Your Money: The Missing Manual

by Roth, J. D.

• ISBN13: 9780596809409
• ISBN10: 0596809409
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-18
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

With the recent global economic meltdown, keeping your financial house in order is more important than ever. But tackling your finances can seem overwhelming. This book guides you every step of the way. It's packed with practical tips advice for getting -- and keeping -- your finances in order.

Author J.D. Roth, founder of the widely-acclaimed blog GetRichSlowly.org, covers all the money-management bases, from saving and spending to getting out of debt to investing and planning for retirement. You won't find any get-rich-quick schemes here, just sensible advice for getting the most from your money. Even if you have perfect credit and no debt, you'll learn ways to make your rosy financial situation even better.

-Get the information you need to make sensible financial decisions, from saving to spending, investing to retiring

-Gain solid advice from the viewpoint of someone who's been there (in debt, that is) Learn the best tips that J.D. Roth has compiled on his blog GetRichSlowly.org, recently named the most inspiring money blog by Money Magazine

-Discover strategies for improving your financial situation and keeping your accounts in order Find out about sound investment options

-Learn about several useful websites that can help you manage your money

Author Biography

J.D. Roth is an accidental personal-finance expert--a regular guy who found himself deep in debt. After deciding to turn his life around, he read everything he could about money and finance. In 2006, he started the award-winning website "http://www.getrichslowly.org/", which Money Magazine named the Web's most inspiring personal-finance blog.

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
It's More Important to Be Happy Than to Be Rich	p. 7
How Money Affects Happiness	p. 8
It's Not About the Money	p. 16
The Road to Wealth Is Paved with Goals	p. 23
The Road to Success	p. 24
Tools and Resources to Help You Achieve Your Goals	p. 29
Coping with Mistakes and Setbacks	p. 33
"Budget" Is Not a Four-Letter Word	p. 37
Mapping Your Financial Future	p. 38
Building a Budget That Works	p. 38
Sticking to a Budget	p. 44
Automating Your Budget	p. 48
Why Budgets Fail	p. 51
Defeating Debt	p. 53
The Power of Positive Cash Flow	p. 54
The Basics of Debt Reduction	p. 57
Curbing Compulsive Spending	p. 65
Start Now	p. 71
Laying the Foundation
The Magic of Thinking Small	p. 73
Why Frugality Matters	p. 74
Frugal Tactics Anyone Can Use	p. 77
The Tyranny of Stuff	p. 96
Leading a Rich Life on a Budget	p. 99
How to Make More Money	p. 101
Working for Others	p. 102
Working for Yourself	p. 111
Other Ways to Make Money	p. 118
A Pep Talk	p. 127
Banking for Fun and Profit	p. 129
Choosing a Bank	p. 130
Finding Accounts That Meet Your Needs	p. 135
Making the Most of Your Accounts	p. 139
Using Credit Wisely	p. 147
Credit Cards	p. 148
Your Credit Report	p. 158
Your Credit Score	p. 161
Final Thoughts on Credit	p. 165
Sweating the Big Stuff	p. 167
Counting the Dollars	p. 167
Buying a Car	p. 168
Finding Deals on Vacation and Travel	p. 185
Cash Is King	p. 193
House and Home	p. 195
The Eternal Question: Rent or Buy?	p. 196
Buying a Home	p. 200
Owning a Home	p. 210
Death and Taxes	p. 219
An Introduction to Insurance	p. 219
What You Need to Know About Taxes	p. 230
A Brief Overview of Estate Planning	p. 239
Building a Rich Life
An Intro to Personal Investing	p. 245
Why Invest?	p. 246
The Tools of Investing	p. 250
Being on Your Best Behavior	p. 255
Common-Sense Investing	p. 261
Retirement: The Final Frontier	p. 271
What Will Retirement Look Like?	p. 272
Figuring Out How Much to Save	p. 273
Why You Should Start Saving Today	p. 276
A Brief Guide to Retirement Accounts	p. 279
Early Retirement and Other Dreams	p. 288
The Final Frontier	p. 290
Friends and Family	p. 291
Financial Blueprints	p. 292
Friends with Money	p. 292
Love and Money	p. 296
Church, Charity, and Community	p. 304
True Wealth	p. 307
Index	p. 309
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