MSN Money’s “Money Talk” columnist Liz Weston delivers
comprehensible and coherent advice on managing every aspect of your financial
life. Because much of her advice
revolves around e-banking, e-billing, e-everything, this book will appeal most
to younger but sophisticated beginners in personal finance.
Weston starts out with an extensive section on “Setting up
Your Financial Life” which gives advice on how to attack your finances like you
would any other project. She devotes
chapters to spending plans, managing credit cards, retirement planning and
investing, saving for college, buying insurance, buying homes and cars, and
hiring financial advisers.
The chapter on credit cards was especially notable because
of the unorthodox tactics she presents (but doesn’t advocate) and also because
of her explanation about how the current statistics on debt are misleading.
(Hint: it’s both better and worse than you think.)
Another stand-out chapter, “Be a Savvy Shopper,” is unusual to find in a personal finance book! This chapter contains valuable concrete advice
on how to complain effectively when you feel you get bad service, and
strategies for dealing with automated customer service systems.
Weston concludes with two chapters devoted to the mental
aspects of money: how to change your
mind-set and how to set goals for yourself.
Especially effective is the final section on how to get what you want. Weston
includes questions to ask yourself such as:
“What’s standing between me and what I want?”
“What’s my plan for overcoming each of these obstacles?”
“How can I make these changes happen sooner?”
She sums it up very well:
“This is the one life you get.
Make sure you get what you really want.”
The book ends with a brief but well-selected “Resources and
Recommendations” section and a good index.
Note to DS readers: under
the Savings Tips section of the appendix, she gives kudos to the Dollar
Stretcher and its readers! “Publisher
Gary Foreman, a former Certified Financial Planner, was running a “Web 2.0”
community-fueled site many, many years before it became the latest Internet
trend. Much of the content here is
contributed by readers, and you can’t beat the extensive library of tips and
suggestions for stretching a buck.”
Book information:
Easy Money:
How to Simplify Your Finances and
Get What You Want Out of Life
By Liz Pulliam Weston
FT Press
2008
ISBN 13:
978-0-13-238383-7
Author’s websites:
www.lizweston.com
or
www.asklizweston.com
