Customer Reviews

Grow Your Money: 101 Easy Tips to Plan, Save, and Invest

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful educational book on numerous areas of personal finance. It includes topics such as:

Buying and Maintaining a Home
Profiting from a Fabulous Career
Reducing Taxes
Investing in Stocks, Bonds and Real Estate
Retirement Planning
Estate Planning and Insurance
Educating Children about Money and Personal Finance

This is the most comprehensive finance book I've read and it's easy to read with some humor thrown in here and there. The author uses numerous detailed examples to illustrate his points which really help the reader understand the ideas. The book also has a companion website where the reader can go for more information or more up-to-date information as this book ages.

This is not a book that has to be read cover-to-cover. I did that, but if you want to find topics relevant to you, the author includes an age-based checklist in the front. I also really like that the end of the book includes a checklist by month of the things you should be doing throughout the year. It makes keeping up with your finances look less daunting!

The author made it easy for me to come away from the book with my own "To-Do" list, so I definitely got something out of reading this book! I also gained some new perspectives on certain areas - for example, it's a good idea to plan for early retirement because some people plan to retire later, but end up having to retire early. (You don't want to run out of money) I think the author has good insight and great ideas and I agree with his financial strategies.

Great book for all to read!

I really like the tips in this book. They work for all ages from someone just getting into learning about money to retirement. It is easy to read and you can skip around as you need to. I only give it a 4 because I wish a few tips had some more detail or at least suggestions of where to get more detail.

At last, there is a book for the nonfinancially astute that discusses money matters in such a clear, understandable way that it motivates people to apply some of the 101 tips to their own situations and look forward to a richer future. In GROW YOUR MONEY 101 EASY TIPS TO PLAN, SAVE, and INVEST, Jonathan D. Pond covers every aspect of handling income from first allowances to honoring heirs in estate planning. The book is a fluent reading of investment topics sprinkled with humor and illustrated with basic arithmetic. Points are well formulated, inarguable, and easy to implement. They give hope to everyone, no matter what stage in life nor how many resources to squeeze for more value. Besides the book itself, the author maintains a website for readers to get most up-to-date information for individual needs.

Everyone has to think about how they will manage money, but it is difficult to find uncomplicated material for advice. And, as the author points out, financial experts give confusing explanations that can be biased in a way that will "grow more money" for themselves from fees, sales, and/or commissions. Best objective advice is in this book. I was particularly impressed with advantageous tax savings I can take and would not have known about. I also was relieved to learn how to make affordable sound investments with a limited budget and without the risk or difficulty I previously imagined.

This is a book that will benefit everyone. It is a "must have" for every household, basic for a secure financial future.

Before you give it as a gift, take the time to read it yourself and mark half a dozen pages that you consider are of special value to the recipient. It may stimulate them to read more. Oh yes, and don't forget to buy yourself a book also.

Jonathan Pond is a PBS financial expert and this book is filled with advice on how you can buy a new house, raise your children, pay for college tuition, save for retirement and lots of other things - all while having a few dollars left over to have some fun.

I picked this book up at the local library and it confirmed for me the old saying that you only get what you pay for. Not that this book is worthless, it's just that there isn't much new in it and the advice seems more of the "same old, same old."

For example, early in the book the author lays out the keys to achieving financial security:

Formulating Objectives

Ensuring that you have adequate insurance

Never giving up control of your money

Allocating your investments appropriately

Creating a nest egg

Coping with major life events

Investing wisely

Assuring that you minimize income taxes

Learning to live beneath your means

Setting your records straight

Planning your estate

Meeting college education costs

Using credit wisely

Participation in retirement plans

Investing in your career

Taking the time to attend to your finances

You're responsible for achieving financial security

Boring, boring, boring.

Another thing I don't care for in the book is the way it's presented with idea after idea - some of which is too simplistic. For example: Idea 9 -- Buck the Odds by Starting and Succeeding in Your Own Business." Starting a new business is difficult - hardly what I'd call an "easy tip" with your money.

The other thing that drives me crazy about this book is that it's filled with sections that prompt you to find additional in a special reader website that follows the sections of the book. Excuse me? I don't want to constantly be looking up sections of the book on the Internet while I'm reading. If it's helpful material put it in the book - save the updates for the paperback version.

Bottom line: lots of common-sense ideas with too few details and depth of discussion for each piece of advice. Sound recommendations with little new or interesting ideas to offer.

This surprised me, it is actually the most thorough book on personal finances i have read yet. not quite a reference type book, but almost. good read for anyone.

nothing new, everything was said before, and was said much better before in other books. i am really disappointed. consider buying another one if you can.