The Citi Commonsense Money Guide for Real People [Hardcover]

Dara Duguay (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2007

At a time when personal savings are low and consumer bankruptcies are at record levels, Citigroup, the leading global financial services company, offers its first-ever personal finance guide, an outstanding book that provides effective and easy-to-understand solutions to nearly every basic kind of financial challenge a person could face

Regardless of income level, everyone needs a financial plan that addresses personal savings, insurance, and debt level. Yet today many Americans are without a plan and are at risk of having a life crisis--job loss, natural disaster, medical emergency, or other event--trigger a financial crisis.

Backed by the vast experience of Citigroup, this book presents common financial predicaments and offers solutions. Readers learn just what to do if they run out of money before the next payday; the victim of credit fraud or identity theft; the owners of a less-than-perfect credit rating but want to buy a house; behind on mortgage payments; without an emergency savings fund; apprehensive about investing in the stock market; and much more. The prescriptions for financial health provided in this guide are easy for even the financially unsophisticated reader to understand--and yet enormously powerful in their impact.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Citigroup has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, and Banamex.

Dara Duguay, director of the Citigroup Office of Financial Education, is an expert on personal finance and author of two popular personal finance books, Don't Spend Your Raise and Please Send Money. A native of Chicago, Duguay currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (April 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594863482
• ISBN-13: 978-1594863486
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,508,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dara Duguay is the former Director of Citi's Office of Financial Education where she oversaw Citi's global, company-wide financial education efforts, including a $200 million 10-year commitment to support initiatives in over 50 countries. Ms. Duguay also served as the Executive Director of the non-profit Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy a national coalition of organizations dedicated to improving the financial literacy of kindergarten through college-age youth, and prepare youth for life-long successful financial decision-making.

Previously, she was the Director of Education for the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Los Angeles and a professor at the University of Phoenix and California State University. Dara is the author of three critically acclaimed personal finance books: The Citi Commonsense Money Guide for Real People; Please Send Money: A Financial Survival Guide for Young Adults on Their Own; and Don't Spend Your Raise: And 59 Other Money Rules You Can't Afford to Break.

Ms. Duguay is considered a national expert on personal finance, with over 20 years of active involvement in a wide range of financial education issues. A frequent resource of information to the media, Dara has appeared on ABC World News, CNN and on international outlets. Ms. Duguay currently records a monthly segment called "Financial Fitness" for Clear Channel. She also is a featured columnist in Military Money, a magazine distributed to the U.S. Military.

An accomplished public speaker, Ms. Duguay has spoken in front of audiences at hundreds of major conferences, including: the G8 Summit in Moscow on financial literacy; the European Commission's Summit on financial capacity; the OECD annual meeting; the National Association of State Treasurers; the Society of American Business Editors and Writers; and the American Bankers Association.

Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Duguay has received the Medal of Merit from the U.S. Department of Treasury (Savings Bond Volunteer Committee), and was appointed to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Economics Steering Committee.

Ms. Duguay earned a Master of Arts in International Relations from Schiller University in Paris, France and participated in "Semester at Sea" a global study abroad experience. Duguay received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dara currently resides in Washington, DC.

For more information on Dara, please visit www.DaraDollarSmart.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book's Title Says It All, May 30, 2007

By 

Eric Johnson (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Citi Commonsense Money Guide for Real People (Hardcover)

The book is well organized into three sections that deal with major issues in our financial lives. For those who find themselves in financial difficulty, the first section deals with practical solutions to problems from cash flow to debt management, offering very specific "commonsense considerations" imbedded in each chapter. The second section entitled "Basic Training" gives insight into many issues from budgeting to investing. Finally, the third section titled "Curveballs" considers those unique events in life that can derail any financial plan if not carefully managed. Events like budgeting between jobs, managing divorce, handling finances in blended families, death of a spouse and identity theft are some of the topics explored. The book is an interesting read because many real life stories are included throughout the book. We can all relate to the emotional issues represented in these personal stories and better understand how they can complicate our lives and work against our best financial interests. This book helps to cut through those complications and provide very specific action-oriented solutions.