The Everything Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s: Erase your debt, personalize your budget, and plan now to secure your future

by Debby Fowles

Provides an overview of financial concerns for workers in their twenties and thirties, including topics such as creating a budget, saving options for large purchases, and making a decision about which insurance to purchase.

Genres: Finance, Personal Finance, Nonfiction, Self Help, Economics, Money

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introductory book if you haven't read any personal finance books before. However, I think it needs to updated. The 2008 edition is out of date since the recession and the recent changes in personal credit card protection laws, student loan changes, etc. I would recommend reading this and a more recent book.

[William Schram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you good with money? As far as I know, I am very good with money. However, there is always room for improvement. I took this book out of the library based on that idea. The author's name is familiar, but I don't know if I read something by her in the past.

The book starts with making a plan for your future. The only real trouble with the book is the publishing date of 2008. The author constantly talks about obvious things, but it might be because I am good with money.

There are some things that I was not aware of; some banks charge you for talking to a live teller. I didn't know that banks did that. I know about out-of-network ATM fees, but I don't use ATMs very often. It talks about how smoking is expensive, and carrying a balance on credit cards is a terrible idea.

The advice from the book wasn't earth-shattering, but if I was terrible with money, I could see it being helpful.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great primer in personal finance, though it is quite dated at this point (2007). I especially found the sections on insurance policies and estate planning to be particularly helpful. Much of the other content can (and should?) feel pretty basic to someone in their 30s, so it’s a good idea to reread throughout young adulthood. I originally received this book when I graduated high school in 2011 and now reread it after finishing college, buying a car and a house, getting married, etc. In hindsight, I should have been referring back to it more often!

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of personal investment options and points to a good number of external sources of information.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book helped me understand some basic concepts of personal finance and how to plan wisely for short-term and long-term goals. It advocates discipline instead of immediate gratification and gives some very practical resources (websites to check if your bank is FDIC approved; sites for doing background checks on used cars, etc.) I found the book very accessible to the non-finance savvy while at the same time avoiding being pedantic.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good basic reference. Gives you some things to think about but certainly doesn't cover everything. It's a good starter, but if you're really interested in budgeting and investing you might want to try something different.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I know it's funny to put this book on here, but I gotta say, the world would be a better place if more people sucked it up and read this crap. Aung made me read this as a condition of a trade, and I did, and I already knew many things that were in it, but I learned good, new things, too.

[Riana Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good general reference book. I would DEFINITELY recommend it to parents - get the book and go over it with your kids; you'd be surprised what they do & don't know, and how much it can help them later in life if they grasp simple concepts now.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still balance my checkbook. Reading this book, balancing my checkbook never fails to tell me that I'm in the hole $ 837.14* or I've found $143.81*. This doesn't mean it's pointless or so 'technical' or dry that u should bypass it if u ever come across it.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another title I bought to make myself feel better. I honestly haven't look at it in a couple of years, but I imagine that it covers the basics pretty well.

[Carina Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a dry read, although a good quick overview in everything financial for someone in their 20s and 30s. I'm not sure I would read this book again, but not disappointed I read it.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on how to get your finances in order beyond debt and budgets. The chapters on investing, insurance, and estate planning were helpful as I didn't know much about them.

[Salena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great financial reference book.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good smattering of the basics of personal finance. I used it to plot my course in delving deeper into certain topics.