Wealthy Choices: The Seven Competencies of Financial Success [Hardcover]

Penelope S. Tzougros (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2003

Praise for Wealthy Choices

"If you are at all interested in achieving financial freedom, you must read the powerful book, Wealthy Choices, by Dr. Penelope Tzougros. It will make you think about money in a different way and help you uncover some of the roadblocks preventing you from having a life of prosperity and abundance."
-Robert G. Allen, author of the New York Times bestsellers, The One Minute Millionaire, Nothing Down for the '90s, Creating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, and Multiple Streams of Internet Income

"I'm planning to give this book to my friends. It is important and will enhance their lives. . . . So many people I know don't have a handle on their finances, and it just boggles my mind that they don't even think about this for the future. I saw myself in so many of the examples, even though I thought that none of the situations would ever apply to me."
-Patty Wagstaff, first woman to win the title of U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and six-time member of the United States Aerobatic Team

"To many questions about money, Penelope Tzougros gives common- sense and illuminating answers. Most individuals would benefit much from reading this book."
-Jean-Marie Eveillard, Copresident, First Eagle Funds, and manager of several mutual funds

"Here is a truly helpful book on how to deal with our finances. Tzougros's years as a financial planner and sympathetic listener give her advice a special and convincing authority. If you're afraid of money, this book teaches you how not to be. If you're fortunate enough to have no serious money worries, you might enjoy reading this just for its good stories and sound, reassuring judgment."
-Lloyd Schwartz, Pulitzer Prize winner, NPR commentator, and author of Goodnight, Gracie

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Are you comfortable with your money? Do you have enough? Do you feel like you are managing it well? If for whatever reason your answer is "no" to any of these questions, Wealthy Choices can help you feel confident and competent in your relationship with money.

No matter what your current financial situation, there are small and easy steps you can take to improve it. Financial planning expert Penelope Tzougros outlines these steps in this comprehensive and insightful book. You’ll be introduced to seven competencies that will help you achieve a balanced financial life–so you’ll be at ease with your money. The competencies discussed include:

• Valuing
• Paying the bills
• Losing
• Leveraging
• Dreaming
• Growing
• Gifting

The real-life stories in Wealthy Choices, drawn from almost two decades of the author’s experience of helping people with their money, will make it easy for you to find yourself in familiar, everyday situations. Almost without being aware of it, you’ll learn principles that can remove stresses tied to some daily and long-term decisions. You’ll hear how individuals deal with requests from family members for loans; how some people freeze up when they are faced with making investment decisions; and how others finally figure out the way a budget really works. You’ll cheer as a few turn dreams into successful businesses and admire the clever solutions for gift-giving; you’ll see how you too can have victories over credit cards and learn the rules for fighting about money so that everyone wins.

In addition to each vignette, there are also follow-up sections entitled "Penelope’s Perspectives," which provide suggestions for resolving each potential problem that is examined. With each chapter focusing on a specific competency, Wealthy Choices helps you gauge your strength in each of the seven competencies and allows you to devote extra time to the competencies that you need more work on.

The seven competencies discussed in this book cover all our uses of money. By listening to the people in these stories, you will recognize your own habits and find alternative choices that can help you be more successful with your money. After reading Wealthy Choices, you’ll be armed with solid guidelines for making important financial decisions and begin to achieve financial goals that may have always seemed out of reach.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Wealthy Choices

"If you are at all interested in achieving financial freedom, you must read the powerful book, Wealthy Choices, by Dr. Penelope Tzougros. It will make you think about money in a different way and help you uncover some of the roadblocks preventing you from having a life of prosperity and abundance."
–Robert G. Allen, author of the New York Times bestsellers, The One Minute Millionaire, Nothing Down for the ’90s, Creating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, and Multiple Streams of Internet Income

"I’m planning to give this book to my friends. It is important and will enhance their lives. . . . So many people I know don’t have a handle on their finances, and it just boggles my mind that they don’t even think about this for the future. I saw myself in so many of the examples, even though I thought that none of the situations would ever apply to me."
–Patty Wagstaff, first woman to win the title of U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and six-time member of the United States Aerobatic Team

"To many questions about money, Penelope Tzougros gives common- sense and illuminating answers. Most individuals would benefit much from reading this book."
–Jean-Marie Eveillard, Copresident, First Eagle Funds, and manager of several mutual funds

"Here is a truly helpful book on how to deal with our finances. Tzougros’s years as a financial planner and sympathetic listener give her advice a special and convincing authority. If you’re afraid of money, this book teaches you how not to be. If you’re fortunate enough to have no serious money worries, you might enjoy reading this just for its good stories and sound, reassuring judgment."
–Lloyd Schwartz, Pulitzer Prize winner, NPR commentator, and author of Goodnight, Gracie

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (November 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047145396X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471453963
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best for the average reader, December 31, 2003

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wealthy Choices: The Seven Competencies of Financial Success (Hardcover)

One of the most unique financial advice books today, "Wealthy Choices: The 7 Competencies of Financial Success" teaches sound financial advice is a very open and reader friendly manner. Instead of massive discussion of theory, the book teaches by creating short, realistic vignettes and then explaining what is going on. These vignettes are situations that are sure to strike a responsive chord for many people. For example, one of them reads "How are you, Elise? How am I? You really want to know? My 401(K) statements say I have less money; the credit card company says I owe more money; I'm not having any fun; my checkbook doesn't balance; the machine ate my debit card; I didn't get to watch the videos I'm paying a late charge for; I can't find a house I can afford; and I got a bad haircut.... I'm losing it." Author Penelope Tzougros then goes on to explain what is going on, what needs to be done or how to view the situation, and what to do.

The seven competencies discussed are Valuing, Paying the Bills, Losing, Leveraging, Dreaming, Growing, and Gifting. These are not only important competencies that must be understood to achieve financial success but they are also the areas that cause the most stress in a relationship. When two people have different value systems between money, leisure, assets, etc. things can become very stressful very quickly. Dr. Tzougros does an excellent job of helping people to see where things are just differences in style and philosophy and where they are sound financial principles. This is one of the best books available for the average person untrained in financial theory who just wants to get control of their finances and achieve their goals.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wealthy Choices, January 20, 2004

By 

Rene D. Petrin "filmfan" (Brighton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wealthy Choices: The Seven Competencies of Financial Success (Hardcover)

This book is a must for anyone seeking to explore how they arrive at choices in their lives that have financial impact. Ms. Tzougros's keen insights as well as myriad examples bring the principles for making better choices to life and provide practical ideas to make changes to achieve greater financial freedom. It is crammed with valuable insights and ideas. One of the nice things about this book is that many of the examples are ones that I have experienced and can relate to. As a businessman who considers himself fairly astute in making financial decisions, this book provided me with insights I had not thought of and will be implementing to continue to achieve financial success. This is a must read and should be in everyone's bookshelf as a resource to return to over and over again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bet!, January 16, 2004

By 

Judith (Boston,Ma.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wealthy Choices: The Seven Competencies of Financial Success (Hardcover)

Penelope Tzougros' book is a treasure. I have been reading it since I recieved it as a Christmas present, and by the time I was a few chapters into it, I went out and purchased several copies to give as gifts. This is a valuable gift for anyone of any age and any income. It is a pleasure to read the financial suggestions in the context that we experience them in our everyday life. Money management has a role in our lives daily and has a context. Penelope uses these contexts to teach the smart ways to be at peace with our financial interactions. Her handle on psychology and values is so apparent. I applaud her masterful efforts! I truly hope that the people for whom I have purchased these books will read it and gain a better understanding of their financial behavior. Penelope is a wonderful guide through the maze of money matters.