Customer Reviews

The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Personal Finance, Fourth Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

(this review is based on an earlier edition)
Most of us have some gaps in our understanding of personal finances. This approachable guide lays it out briefly and understandably. Since my attention span is short for this topic, this is the kind of guide I needed.
For instance, the two-page section on DEALING WITH A LENDER, shows a loan application form with 6 boxed explanations for parts of the form.
You won't learn everything you need to know in two-page bites, but it gets you briefed on everything from mutual funds, making a will, getting insurance, understanding credit card statements, 401(k) plans, your W-2 form, etc.
Once you grasp the basics, you can find a book specifically on wills or whatever you are dealing with at the moment.
Gaining control over your finances can start with this book!

It is hard to understand the intracacies of how our basic banking system works. This book presents in a very easy to understand language, with picture diagrams how everything works. This book should be read by everyone who does not understand how banking, loans, credit cards, checks, work...along with how the transaction flows through the system. Must read for those who want to understand investing and the US stock market. Great for foreign nationals who will live/work in the US. Great for those living in poverty areas of US states and cities. Learning how our system functions is important for everyone living in the US.

I just moved into the United States and wanted to know how do personal savings, the bank, financial planning, housing, taxes, retirement etc...

This book gives a very consolidated overview will all the nitty-gritty about how personal finance should & is handled in United States. Recommended to anyone new to the US or just off schools entering the REAL WORLD. Also gets you acquainted with the local financial terms.

This book was great I had to read if for an Economics class and it helped me to understand more about financing and how to raise money for school. It is great to have an understanding with this so i can be ahead, and collect as much money as I can for retirement. This book goes into many categories in financing such as banking, investing, financial planning, credit, and mortgages. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about how to have a good financial life.

I bought this book and then returned it. I found it way too brief and simplistic, not offering details and explanations to concepts I was already familiar with. Frankly, for the price you could get much more instruction on personal finance with other books (i especially like Clark Howard's).