Customer Reviews

It's Only Money

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I loved this book and couldn't put it down. This is one of those books that you must share with your friends. They will love you for introducing them to it. There is something for everyone in this book. It is well written and extremely informative. A must read.

For one reason or another, there are many women today who know little, or nothing, about how to handle money. Perhaps their parents never taught them the value of it, or their husband wanted to shield them from the financial world by saying that women shouldn't get their hands dirty with money. This book aims to change that.

It's natural to feel anxious and ashamed about your lack of money knowledge when everyone around you is financially on top of the world. Start with something simple like balancing the checkbook. Remember that hubby won't be around forever, either through death or divorce, so becoming familiar with the family finances is a very good idea.

Tell a neighbor or best friend, someone you can confide in, your fears and fantasies about money. She may be in the same position as you, but afriad to admit it. Don't be afriad to ask the "dumb" questions about money; perhaps together, you can find the answer. Listen to stories from other women about money; not how much they saved, but how they saved, through investing, budgeting, etc.

The author leaves the more specific money-saving tips until the end, but her biggest recommendation is to get rid of your credit card debt. With interest rates at anywhere up to 20 percent and with the average credit card debt at several thousand dollars per person, paying off that debt as fast as possible is the single best thing anyone can do to save money.

Acken knows something about women's fears concerning money. Growing up in a Baltimore record store, she could make change from an early age, but never learned what money was all about. Years later, a divorced mother of two, she found herself with a PhD in psychology and a $50,000 student debt. She learned about money real fast.

For those who get nervous and panicky in the personal finance section of the local chain bookstore, this book is for you. It's written in a very down-to-earth style and is very easy to read. It's recommended for women of any socio-economic status. This isn't rocket science; like the title says It's Only Money!

At first I was a little insulted that "It's Only Money" was subtitled "A Primer for Women." I had a hard time imagining that such a book would be directed at men.

Then I noticed that the author (Allison Acken) is a Ph.D. who had trouble learning to handle money herself. That piqued my interest.

Then--when I opened the book--I noticed all the little facts about the disparity between women and men and their finances. That's when I decided that women darn right NEED this book more than men.

I grew up knowing how to manage money but I thought I'd review it. I'm here to tell you that even if you know what to do with a quarter, you'll probably learn something from this book you didn't already know.

Not only that; This is fun reading.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

It's Only Money! A Primer For Women by financial expert and money management consultant Allison Acken is a very practical, "reader friendly" introduction to basic money matters, and written especially for those women who may be inexperienced at handling personal finances. From overcoming psychological conditioning to "be a lady" and always turn money matters to a man, any man, regardless of his qualifications, to quotable quotes from famous women including Ivana Trump and Dr. Joycelyn Elders, to keeping a financial safety cushion in case of emergencies and much more, It's Only Money! is an absolute "must-read" for any woman who isn't already expertly handling her own finances.