Striking out on your own for the first time is exhilarating. But in a culture full of bad advice, predatory banks, and splurge-now-pay-later temptations, it can also be extremely dangerous—leading you to make financial decisions that could hurt you for years to come. Combine this with a slumped economy, mounds of student loans, and dubious examples from reality TV stars to politicians to your own parents, and it’s no wonder so many twenty-somethings are struggling. Twenty-three-year-old Zac Bissonnette—the author of Debt-Free U—knows exactly what you’re going through. He demystifies the many traps young people fall victim to in their post-college years. He offers fresh insights on everything from job hunting to buying a car to saving for retirement that will give you a foundation for a secure, stable, and happy life. In the process, he reveals why FICO scores are overrated, online job applications are a waste of time, car loans are for suckers, and credit card rewards are a scam. With detours to discuss wine connoisseurs, Really Broke Housewives, and Lenny Dykstra, Zac shows you how to make better choices today so you can be richer, smarter (and better-looking!) for years to come.

This book can save you more than $100,000. These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma. But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty . From his unique double perspective-he's a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans. Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child's financial future. You'll discover, for instance, that: * Student loans are NOT a necessary evil. Ordinary middle class families can- and must-find ways to avoid them, even without scholarships. * College "rankings" are useless-designed to sell magazines and generate hype. If you trust one of the major guides when picking a college, you face a potential financial disaster. * The elite graduate programs accept lots of people with non-elite bachelors degrees. So do America's most selective employers. The name on a diploma ultimately won't help your child have a more successful career or earn more money. Zac can prove every one of those bold assertions - and more. No matter what your current financial situation, he has a simple message for parents: "RELAX! Your kid will be able to get a champagne education on a beer budget!"

For the first time, financial guru and TODAY Show regular Jean Chatzky brings her expertise to a young audience. Chatzky provides her unique, savvy perspective on money with advice and insight on managing finances, even on a small scale. This book will reach kids before bad spending habits can get out of control. With answers and ideas from real kids, this grounded approach to spending and saving will be a welcome change for kids who are inundated by a consumer driven culture. This book talks about money through the ages, how money is actually made and spent, and the best ways for tweens to earn and save money.

THE MILLION-COPY NEW YORK TIMES, BUSINESS WEEK, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER IS BACK - COMPLETELY UPDATED! With over ONE MILLION copies sold - Smart Women Finish Rich is one of the most popular financial books for women ever written. A perennial bestseller for over two decades, now Bach returns with a completely updated, expanded and revised edition, Smart Women Finish Rich, to address the new financial concerns and opportunities for today's women. Whether you are just getting started in your investment life, looking to manage your money yourself, or work closely with a financial advisor, this book is your proven roadmap to the life you want and deserve. With Smart Women Finish Rich, you will feel like you are being coached personally by one of America's favorite and most trusted financial experts. The Smart Women Finish Rich program has helped millions of women for over twenty years gain confidence, clarity and control over their financial well-being--it has been passed from generations to generation -- and it now can help you.

Canadian Edition, revised and updated From first-time newlyweds to people on their second marriage, couples face an overwhelming task when it comes to money management. Internationally renowned financial advisor and bestselling author David Bach knows that it doesn’t have to be this way. In Smart Couples Finish Rich, he provides couples with easy-to-use tools that cover everything from credit-card management to investment advice to long-term care. From this updated, newly revised Canadian edition, couples will learn how to work together as a team to identify their core values and dreams, and to create a financial plan that will allow them to achieve security, provide for their family’s future financial needs, and increase their income.

Ladies, this collection of stories from moms who have successfully worked full-time, freelance, self-employed, and in other ways, while also raising amazing children and providing financial freedom for their families, has room to add more--your story! Start it today! Of all life’s financial shocks, few compare to the $250,000 price tag--not including college!--of raising a child. How will you pay for it? Many mothers have agonized over that question, letting it fuel their decisions concerning careers, budgets, and families. The only thing they can all agree on is: there are no easy answers. However, there are plenty of rewarding possibilities! Mining successful moms’ experiences to uncover both career advice and strategies for spending and saving anyone can use, Smart Mom, Rich Mom includes stories, checklists, action steps, planning tools, and more to help other moms learn how to: Prepare financially for parenthood, as well as adding to your litter Balance thrift with generating income and investing wisely Find flexibility at work while safeguarding your earning potential Save for both college and retirement Plan for unexpected events Smart Mom, Rich Mom explores how women today are navigating the financially challenging career/parenting years. This invaluable resource for moms everywhere chronicles women who have stayed in the game as both moms and businesswomen--full-time, freelance, self-employed, and more--and emerged more prosperous and empowered than before having children.

Outlines simple, counterintuitive approaches to raising happy, healthy, and successful children through parental demonstrations of respectful examples and child-directed activities that facilitate early independence and problem-solving skills.