Authors: Dave Ramsey.
Hardcover, 272 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: 2007-02-06
Edition: 2

Reviews :

   

The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.

Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"

The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.

...

Authors: Dave Ramsey.
Paperback, 245 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: 2003-01-21


Reviews :

   

In this fresh, interactive guide, respected financial expert Dave Ramsey offers a proven, comprehensive plan for getting in shape financially.  The Total Money Makeover Workbook takes you one step closer to getting out of debt and achieving financial health. Against a playful backdrop of fitness terminology, Dave gives solid, hard-hitting advice and the hope and the how-to needed to turn goals into reality. The Total Money Makeover Workbook includes:

• Useful worksheets and forms
• Readable and informative charts and graphs
• The four factors that keep people from getting in shape financially

The Total Money Makeover Workbook is an essential resource for anyone desiring total financial fitness. Dave's no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach translates into results for those who diligently follow this complete action plan. Tens of thousands of people have already transformed their financial situation with Dave's advice, rooted in God's and Grandma's common sense. With The Total Money Makeover Workbook, countless others will be on their way to financial fitness.

...

Authors: William Bonner. Addison Wiggin.
Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 2006-10-06


Reviews :

    In Empire of Debt, maverick financial writers Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin provide you with the first in-depth look at how the American character has shifted to accommodate its new imperial role; how we have abandoned the private virtues of personal liberty, economic freedom, and fiscal restraint; and how the government has gained control of public life and the economy....

    Many Americans have resisted the notion that their country is an imperial power. The idea seems to contradict the values of the Republic and its Founding Fathers. But in Empire of Debt, prominent financial analysts Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin argue passionately that not only is the United States an empire, but it is also one whose end is coming soon. Bonner and Wiggin are the brains behind www.dailyreckoning.com, an iconoclastic and irreverent market advisory service that has long raised concerns about American indebtedness and warned of a looming dollar crisis. In Empire of Debt, a sequel to their earlier doom-and-gloom book Financial Reckoning Day, they elaborate on their argument that the U.S. economy is about to implode.

Bonner and Wiggin enumerate a long list of chronic ailments that imperil the American financial system--a massive trade deficit, soaring personal and government debt, a housing bubble, runaway military expenditures. These problems "hardly disturb the sleep of the imperial race," the authors write. "[But] all empires must pass away." Bonner and Wiggin argue that American imperial delusions are similar to the fantasies that fueled the dot-com market mania. They recommend readers buy gold as insurance in the event of a financial crisis. Empire of Debt flounders when discussing how America indebted itself; the authors blame the Federal Reserve Board's low interest rates but gloss over the fact that rates were slashed because the U.S. teetered on the brink of deflation in 2002 and 2003 (a topic they give more attention to in Financial Reckoning Day). As hardcore free-marketeers, Bonner and Wiggin also seem to long for the pre-welfare days of the 1920s but forget how that period's policies led to the Great Depression. That said, Empire of Debt contains many revelations that will open eyes. --Alex Roslin...

Authors: Jerrold Mundis.
Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Edition: Revised

Reviews :

    With up-to-the-minute information . . . And an all-new preface by the author!

Out of the red . . .

• Do this month’s bills pile up before you’ve paid last month’s?
• Do you regularly receive past-due notices?
• Do you get letters threatening legal action if immediate payment is not made?
• Do the total amounts of your revolving charge accounts keep rising?

Into the black . . .

Whether you are currently in debt or fear you’re falling into debt, you are not alone. Sixty million Americans--from doctors to secretaries, from executives to the unemployed--face the same problem and live under the same daily stress. Based on the proven techniques of the national Debtors Anonymous program, here is the first complete, step-by-step guide to getting out of debt once and for all. You’ll learn:

• How to recognize the warning signs of serious debt
• How to negotiate with angry creditors, collection agencies, and the IRS
• How to design a realistic and painless pay-back schedule
• How to identify your spending blind spots
• How to cope with the anxiety and daily pressures of owing money
• Plus the three cardinal rules for staying out of debt forever, and much more!

This book is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Debtors Anonymous. A recovered debtor, the author is intimately familiar with the success of the Debtors Anonymous program....

    Millions of consumers have become trapped in a spiral of debt, but there is hope. If you wants to free yourself from the shackles of debt, this book is for you--it can help you "get out of debt, stay out of debt, and live prosperously." Jerrold Mundis writes in a friendly, engaging style, urging readers to stop the cycle of spending. Mundis knows what he's talking about--he, too, was once thousands of dollars in debt and didn't know where to turn. Anecdotes from Debtors Anonymous folks, plus multiple examples from the writer's own life and ledgers, make How to Get Out of Debt an encouraging read, not a condescending one. Once you start your program, you may want to periodically reread some chapters for inspiration--and fun....

Authors: Dana Neal.
Paperback, 437 pages
Publisher: Paladin Press
Publication Date: 2006-04
Edition: 2nd, Revised and Updated

Reviews :

    Written by a former debt collector, this credit repair book covers many aspects of credit restoration, including how to legally remove any adverse credit from a consumer credit report, how to negotiate debt, how to prevent and recover from identity theft, the secrets to raising a credit score, and more. Remove judgments, liens, late payments, bankruptcies, collection accounts, inquiries, charge-offs, repossessions, and foreclosures. Learn how to negotiate like a pro, reducing credit card and other unsecured debt to a fraction of what you owe!...

Authors: Jean Chatzky.
Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account
Publication Date: 2006-01-03


Reviews :

    Jean Chatzky has been working with viewers of NBC’s Today show for a yearlong series on how to get out of debt once and for all. Her method, both on TV and in this book, is simple yet powerful: the key is saving just $10 a day that you currently waste. It doesn’t sound like much—a movie ticket or lunch for two at McDonald’s— but $10 really can take you from debt to wealth in just a few years. And because it doesn’t feel like an impossible goal, people are more likely to stick with Chatzky’s plan than an extreme regimen of spending cutbacks.

Chatzky is focusing on debt because it’s the single biggest threat to our financial health. The average American family has sixteen credit cards and high-rate debt of more than $8000, not even counting car loans and mortgages. They pay more than $1000 a year in interest alone. Debt makes people feel depressed and overwhelmed, leaving them without enough money for the truly important things in life—education, retirement, owning a home, feeling secure.

Chatzky, one of America’s most popular personal finance experts, writes in down- to- earth, woman-next-door language about how to get started right away, without giving up the things that truly give you pleasure. She offers practical, accessible strategies to help readers find the money to pay off their bills, lower their interest rates, and improve their credit scores. Featuring real-life examples of people featured on her Today show series, Pay It Down can transform debtors into future millionaires....

Authors: Liz Pulliam Weston.
Paperback, 224 pages
Publisher: FT Press
Publication Date: 2007-02-04
Edition: 2nd

Reviews :

    Back Cover Copy: Your Credit Score

Your Credit Score

How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future

A complete action plan for improving your credit score-starting today!

Information that could save you thousands on credit and insurance...even help you get your next job!

Explains the rules, explodes the myths!

Up-to-the-minute information on today's radically new credit scoring system from MSN/L.A. Times personal finance journalist Liz Pulliam Weston.

"Excellent book! Insightful, well written, and surprisingly interesting! Liz Pulliam Weston has done an outstanding job demystifying an often intimidating and frustrating topic for the benefit of all consumers."
-Eric Tyson, syndicated columnist and best-selling author of Personal Finance for Dummies

"In a country where consumers increasingly pay more when they have bad credit, Liz Pulliam Weston's book provides excellent tips and advice on ways to improve your credit history and raise your credit score. If you just apply one or two of her insightful suggestions, you'll save many times the cost of this book."
-Ilyce R. Glink, financial reporter, talk show host, and best-selling author of 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask

"Your credit score can save you money or cost you money-sometimes a lot of money. Yet, most people don't even know their scores, much less know how to make them better. Liz Pulliam Weston can help you fix that. In this easy-to-understand guide you'll learn how to make sure your score helps you get the best deal on loans and insurance. You can't afford not to read it."
-Gerri Detweiler, consumer advocate and founder of UltimateCredit.com

- Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

...

Authors: Mary M. Hunt.
Paperback, 284 pages
Publisher: DPL Press
Publication Date: 2005-10-25


Reviews :

    Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com There are plenty of heavily pedigreed personal-finance experts dishing out good advice, but not many who know what it's like to have to eat ramen all month to make a car payment. On the other hand, there's Mary Hunt, a recovered credit card addict whose free-spending ways landed her family in the middle of $100,000 of unsecured debt in the early 1980s. Pulling herself out of that morass gave Hunt the courage to strike out on her own as a writer, motivational speaker, and the brains behind the newsletter also with the title Debt-Proof Living (formerly Cheapskate Monthly), a newsletter and Web site dedicated to promoting the art of living within one's means, a message that grows ever more urgent as the average American family struggles each year to pay $1,200 in interest alone on revolving, unsecured debt. While Hunt's previous books have echoed some consistent themes--debt bad, saving good--they've addressed a hodgepodge of different areas: building financial confidence in women and kids, doing Christmas without a stack of credit cards, tips for gourmet cooking at low cost. In Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living, Hunt finally puts together a financial primer for all--whether retirees trying to decide when to start drawing Social Security or teenagers ready to sign for their first college loans. Security, according to Hunt, is built with simple tools: tithing, saving, paying off debt, creating a contingency fund for emergencies, driving used cars, owning a home, having insurance.

Although Hunt's "been there, spent that" zeal and warmth have turned her into the Ann Landers of personal finance, she's not just an agony aunt for spendthrifts--business experts will find her a savvy marketer who's using her name and story to build, somewhat ironically, a very effective brand. That doesn't negate her sincerity, however, or the fact that her advice is sound, her formulas work, and her Rapid Debt Repayment Plan has kept increasing numbers of families out of bankruptcy. And finally, Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living is just a joy to read--its clarity and lack of condescension make it a perfect gift for anyone just starting to understand the basics of money. --Barrie Trinkle...

    There are plenty of heavily pedigreed personal-finance experts dishing out good advice, but not many who know what it's like to have to eat ramen all month to make a car payment. On the other hand, there's Mary Hunt, a recovered credit card addict whose free-spending ways landed her family in the middle of $100,000 of unsecured debt in the early 1980s. Pulling herself out of that morass gave Hunt the courage to strike out on her own as a writer, motivational speaker, and the brains behind The Cheapskate Monthly, a newsletter and Web site (www.cheapsk8.com) dedicated to promoting the art of living within one's means, a message that grows ever more urgent as the average American family struggles each year to pay $1,200 in interest alone on revolving, unsecured debt.

While Hunt's previous books have echoed some consistent themes--debt bad, saving good--they've addressed a hodgepodge of different areas: building financial confidence in women and kids, doing Christmas without a stack of credit cards, tips for gourmet cooking at low cost. In Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living, Hunt finally puts together a financial primer for all--whether retirees trying to decide when to start drawing Social Security or teenagers ready to sign for their first college loans. Security, according to Hunt, is built with simple tools: tithing, saving, paying off debt, creating a contingency fund for emergencies, driving used cars, owning a home, having insurance.

Although Hunt's "been there, spent that" zeal and warmth have turned her into the Ann Landers of personal finance, she's not just an agony aunt for spendthrifts--business experts will find her a savvy marketer who's using her name and story to build, somewhat ironically, a very effective brand. That doesn't negate her sincerity, however, or the fact that her advice is sound, her formulas work, and her Rapid Debt Repayment Plan has kept increasing numbers of families out of bankruptcy. And finally, Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living is just a joy to read--its clarity and lack of condescension make it a perfect gift for anyone just starting to understand the basics of money. --Barrie Trinkle...

Authors: Carolyn Warren.
Paperback, 256 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 2007-05-04


Reviews :

    Mortgage Rip-offs and Money Savers reveals how the mortgage industry cheats borrowers out of billions in extra costs every year. Mortgage industry insider Carolyn Warren taps her decade of experience with lenders to expose the tricks, lies, and dirty little secrets they don't want you to know. With her expert guidance, borrowers will save tens of thousands when they avoid the traps so many consumers fall into. Having this inside information is the only way borrowers can truly get the best possible deal. This book presents that knowledge in an interesting and easy format that anyone can understand. Readers won't be victims of the mortgage industry with this invaluable resource in hand. Instead, they'll get the best possible rates, avoid bogus fees, and get the great deal they deserve....

Authors: David Bach.
Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books
Publication Date: 2003-01
Edition: 1st Workbook

Reviews :

    No Matter Where You Start, David Bach Can Help You Live and Finish Rich

With his national bestsellers Smart Women Finish Rich and Smart Couples Finish Rich, renowned financial advisor and educator David Bach has taught millions of people of all ages and incomes how to take control of their financial future. His message, that the key to building wealth is “values first, stuff second,” has inspired people all over the world. Now, The Finish Rich Workbook gives couples and singles alike a new opportunity to tailor his advice for their individual circumstances. Combining the down-to-earth, jargon-free approach that has made him so popular with the hands-on practicality of a workbook, this new addition to the Finish Rich series is like having a one-on-one session with David Bach. You will learn how to:

• Use the power of the Latte Factor™, David Bach’s international recognized approach to building wealth on a few dollars a day.

• Apply the Debt Free SolutionTM, a powerful way to reduce debt quickly and repair your credit in the process.

• Organize your financial life in minutes with the FinishRich Inventory Planner™ and File Folder system, including a pull-out summary of where you stand financially.

• Craft a personalized FinishRich QuickStart™ plan–a to-do list for today, this month, and this year, so you can get started right away.

• Find the perfect financial advisor by using the FinishRich Advisor Questionaire™ to find, interview, screen, and score an advisor before you hire them.

Whether you’re working with a few dollars a week or quite a bit more, Bach’s nine-step program will help you put the Finish Rich wisdom right to work for you. ...