Right on the Money! (TM): Taking Control of Your Personal Finances [Hardcover]

Chris Farrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2000

People want to know more about money--their own money. As a new century dawns, with countless new ways to manage money and spend it, Chris Farrell provides what is most needed: reliable and up-to-the-minute information on personal finance.

In the tradition of the great "how-to" series on public television, Right on the Money offers a practical, hands-on approach to making savvy financial decisions. In each chapter, finance expert Chris Farrell visits an individual or family facing a financial crossroads in their lives and, aided by a team of street-smart experts, helps them take control of their finances. From setting up a budget to saving for retirement, Right on the Money not only gives readers the knowledge and tools they need, but also shows how to make informed decisions among the options at hand. Subjects discussed include balancing love and money, investment, the stock market, dealing with credit card debt, buying a car, buying a home, creating a household budget, and paying for college. Informative and fun, with a "roll-up-your-sleeves-and-solve-the-problem" attitude, Right on the Money is destined to become a new classic of personal finance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Farrell, host of the PBS radio show Sound Money and a contributing editor to Business Week, offers a nonthreatening, easily digestible approach to personal finance that is solid if not unique. Writing in a breezy style, Farrell draws on the problems of real-life families, including his own, to introduce the basics of paying for college, buying a car, budgeting, etc. Contrary to similar guides, Farrell focuses on managing money for family needs over the long haul, and includes only a brief overview of the "hot" topic of investing. He addresses such key concerns as whether parents should have college accounts in their children's names, what to avoid when buying a used car and how far in advance to budget. Farrell's advice is sensible, low-key and comforting. For example, in the chapter on budgeting, he advises, "Don't try to do too much in any one sitting. Set up a regular once-a-week meeting where both of you come together for a defined period of time to work over the budget. Afterward, do something together you both enjoy. Reward yourselfAand remind each other why you got together in the first place." In all, Farrell delivers a good primer, especially for people who would prefer to do anything but consider the consequences of their spending. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"It sometimes seems that managing our hard-earned dollars threatens to become a full-time occupation. We worry about the choices we're making, and it's clear that many people are unsure about their decisions. Have you ever asked:
"How much of my retirement portfolio should go into stocks?"
"Should I invest in technology stocks?"
"Why do I keep slipping back into credit card debt?"
"How will I ever afford to send my kids to college, save for my retirement, and still pay the monthly bills and daily expenses?"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375503692
• ISBN-13: 978-0375503696
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,433,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Farrell is economics editor for Marketplace Money, American Public Media nationally syndicated public radio personal finance program. An award winning journalist, Chris is a regular contributor to Marketplace Morning Report and chief economics correspondent for American Public Media's documentary unit, American Radio Works and Minnesota Public Radio. He writes for Bloomberg Business Week magazine and he has a weekly column in the Star Tribune. Most importantly, Chris is the father of two sons and both are growing up far too fast.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, June 20, 2000

By 

Mark Spearson (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Right on the Money! (TM): Taking Control of Your Personal Finances (Hardcover)

For a young man who does not know much about personal finances, this book has been great. It told me all the things that everyone is supposed to know, but I didn't. I am young and inexpierienced in handling my finances, and this book appealed to me because I do not think it was written to appeal to the know it all Wall Street audience. This book is already helping me get my finances together, and hopefully will see more from Chris Farrell in the future.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book overall on personal finance, March 10, 2004

By 

"scott1973" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Right on the Money! (TM): Taking Control of Your Personal Finances (Hardcover)

A very good down-to-earth book that readers can immediately start putting to good use.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good beginner book, some info is dated now, though, August 23, 2008

By 

Melissa Kaye (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Right on the Money!: Taking Control of Your Personal Finances (Paperback)

I admit that I am a big Chris Farrell fan - I listen to him on APR's Marketplace Money and I read his blog. He has good, solid advice on personal finance and investing and I trust his opinions. I would have given this book 5 stars, except that I thought it was too "beginner" for me and I was looking for more advanced information. Also, having been written in 2000, some of the information is a bit dated. (I'm hoping he'll write a new book with current data for more advanced investors?!)

However, it's a good beginner book. It covers lots of the important basic topics:

Budgeting
Buying a Car
Buying a House
College Savings
Retirement Savings
Investing
Credit Cards
Kids and Money

Each chapter has a section for references at the end where readers can go to learn more information on the topic.

Overall, I think that if you are new to budgeting and personal finance, this is a great book to read. It has good, solid advice. Just keep in mind that for any of the details (like IRA Contribution limits), you will need to do additional research to get up-to-date numbers.