Описание
Introduction
You’re probably not a personal finance expert, for good reason. Historically, Personal
Finance 101 hasn’t been offered in schools — not in high school, university, or even graduate
programs. Thankfully, a small but growing number of schools are offering personal-financetype courses. Of course, every school should.
However, even if you got some financial education and acquired some financial knowledge
over the years, you’re likely a busy person who doesn’t have enough hours in the day to get
everything done. So, you want to know how to diagnose your financial situation efficiently
(and painlessly) to determine what you should do next. Unfortunately, after figuring out
which financial strategies make sense for you, choosing specific financial products in the
marketplace is often overwhelming. You have literally thousands of investment, insurance,
and loan options to choose from. Talk about information overload!
To further complicate matters, you probably hear about most products through advertising
that can be misleading, if not downright false. Of course, some ethical and outstanding firms
advertise, but so do those that are more interested in converting your hard-earned income and
savings into their short-term profits. And they may not be here tomorrow when you need
them.
Perhaps you’ve ventured online and been attracted to the promise of “free” advice.
Unfortunately, discerning the expertise and background (and even identity) of those behind
various blogs and websites is too often impossible. And, as we discuss in this book, conflicts
of interest (many of which aren’t clearly disclosed) abound online.
Despite the development of new media and new financial products and services, folks keep
making the same common financial mistakes — procrastinating and lack of planning,
wasteful spending, falling prey to financial salespeople and pitches, failing to do sufficient
research before making important financial decisions, and so on. This book can keep you
from falling into the same traps and get you going on the best paths.
As unfair as it may seem, numerous pitfalls await you when you seek help for your financial
problems. The world is filled with biased and bad financial advice. We both constantly see
and hear about the consequences of poor advice. All too often, financial advice ignores the
big picture and focuses narrowly on investing. Because money is not an end in itself but a part
of your whole life, this book helps connect your financial goals and challenges to the rest of
your life. You need a broad understanding of personal finance that includes all areas of your
financial life: spending, taxes, saving and investing, insurance, and planning for major goals
like buying a home, someday running your own business, investing for your future, retiring,
and so on.
Even if you understand the financial basics, thinking about your finances in a holistic way can
be difficult. Sometimes you’re too close to the situation to be objective. Your finances may
reflect the history of your life more than they reflect a comprehensive plan for your future.
You want to know the best places to go for your circumstances, so this book contains specific,
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Детали
- Год издания
- 2019
- Format