Amazon.com Review
When it comes to money, many personal finance gurus know their stuff. The problems start when they try to get you to know
your stuff. Nancy Lloyd is a smart and entertaining exception. In
Simple Money Solutions, Lloyd offers specific, detailed advice in a conversational, easy-to-digest style. The result is a book of tips that will inspire readers to put workable ideas into practice and reap the financial rewards.
Having earned economics degrees from Princeton and Cornell, Lloyd spent a number of years working for the Federal Reserve Board as an expert on consumer credit and banking issues, and then for IBM in finance, marketing, and strategic planning. Her obvious knack for translating the complexities of managing personal finances into simple, workable solutions for the average person has since propelled Lloyd into print and radio journalism. Simple Money Solutions is a how-to book on money management, using real-life tales of financial woe to present solid, effective advice. For readers with perpetual credit card debt and an ongoing battle with different "low-interest" credit card companies, the chapter "Take Charge of Your Credit" will be particularly useful. For those with money to invest, Lloyd points out the advantages and pitfalls of the various methods, including ways to choose a broker, what types of accounts to set up, and when (if ever) to trade online. Her tips are sometimes repeated in numerous different sections, but good advice is usually worth repeating. Moreover, Lloyd does not profess that her readers will be able to solve all their money problems on their own; in the chapter "Boost Your Money IQ," she provides the reader with a wealth of information on when to consider hiring a financial planner, where to look for one, and how to verify the impartiality of their advice. Written in a format and style that make it accessible and user-friendly, this book will help lift you out of the money mire, and provide just what its title offers--solutions. --S. Ketchum
Lloyd is the personal finance commentator for National Public Radio's
Morning Edition, an economist at the Federal Reserve Board, and a frequent contributor to magazines such as
Modern Maturity and
Good Housekeeping. She is sometimes billed as "the Martha Stewart of money," but the "simple solutions" promised by her title suggest more the everyday practicality and uncomplicated "do-ability" of "hints from Heloise." Lloyd's tips and advice fit into 10 broad categories, which include credit, home buying and mortgages, pay and benefits, family finance, and retirement. Using real characters to illustrate a wide diversity of specific topics, she simplifies asking for a raise, setting a child's allowance, placing an order with an online broker, and researching the used-car market.
David Rouse