50 Simple Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Personal Finances: How to Spend Less, Save More, and Make the Most of What You Have [Paperback]

Ilyce R. Glink (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 22, 2001

Everything you need to know about personal finance -- whether you're just starting out or starting over.

The hardest part of attaining personal financial freedom is getting started. Ilyce R. Glink makes it a snap. The smart, simple strategies presented in 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Personal Finances let you take immediate control of your money. With her trademark wit, friendly style, and crystal-clear examples, Ilyce Glink helps you set financial goals and reach them. Topics include:

* Starting Out * Budgets and Savings * Credit, Credit Reports, and Debt * Investing Yourself in Investments * Big Purchases * The Ins and Outs of Insurance * Taxes * Marriage, Partnerships, Children * Planning for Your Retirement

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book makes it easy to dramatically improve your finances. Even if you've never thought about how to save money or plan for your retirement, Ilyce Glink gives you a roadmap for success."
-- Bob Pisani, stock market reporter, CNBC

"Trying to get your finances in order can be overwhelming. There's so much to do, and so little time-or interest-in doing it. But along comes Ilyce Glink with a brilliant idea. What if you broke all those necessary tasks into fifty simple steps? Take one small step each day or each week and by the end of the year, your financial life is fixed. It's a painless way to get started."
-- Kathy Kristof, syndicated financial columnist and author of Investing 101

"I loved it. I took the book with me on a cross-country flight and you would have thought I was flying at supersonic speed because the time flew by. I read it cover to cover and was not only entertained but time and again I kept wondering, why didn't I think of that."
-- Clark Howard, syndicated radio talk-show host and author of Get Clark Smart and Consumer Survival Kit III

From the Inside Flap

Everything you need to know about personal finance -- whether you're just starting out or starting over.

The hardest part of attaining personal financial freedom is getting started. Ilyce R. Glink makes it a snap. The smart, simple strategies presented in 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Personal Finances let you take immediate control of your money. With her trademark wit, friendly style, and crystal-clear examples, Ilyce Glink helps you set financial goals and reach them. Topics include:

* Starting Out * Budgets and Savings * Credit, Credit Reports, and Debt * Investing Yourself in Investments * Big Purchases * The Ins and Outs of Insurance * Taxes * Marriage, Partnerships, Children * Planning for Your Retirement

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (May 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812927427
• ISBN-13: 978-0812927429
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ilyce R. Glink is an award-winning financial journalist, radio talk show host, television reporter, best-selling book author, and Internet entrepreneur.

Her goal is to help you make smarter decisions with your money, and she works toward that by providing great real estate and personal finance information online, in print, and on the radio:

* She writes the nationally-syndicated "Real Estate Matters" and "Ask The Real Estate Lawyer" columns, that appear in more than 100 newspapers and websites nationwide;
* She is the popular Home Equity blogger for MoneyWatch.com;
* She hosts a top-rated Sunday morning talk show on Newstalk 750 WSB/Atlanta;
* She hosts and produces ExpertRealEstateTips, an Internet video series with more than 300 episodes.

She has also written twelve books, including her latest, BUY, CLOSE, MOVE IN!, and the bestselling 100 QUESTIONS EVERY FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER SHOULD ASK (3rd Ed). She has also written dozens of ebooks, which are available at ThinkGlink.com.

In addition, Ilyce works with companies to create unique content managemet and marketing programs, including lead generation, nurture, and educational programs.

Follow Ilyce on Twitter (@Glink), join her Facebook fan page (Facebook.com/IlyceGlinkFanPage), and be sure to visit her websites, ThinkGlink.com and ExpertRealEstateTips.net. While you're there, sign up for her free weekly newsletter, so you can stay on top of everything that happens in the ThinkGlink.com community.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Restating the obvious but ... August 26, 2002

By Jawad Malik

Format:Paperback

Most money matters are fundamentally simple (dont overspend, buy low - sell high etc. ) and so this book re-states the obvious and simple things in simple words. People looking for a formula for financial success will be grossly disappointed with this book (manifested by some opinions here). Its a book that has some good to follow common sense tips.

There is not a single tip in this book that hasn't been stated in another book or can't be found on a plethora of web sites. But it collects them and states them in simple words - like a book of quotations. Also - it is not and does not claim to be the "only personal finance book you'll ever need" - I hate those ...

A good book to read on a flight or a slow afternoon.

I think its a bit overpriced at [the money] (hence the 1 * deduction), buying it used [for less money] and it will be worth it.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book to the grown children of my clients August 23, 2004

By Jan Dahlin Geiger VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

As a Certified Financial Planner(tm) practitioner, I am often asked for recommendations for books to read on various financial topics. I read on average about 10 to 15 books to find one that I think is good enough to recommend to clients or friends. This book is one of those.

This is not an advanced book of investment strategies, exactly as the title implies. But it is truly excellent for someone who is young and really doesn't know the difference between a stock or a bond, or a Roth IRA and a 401(k) plan. It also has a plethora of very practical examples of everyday things to do that can improve your financial situation.

The author really nails all the key points that people need to know to be money smart. For example, buy and don't lease cars, set the highest possible deductible on your car insurance, buy the cheapest possible term insurance and don't let a salesperson sweet talk you into permanent insurance, and many others.

This book is well written and interesting, and very well organized. Each topic is separate and discrete, so you can use it as a reference guide for the specific topic that is of interest to you at the time.

I was a bit surprised at the few very negative reviews on this book. My opinion is those people are quite advanced in their financial knowledge, so this book was too basic for them. But for 90% of the people I meet under age 35, this book will be excellent-- readable and interesting and a good book for future reference.

Jan Dahlin Geiger, Certified Financial Planner(tm), author of "Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies," available on Amazon. Get Your Assets in Gear! Smart Money Strategies

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick Read, Everlasting Tips December 10, 2002

By Patrick Mullin

Format:Paperback

In the process of reading this book I found that my prevalent fears of anything economic and financial were greatly dissolved. The "50 simple things" truly live to their namesake; chapters averaging 3-4 pages are concise, yet full of information without droning on and losing my interest. I found that my favorite part about the whole book was that as a teenager, I could use this book as a basis for my financial questions in my next 40-50 years alive. It starts out with simple advice like organization and saving pocket change, moves on to future issues like wedding costs and car leasing, and then even goes as far as talking about retirement funds. I'm greatly considering purchasing this book to keep with me as I progress financially in my years to come. Being a complete idiot when it comes to financial terminology, I found this book helped explain a lot of new items (i.e. Roth IRA), and expand well in an attention-keeping number of pages. So, while this book may not satisfy the economic genius or corporate mogul, it lives true to it's title by simply delivering truly helpful tips to the novice in financial handling (like me).