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The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated Hardcover – January 5, 2016

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Helaine Olen (Author)
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Helaine Olen (Author),
Harold Pollack (Author)
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Harold Pollack (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 71 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Portfolio; 1 edition (January 5, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1591847680
  • ISBN-13: 978-1591847687
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 7.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 starsYou can just read the table of contents, but still a good read (the details matter).
By Jason on January 19, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Olen and Pollack have written a quick easy to read book on personal finance. (This is ironic given that Olen previously wrote Pound Foolish, which lambast most of popular personal finance books.) In Pound Foolish, Olen criticizes personal finance gurus for overemphasizing financial gimmicks, such "The Latte Factor" or the "Dogs of the Dow." and financial advisors for selling overly-complicated self-serving investment and insurance products. After being so critical of other people's financial advice, one wonders what Olen would recommend people do with their money? Well in The Index Card, Olen joins with Harold Pollack (a social science professor, but not an economist, at the University of Chicago) to answer the question, "What should middle class Americans do with their money?"

As the title indicates, Olen's and Pollack's answer fits on an Index Card. 1-Strive to save 10%-20% of your income. 2-Pay your credit cards off every month (and minimize other debt). 3-Maximize your 401(k) and other tax-advantaged savings accounts. 4-Never buy or sell individual stocks. 5-Buy inexpensive well-diversified indexed mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. 6-Hire a fee-based fiduciary (avoid commission-based financial salespeople). 7-Wait to buy only as much home as you can afford (remember homes are usually highly-leveraged investments with high maintenance costs). 8-Buy term life insurance, auto-insurance (especially liability), home insurance or renter's insurance, and disability insurance. 9-Support the social safety net (government programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and student loans, because 96% of American depend on such programs for financial assistance, even though 40% deny obtaining help from the government.) 10-Keep doing the first 9.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsSimple advice is the advice you will actually follow
By Andre Marquis on January 5, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Simple advice is the advice you're most likely to follow and this book does a great job of laying out exactly that - simple steps you can take to protect your financial future and *why* those are good steps and how to avoid common pitfalls. Great for people who are not following the Index Card steps already and a perfect book to hand out to those younger folks in your life who need a to get started.
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4.0 out of 5 starsSimple read with straightforward advice
By Cfamily on July 16, 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This is a straightforward book with simple advice to follow. I purchased this book because it was listed as a “beach read” in Money Magazine. Although a lot of the advice is common sense, I still found the book valuable because it confirmed strategies that I was already doing- like pay your credit card balance in full every month and buy inexpensive index mutual funds. I found their advice on mutual funds very beneficial because it led me to re-evaluate the mutual funds that I currently own and I ended up selling off my funds that were both poor performers and had high management fees (as they were actively managed) and purchased better rated mutual funds with low fees. I didn’t agree with all of the financial advice such as never buy or sell individual stocks. Instead, I would suggest to place the bulk of your money in low fee diversified index mutual funds and for any extra money that you are okay with losing, then it’s okay to buy individual stocks. I purchased both Ford and GM stocks and did very well with the former and lost all my investment with the latter. I also disagree with their short argument against making money from income properties as they state “Real estate speculation is best reserved for gamblers and the pros” (page 175). I have 3 investment properties and do very well with them. I have a property manager to handle any daily issues that may come up. They are all paid off so I receive positive cash flow every month. I do not think they did the topic justice and would suggest the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” series for anybody interested in real estate. Overall, I think the book is worth purchasing for those new to finance or anybody wanting financial strategies explained very simply.
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5.0 out of 5 starsFinancial Advice for the Masses
By Ken Kugler on February 18, 2016
Format: Hardcover
The Index Card, Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated, By Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack is a marvelously straight forward book written for people who need to hear sound financial advice in clear and simple language. This book gives many examples to explain their advice. They ALL make sense and should be easy to follow once you make it a part of your everyday routine. And I say to you all, it should be part of your everyday routine. From learning to budget, to paying off credit cards, ending debt, and saving for everything from vacations to automobiles to saving for retirement, this book is a clear and great guide to peace of mind.
This book was recommended to me by my wife, of all people. Although she reads mostly nonfiction, money and finance are NOT what she normally reads. She loved the book enough to tell me about it and once I started reading the book I knew why she liked it so much. The authors spoke to the reader and in everyday language so it would be easy to understand. Their examples are real life and relatable to most people.
Read this book first by taking it out from your library and then, once you have finished it and realize how much it can help you, go out and buy a copy for yourself, loved ones and friends too.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

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Published 5 days ago by Santiago Gonzales
3.0 out of 5 starsGlaring error about consolidation loans!!

There's a GLARING error on pages 56 - 57. Debt consolidation loans are not always "secured by a possession; that's usually a car or a home. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Cats Books and Wine (Things I Like)
5.0 out of 5 starsgreat little book about investing

great little book about investing, not as good as "a random walk down wall street" or "irrational exuberance" but the book brings up some good and basic points

Published 14 days ago by Matt
5.0 out of 5 starsHighly recommend!

Really simplifies the basics. I got this book to learn more about preparing for retirement. I thought I had my stuff together with my credit cards and other finances. Read more

Published 20 days ago by Get Painted SD
5.0 out of 5 starsClear, simple and accurate advise. Read it, right it down. Do it.

My takeaway:
-Start automatic saving today, even just 3-5% of your income and work your way up.
Force yourself to because other forces are working against you. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Koby Crooks
4.0 out of 5 starsGood, easy - everyone should read every 5 years

Good and easy review of basics. I knew, in one way, most of what was covered but it was good to review. Read more

Published 1 month ago by LDLewis
5.0 out of 5 starsNo need to waste money on seminars or advisers

For regular folks, this book is all they need. No need to waste money on seminars or advisers.

Published 1 month ago by Ramachandra Vemulapalli
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat advice and an easy read

The authors have pulled together some basic, easy to follow rules, which first appeared on Pollack's index card. Read more

Published 1 month ago by randomsubu
1.0 out of 5 starsNot Worth the Read.

Horrible book. The authors don't understand how credit cards work. Hint: The issuer charges merchants a percentage of the purchase price, so they make money even if you pay your... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsJust ok

This book contained nothing new as far as content. It was just a rehash of what is out and about on the same topic. The only thing different is that it is an easy read.

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer

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