On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance [Paperback]

Manisha Thakor (Author), Sharon Kedar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Sure, most young women would love to live a carefree lifestyle filled with lunches, Louis Vuitton and lattes, but what many don't know is that doing so can lead to a serious financial breakdown down the road. "On My Own Two Feet" teaches young women what they need to know about savings in language that matters and makes sense to them. Financial planners Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar will show readers how to: make a budget; avoid the perils of imprudent credit card use; invest for the future by harnessing the magical power of compounding interest; guard against the unexpected with the appropriate types of insurance; and prepare for the future. By offering women the key 20 per cent of financial advice (minus the complex mumbo jumbo) that drives 80 per cent of a person's financial wealth, the authors will show women that the sooner they learn to apply these basic strategies, the more likely they are to achieve the typical lifetime financial objective of owning a home. Along with other financial objectives, it provides for oneself and/or a family, being able to take fun vacations (and yes, wear designer labels), and retiring in comfort - free of financial stress. Succinct, straightforward, and visually appealing "On My Own Two Feet" will redefine "personal finance 101" for women in their 20s and 30s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"You can either manage your financial life, or let it manage - and torture - you. Financial service professionals and CFAs Thakor and Kedar recommend the former and show you how to achieve it. This guide to financial planning for young women (men, this applies to you, too) is sound and prudent... Thakor and Kedar are more like financial physicians than financial consultants." -- Kirkus Review - April 2007

From the Back Cover

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ON MY OWN TWO FEET

"This is the path to true liberation: how to handle all those hard-earned dollars. Or make do with what you've got. And if I were a modern boy, I'd put on a wig and buy one as well. We all need this guidebook."
- Lynn Sherr: ABC News Correspondent & Author of OUTSIDE THE BOX: A Memoir

"ON MY OWN TWO FEET is a must-read for all women who want to own their own destiny. In clear, penetrating prose, Thakor and Kedar guide their readers along the journey to financial security and personal freedom. Whether you are going to run a corporation, a household, or your own extraordinary life, this book is indispensable."
- Nancy F. Koehn: James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

"A real page turner - and that's not something typically said about personal finance books! ON MY OWN TWO FEET is chock full of powerful, straightforward advice about how to take charge of your financial future. Trust me, you can't afford to miss this book."
- Denise Brosseau: Co-Founder, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs

"ON MY OWN TWO FEET is the financial equivalent of the basic black dress and red handbag in every woman's closet. Choose it early and use it often for maximum positive effects. I mentor many young women, and this book will be one of my recommended financial tools as they build for future professional and personal dreams."
- Betsy Heller Cohen: Vice President & Futurist, Nestle Purina Petcare Company

"If you've got a nagging sense of needing to put your financial life in order but dread facing up to it, ON MY OWN TWO FEET gives you the solid, straightforward advice you need, in a brief and super-efficient manner. This guide is an excellent place to start when you don't know where to begin (and don't even feel like getting going!)"
- Shira Boss: Author of GREEN WITH ENVY: A Whole New Way to Look at Financial (un)Happiness

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Adams Business (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598691244
• ISBN-13: 978-1598691245
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Business & Investing > Women & Business

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and practical, June 8, 2007

By 

D. Alder - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance (Paperback)

As a financial professional, I have generally been critical of personal finance authors because they struggle to condense their vast knowledge into a book that is readable for the average person. Thakor and Kedar succeed where others have failed. In this book, they manage to cover all of the basic principles of personal finance (savings, credit, insurance, budgeting, investing, retirement, major purchases, taxes and money in relationships) in less than 200 pages. The book flows more like a conversation with a friend than a textbook, which made it an enjoyable and quick read. Also, I was very impressed with the quality of the advice given in this book. The authors stick to tried-and-true principles that are both effective and simple.

I highly recommend this book.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The financial voice for our generation, May 23, 2007

By 

Iris Rubin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance (Paperback)

On My Own Two Feet is simply the best personal finance book! I have tried to read a finance book cover to cover and could not get through one until this incredible book. The information is clearly presented, and what sets it apart, is the advice of Kedar and Thakor is highly actionable. Since reading the book I have made several changes and already feel better about my financial "health."

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "On My Own Two Feet" Authors Know Their Money, May 23, 2007

By 

Jennifer Estroff "GingerDuck" (Ellensburg, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance (Paperback)

I was lucky enough to meet the authors of this book, Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar at a recent retreat at the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership. I was struck by three things: 1) their passion to educate young women about personal finances, 2) their snazzy dress sense, and 3) the fact that THESE WOMEN KNOW THEIR STUFF! Both are amazingly successful in the male-dominated world world of finance, and gave me the instant feeling that I could navigate it too, all I needed was some simple basics. Manisha and Sharon are able to look at money from the perspective of MY generation, the 18-35 year-olds who don't stay in one job forever, and will enter the work force with student loans, MySpace accounts, and only a brief window to start retirement planning. "On My Own Two Feet" handles the current reality of money and finance with pizzazz and spice, and a feeling of support from the "Divas of Finance". If you want to feel more financially secure, and do it soon, pick up this book now! Then send it to your girlfriends, cousins, sisters, mothers...and maybe even a man or two. After all, everyone needs some money help, sometimes!