Personal Finance For Dummies

The fast and easy way to achieve your financial goals Renowned personal finance expert Eric Tyson combines his time–tested financial advice with updated strategies to give you everything you need to protect your financial future. You′ll get concrete, action–oriented guidance for tracking expenditures, reducing spending, getting out of debt, investing wisely, saving for college and other events, and financially surviving life′s unexpected twists and turns. Assess your fitness and set goals — improve your financial literacy, measure your financial health, find out where your money goes, and set your monetary goals Save more, spend less — get practical advice on how to deal with debt, reduce your spending, and tame those daunting taxes Build wealth with wise investing — discover how you can boost your personal wealth with real estate, mutual funds, and more Protect what you′ve got — find out how to get insurance coverage for all of your assets at the best price Where to go for more help — get helpful guidance on working with financial planners, using your computer to manage your money, and seeking (and avoiding) financial media outlets "Provides tremendous insight and guidance into the world of investing and other money issues." — PBS Nightly Business Report "Smart advice . . . rewards your candor with advice and comfort." — Newsweek Open the book and find: The best ways to reduce, minimize, and eliminate debt Smart ways to use credit and qualify for the best loan terms Advice, reviews, and dangers of "free" online personal finance content New and pending changes to tax laws Tips for buying the right insurance Strategies for investing in your home and other real estate How to make sense of the news and various financial resources Learn to: Evaluate and manage your financial fitness Save more and spend less Assess your credit report and improve your score Make smart investments in any economic environment

Introduction 1 Part I: Assessing Your Financial Fitness and Setting Goals 7 Chapter 1: Improving Your Financial Literacy 9 Chapter 2: Measuring Your Financial Health 21 Chapter 3: Managing Where Your Money Goes 41 Chapter 4: Establishing and Achieving Goals 53 Part II: Spending Less, Saving More 75 Chapter 5: Dealing with Debt 77 Chapter 6: Reducing Your Spending 95 Chapter 7: Trimming Your Taxes 123 Part III: Building Wealth through Investing 147 Chapter 8: Considering Important Investment Concepts 149 Chapter 9: Understanding Your Investment Choices 177 Chapter 10: Investing in Funds 197 Chapter 11: Investing in Retirement Accounts 215 Chapter 12: Investing in Taxable Accounts 237 Chapter 13: Investing for Educational Expenses 251 Chapter 14: Investing in Real Estate: Your Home and Beyond 263 Part IV: Insurance: Protecting What You Have 305 Chapter 15: Insurance: Getting What You Need at the Best Price 307 Chapter 16: Insurance on You: Life, Disability, and Health 325 Chapter 17: Covering Your Assets 349 Part V: Where to Go for More Help 363 Chapter 18: Working with Financial Planners 365 Chapter 19: Using a Computer to Manage Your Money 383 Chapter 20: On Air and in Print 395 Part VI: The Part of Tens 401 Chapter 21: Survival Guide for Ten Life Changes 403 Chapter 22: Ten Tactics to Thwart Identity Theft and Fraud 417 Glossary 423 Index 439

Eric Tyson (www.erictyson.com) is an internationally acclaimed and bestselling personal finance book author, syndicated columnist, and speaker. He is also the author of Investing For Dummies and coauthor of Home Buying Kit For Dummies , both national bestsellers.