making sense of financial resources. There is concrete guidance for tracking your expenditures, saving for the future, and surviving life’s changes and challenges. Tyson is an author, columnist, and speaker,...more
Some of the concepts you will find in this guide include: the best ways to reduce and eliminate debt; using credit to qualify for the best loan terms; the dangers of “free” online advice; new and pending changes in tax laws; tips on buying insurance; strategies for investing; and making sense of financial resources. There is concrete guidance for tracking your expenditures, saving for the future, and surviving life’s changes and challenges. Tyson is an author, columnist, and speaker,...more
I got this book on the recommendation of a financial adviser at work. He said he made all his new hires read this book before starting. I hope anyone starting a finance job would already understand everything in this book because a large part of it even I was already familiar with.
The first two parts are the real "for dummies" parts. The topics include determining your financial net worth, establishing goals, dealing with debt, and setting a budget. I actually took a long break from the book aft...more
The first two parts are the real "for dummies" parts. The topics include determining your financial net worth, establishing goals, dealing with debt, and setting a budget. I actually took a long break from the book aft...more
Jun 13, 2008
Ellen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
college students, yuppies, 1st time homebuyers
Recommended to Ellen by:
Dave
this book is very well-written. Very accessible by the layman or laywoman. I have read a few financial texts in my life and have invested in mutual funds and 401Ks for a while, so I am not a complete novice, but this was a good refresher on the differences between investing in stocks and bonds, the difference between taxable and non-taxable securities, what you should/should not invest in through a 401K compared to what you should/should not invest in through a directly purchased investment such...more
"For someone who has their personal finances in order, this will be a boring and basic book. For someone who is just figuring out how to manage their finances, this is a great book. I read this book when I was feeling weighed down by our finances and debt. This book helped me think systematically about what we were doing with our finances, helped refine a plan to retire all our debt, and convinced me the need to save and invest for the future. Since I read this book, I have read a number of othe...more
Jun 10, 2008
Zahreen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
college grads and people trying to understand investment and retirement planning
As I left college, diploma in hand, and went into that limbo period before entering the real world, I found myself a complete idiot when it came to personal finance. I didn't know what a 401(k) plan exactly is (I knew it was for retirement), what pensions are (also something for retirement), or how to invest in stocks and bonds (totally clueless about this!).
Because of this, I thought it would be helpful to pick up a couple of basic books on personal finance (this one and the wall street journa...more
Because of this, I thought it would be helpful to pick up a couple of basic books on personal finance (this one and the wall street journa...more
I give this book only 2 stars because most of it doesn't apply to be. I'm not a homeowner and so don't need advice on mortgages, I'm in no financial position to play the stock market, etc. For a mid-twenty-something, the useful information I gleaned from this book could just as easily come from Wikipedia or better yet, my dad! Not to mention making any sort of investment right now (CD, bond, long term savings plan) has such little pay off it's almost not worth it to think about. Maybe when I'm r...more
Okay, honestly I only read the first 2/3 of it, but that much was really good and incredibly useful. I'll eventually want to read the last 1/3 of it but I'm not quite ready to start thinking about the details of stocks and bonds and real estate and insurance yet.
I'm really glad I read what I did, though - the book is well-written and reasonably interesting, and it's definitely time I start thinking more about my "financial goals" and other grown-up things like that.
I'm really glad I read what I did, though - the book is well-written and reasonably interesting, and it's definitely time I start thinking more about my "financial goals" and other grown-up things like that.
Everyone will at some point or other in their lifetime come to the realization that wealth management is quite beneficial for realizing your projects. This can, and should start at an early age, and at the time I discovered this book, I was just waking up to the fact that I would have an advantage by knowing where I stood financially in the world.
I recommend this book for the absolute beginner. Any experience in personal wealth management will render this book of minimal usefulness.
I recommend this book for the absolute beginner. Any experience in personal wealth management will render this book of minimal usefulness.
Recommend this book to anyone in their 20s or young 30s. Give a good base of terminology if you are trying to learn about the different ways to save for retirement and other big expenses down the line.
Agree that the fundamentals of personal finance is here. Will make sure my 11 year old knows it in short order. I read a recommendation in u today's money section that it was a good first step and it is.
Another in my personal finance reading for the year. There are common messages in many of these books: #1 - get out of debt as soon as possible, #2 - cut your expenses, #3 - have at least 6 months of living expenses in the bank. They say it over and over!
This book also talks a lot about investing for retirement and what that should look like. He writes simply and clearly and explains everything well. He definitely has opinions, so you should examine them to see if they fit into your own life.
Bi...more
This book also talks a lot about investing for retirement and what that should look like. He writes simply and clearly and explains everything well. He definitely has opinions, so you should examine them to see if they fit into your own life.
Bi...more
Decent book if you have no personal finance experience. If you've read Dave Ramsey or any others, this will not be new to you. A lot of topics don't have much depth.
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11819066
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11819066
This book helped me when I first started out in my career. I had no clue what IRA, IRA-Roth were, CDs, Mutual Funds, etc. This book really helped me.
Outstanding book...authoritative, comprehensive and quite detailed. Excellent explanations and to do lists. Well worth the price.
This is beautifully written. Very clear and easy to understand. Nice layout too.
a great resource for balancing your budget and setting your finances up to succeed!
Nov 13, 2008
Whitney Archibald
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
home-management
I've never read a "For Dummies" book, so I grabbed this along with a few other personal finance books, just to tidy up my bookkeeping, etc. I found it rather obnoxious. It WAS written in a readable, conversational style, but that's not what I want from an instructional book. I want to be able to read and skim quickly, gleaning what I want from it. There was way too much breezy silliness to wade through.
That said, it did have some good information and tips in it, so it wasn't a total waste.
That said, it did have some good information and tips in it, so it wasn't a total waste.
This is a really good book to help you understand how to manage your finances and save money for your future. It gives a positive, step by step approach no matter what financial situation you are in.
What is nice about this book is that the author assumes you do not have a lot of money. He gears his advice towards us working class types. It is easy reading and informative.
Read this book today and get started managing your money or lack thereof.
What is nice about this book is that the author assumes you do not have a lot of money. He gears his advice towards us working class types. It is easy reading and informative.
Read this book today and get started managing your money or lack thereof.
This is a reference book. It covers a lot of ground, but isn't as specific and "how-to" as I would like.
Instead, this book points you to those how-to books.
Instead, this book points you to those how-to books.
In which Eric Tyson gives a basic introduction to credit reports and tells women not to wear makeup because it's too expensive and they look better without it, anyway.
Not so relevant for the person just starting out. Things such as "investments", "the big decision- buying property"...not so much. I find finance books concrtn themselves too much with investing. Also, I don't have the time or energy to figure out my net worth! Over all, I was a little disappointed at how little information I took away.
Sep 17, 2007
Otis Chandler
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
recent grads
Shelves:
selfhelp,
nonfiction
After reading The Wealthy Barber, I figured I could use some more concrete advice on my financial affairs. This book was a good starting place - nothing revolutionary, but pointed you in the right direction.
I am a financial professional, so I know almost all of this information. I often need help translating things into laymen terms; so, this is an excellent book for that. 4 stars because I wanted to see more information, but I was informative and I would recommend it to anyone!
I would say this is a must-read book for all, young or old.
For me, this helped me think about what to do in the area of savings and investment for my last decade or so of work life left.
But it's also better to read this book in one's 20s or 30s.
For me, this helped me think about what to do in the area of savings and investment for my last decade or so of work life left.
But it's also better to read this book in one's 20s or 30s.
Richard and I read this book together and we just completed it after several years. It is a good basis for financial education. We bought a copy for each of our children several years back.
All that stuff you should know, but don't, in an extremely readable format. The price of this book has saved me probably 1000 times that amount! Definitely a good investment.
Loaded with good info. When I read this, I didn't know much about investing or the tax impact of lots of things, but afterwards felt much more comfortable. Great starting point.
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