This text for personal financial planning adopts a life-cycle approach to financial planning. The writing style, designed for readers with diverse educational backgrounds, is informal and relatively non-technical. The emphasis is on practical application and decision making. Concepts are reinforced with diverse real-life examples, up-to-date information, expert advice, and a problem solving format. Easy-to-complete worksheets are integrated into the text. New "Surf?s Up" Internet Exercises have been added. The result is a quality text that is current and provides a thorough, conceptually sound treatment of the subject for both students and instructors alike.