Get a Financial Life - A Review
By Eric Hammer
Get a Financial Life, by Beth Kobliner - Fireside
2009
For every 20 to 30 something who has ever been told to "get
a life," we present "Get a Financial Life" by
Beth Kobliner. The book was updated in 2009 (it was originally
released in the mid 1990s so it had been showing its age a bit)
and is designed specifically to address the needs of people in
their 20s and 30s who need to figure out, often for the first
time in their lives, how to handle their own finances.
The Financial Owner's Manual for You
Discussing what to do with a 401K and mutual fund accounts,
as well as why it's important to start putting money away early
rather than waiting until later, Get a Financial Life is a must
read for every young person who, for the first time has found
herself on her own and working for a living and going out to
an office instead of living at home.
It's also intended for the boy who has now become a man and
who sits in an office all day but doesn't quite understand why
he should care about putting money into an IRA when he's just
25 years old and has a lifetime ahead of him with more important
things, like a fancy car (the one he lusted after in college
but couldn't afford to purchase). In short, it's the owner's
manual for you and your financial life.
The One Problem with This Book
If there is a flaw in the book, it's that Get a Financial
Life is not likely to be read by the people who most need to
read it - those same 20 somethings who are starting their financial
lives and making the same mistakes that most people tend to make
when they have money for the first time without knowledge. Therefore,
we're recommending that it end up being on your gift list for
the college graduate in your life.
Who Doesn't Need It
Okay, we've talked about whom Get a Financial Life is good
for. Let's talk about whom it's not for: It's not for someone
who reads tons of stuff about personal finance. There are no
earth shattering revelations here. If you are already financially
savvy, there's nothing you're going to read here which will make
you say wow, I had no idea about that and I'm so glad I read
this book.
That said, even for those who know their way around but feel
like they simply want a bit of a refresher course or maybe a
kind of a handbook to help them make the most of their financial
lives - a place to look for information that you know but maybe
don't remember details about, you could do worse than to purchase
Get a Financial Life.
The book is written in a clear, concise manner which makes
it easy to understand some very complex financial issues, such
as legitimate tax deductions and why running to the ATM constantly
is a huge mistake. Bottom line, Get a Financial Life is a good,
basic money book for those who need one.
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