The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying [Paperback]

Suze Orman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 15, 2006

With a new preface that reflects personal finance today, New York Times bestselling author and leading financial expert Suze Orman shares a refreshed version of The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, the revolutionary, groundbreaking classic that changed the way we think, feel, and act about money. Unlike traditional money management books, 9 Steps approaches money from an emotional and spiritual point of view, emphasizing that fear, shame, and anger are the main obstacles to wealth. 
 
Now, in these turbulent economic times, Suze’s life-changing message from fifteen years ago is more important than ever. This reissued version of shows you:
·         That debt is bondage and how best to break free of it
·         Why the less you have, the more you need a revocable living trust
·         How to find the best financial adviser (look in the mirror!)
·         How to avoid being taken advantage of when buying life insurance
·         Which retirement accounts make sense and which do not

In nine simple steps, you’ll learn all you need to know to be responsible with and respectful of the money you have and the money you don’t have. Embrace Suze’s groundbreaking philosophy—that you are worth more than your money—and understand the true meaning of wealth so you can live a life without regrets.
If you do not have control over the money in your life right now, Suze’s nine steps to financial freedom are for you. 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Suze Orman was 13 she watched her father dive into the flames of his burning take-out chicken shack in order to rescue his cash register. In that moment Orman learned that money was more important than life itself. And so it became her quest to be rich. But years later, when Orman became a wealthy broker with a huge investment firm, she was profoundly unhappy. What went wrong? She had not yet achieved financial freedom. In her nine-step program, Orman covers the ingredients to financial success--confronting our beliefs and fears, learning the nuts and bolts (and insiders secrets!) of savvy management, and finding the spiritual trust that leads to abundance.

From Library Journal

Orman is the head of her own financial-planning firm, a certified retirement specialist, and a best-selling author (You've Earned It, Don't Lose It, LJ 1/95). In her latest work, she analyzes the psychological and spiritual factors involved in how we perceive money. Her definition of financial freedom is "when you have power over your fears and anxieties instead of the other way around." Through case studies, Orman illustrates the psychological importance of money and its effect on our lives. She offers practical guidelines for investing, preparing a budget, purchasing a home, getting out of debt, and writing a will. A helpful financial worksheet is included. Orman's insightful guide is highly recommended to public libraries.?Lucy T. Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 3 Rev Upd edition (August 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030734584X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307345844
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (242 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Budgeting & Money Management

More About the Author

Suze Orman has been called "a force in the world of personal finance" and a "one-woman financial advice powerhouse" by USA Today. A two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, #1 New York Times bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, Orman is undeniably America's most recognized expert on personal finance.

Orman has written seven consecutive New York Times bestsellers and has written, co-produced, and hosted six PBS specials based on her books. She is the host of the award-winning Suze Orman Show, which airs on CNBC and XM and Sirius radio, and a contributing editor to O: The Oprah Magazine.

Orman was twice named one of the "Time 100," Time magazine's list of the world's most influential people, and was the recipient of the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign. In 2009 she received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Orman, a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, directed the Suze Orman Financial Group from 1987 to 1997, served as Vice President--Investments for Prudential Bache Securities from 1983 to 1987, and was an account executive at Merrill Lynch from 1980 to 1983. Prior to that, she worked as a waitress at the Buttercup Bakery in Berkeley, California, from 1973 to 1980.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

538 of 554 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars How to make yourself financially free January 3, 2000

By James L. Grubb

The book sets the premise that you never learn to deal with money successfully until you overcome your fear of money...of not having enough, and fear of taking action with your money. It's about how to make money work for you so you have more than enough because you learn to devote energy, time, and understanding, to money. The three ways of getting money in this world: (1) Work for it (2) inherit it (3) invest the money you save (the most powerful, respectful way to get money there is).

Here are the 9 steps to financial freedom: 1. Step back in time to see how your feelings about money can be traced to your past. We all have "money messages" passed down from generation to generation. 2. Face your money fears and create new, positive truths. 3. Be honest with yourself. Ouit using plastic cards for money. They are addictive and destructive as drugs, giving you a quick fix by satisfying temporary desires. 4. Be responsible to those you love. Establish life insurance, wills, power of attorney, estate planning, etc. 5. Be respectful of yourself and your money. If you do what needs to be done with money, you will attract money to you. 6. You and your money must keep good company. Credit cards are never good company. Get out of debt. Respect yourself and your money by making every penny work for you. 7. Trust yourself more than you trust others. Find the "little voice" inside you; listen to what it has to say. 8. Be open to receive all you are meant to receive. When you are in control of your money and have enough to be generous, money flows to you. 9. Understand the ebb and flow of the money cycle. Money has natural cycles as it ebbs and flows through your life.

If you choose to entrust your money to someone else, and you really don't know how money works, unscrupulous people can take advantage of you. Further, you discover the thrill that comes from wanting to deal with your money instead of just having to deal with it. Get in touch with your money; delight in spending it as you did as a child, but enjoy choosing not to spend it too; take pleasure in putting some away for later.

Most of us need to spend our money differently. Not drastic action like getting by with one car. Unrealistic budget cuts, like diets, never work. Rather, decide to spend $25 to $30 less per month from fifteen or twenty of your spending categories; with each decision you make to spend less, you are gaining power over your money, and you will find creative ways to reduce your spending so you hardly notice. Rather than being dictated by a restriction, your actions are guided by the choices you make. This is the hardest step to financial freedom; you become honest with yourself about how you really stand.

Spend less by putting your money away before you see it. Pay yourself. It's not what you make, but what you keep. Time plays an essential role in building future wealth because the longer you contribute, the more you'll have and with time, the contributions you have already made, do more work for you. The thing that makes time so powerful is compounding.

Money flows through our lives like water...plentiful at times...a trickle other times. These transitions are exciting or scary, but are all part of the natural cycles of money. There are two important reactions to these cycles: (1) You must take the long view of your financial future (2) you must believe that what happens is positive and let it be. The important thing is to understand the nature of money and take the right steps to make it work for you. Recognize true wealth. People can not be measured by their net worth. Money does not make you financially free; only you can make yourself financially free.

165 of 172 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, useful, multidimensional, immediate use July 16, 1999

By A Customer

Just finished reading this...and then immediately went into work and changed my 401(k) contribution to the maximum. Also am looking for a money market account and will begin managing my own IRA stuff...now that I feel more comfortable doing it. Plan to lend the book to friends, and called my parents to tell them to get a copy and start getting things in order...such as getting a trust instead of a will, getting LTC insurance, etc. I liked her straightforward writing style; she has a knack for explaining the "mysterious" world of investing and finance in a way you can quickly and easily understand. She makes you feel more confident...that you can indeed manage your money. In today's often confusing world, it was very helpful to hear that you can trust your intuition and you don't have to "fall prey" to financial advisors. Also, from personal experience, I know that her advice about "good brings good" and "respect of money will bring you more money" is true. My husband got in a serious accident a year ago and at the time we were in a bad bad financial position--no emergency funds, high credit card debt, prospects of little or no income. This "kick in the pants" helped me to take control of my money and now a year later our credit cards are paid off, we have 4 months of bills in the bank, and I am maxing out my 401(k). Suze Orman's book came to me just when I was ready for the next step, and I am putting it to good use. I highly recommend!!!

110 of 114 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From paycheck to wealth March 4, 2000

By Theresa & Mike Brennan

A very successul friend once told me that you can live off your income but you can't get wealthy off you income, you only get wealthy by investing and properly managing yourmoney.This book will kickstart you and help make you money smart.I also suggest Financial Self Defense and More Wealth without Risk to add more financial strategies to your arsenal.All three books are must reading.