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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

by: Fisher, Sarah Young; Shelly, Susan

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

by: Fisher, Sarah Young; Shelly, Susan

ISBN 13:
9781592573325
ISBN 10:
1592573320
Edition: 3rd
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 05/03/2005
Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.
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Summary

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s, Third Edition, clearly explains everything members of this age group need to know to get a handle on their pocketbook and their portfolio, from planning their personal finances to enhancing their current financial plan to getting better returns on their investments. This revised and updated third edition includes completely new material on: bull; Internet banking bull; Debit and prepaid credit cards bull; Online car shopping bull; The latest in effective job hunting bull; Online college degrees and what they can get you bull; Investment strategies for the next decade bull; Home-based employment opportunities bull; New financial impact of marriage and children bull; Home ownership options from building your own to townhouses and condos bull; Online mortgage brokers bull; All new websites and resources

Part 1: The Real World

(70)

Personal Finance: The Stuff They Didn't Teach You in College

(8)

Exactly What Is Personal Finance?

(1)

Why Don't I Already Know This Stuff?

(1)

Whatever Happened to Personal Finance 101?

(1)

But I Don't Think I'll Be Able to Understand It

(1)

Money's Not a Dirty Word

(1)

Personal Finance Is for My Parents

(4)

You're Out Here--Now What Are You Gonna Do?

(8)

Hey! Nobody Told Me It Was Gonna Be Like This!

(2)

Mom and Dad, Where Are You?

(1)

It's a Big, Cold World Out Here

(1)

A Look at Where You Are

(1)

A Look at Where You're Going

(4)

Taking a Look at Your Bank Accounts

(10)

Do You Have the Accounts You Need?

(4)

Checking Accounts

(2)

Savings Accounts

(1)

Other Useful Accounts

(1)

All Banks Are Not Created Equal

(2)

Another New Bank Fee?

(1)

Stop at the ATM, I Need More Cash

(3)

Automated Teller Machines or Automated Theft Machines?

(1)

Tips to Cut ATM Fees

(2)

Credit Cards and Debt

(14)

Everybody Wants a Credit Card---Until They Have One

(3)

Getting a Card If You Don't Have One

(1)

Co-Signers and Secured Cards

(1)

How Many Credit Cards Does One Person Need?

(1)

Keep It (Your Credit Card) in Your Pants

(2)

Knowing When to Use Your Credit Card

(1)

Sometimes Cash Is King

(1)

Advantages of Debit Cards or Prepaid Credit Cards

(1)

Keeping Your Credit and Debit Cards Safe

(1)

Finding a Better Deal on Your Credit Cards

(3)

Annual Fees

(1)

Interest Rates

(1)

Fees and More Fees

(1)

Timeliness Is Next to Godliness: Paying Off Your Debt

(2)

Finding a Place with the Right Zip Code

(12)

Doing the Apartment Thing

(5)

Scouting Locations

(1)

Signing Your Life Away

(1)

Knowing What You Can Spend

(1)

Up--Front Costs

(1)

Three's Company---Or a Crowd

(1)

Full House

(1)

Renter's Insurance

(1)

What Am I Gonna Sleep On?

(1)

I Gotta Pay for That, Too?

(3)

Electricity

(1)

Telephone

(1)

I Want My MTV and CNN

(1)

The Cost of Staying In Touch

(2)

Road Rules

(16)

Cruising the Auto Industry Landscape

(1)

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

(2)

Not Everybody Needs a Car

(1)

Renting a Car When You Need One

(1)

The Great Debate: Buying or Leasing

(6)

Financing Your Car

(2)

Leasing

(1)

Pros of Leasing

(1)

Cons of Leasing

(3)

New or Used, Big or Small?

(2)

Car Buying and Social Responsibility

(1)

Taking a Look at Hybrid Cars

(1)

Remembering That Safety Counts

(1)

Best Places---Online and Off---To Shop for a Car

(1)

Your Car Costs More Than You Think

(3)

Part 2: On Your Own and Loving It

(60)

What Do You Have?

(12)

Living With the Job You've Got

(1)

Looking at Your Options

(4)

Asking for a Raise

(1)

Looking for Another Job

(2)

Sticking It Out

(1)

There's More to a Job Than the Money

(1)

Assessing Your Assets

(4)

Your Secret Stash

(2)

What Do You Need?

(8)

Your Financial Lifestyle

(1)

Evaluating Your Expectations

(1)

Looking at What You Need and What You Don't

(5)

The Bare Necessities

(1)

Niceties or Necessities?

(3)

The B Word: Budgets

(16)

Why Budgets Have Such a Bad Rep

(1)

Everybody Needs a Budget

(1)

What Your Budget Should Include

(5)

Nonroutine Expenses

(1)

Routine Expenses

(1)

Trimming the Fat: Analyzing Your Expenses

100

(4)

Spending Ratios

103

(1)

One Job, Two Jobs, Three Jobs, Four

104

(1)

Sticking With It

105

(1)

Software and Websites for Budgeting

106

(3)

Getting Into the Swing of Savings

109

(8)

Are You a Saver or a Spender?

109

(3)

Evaluating Your Financial Personality

110

(1)

Savers Have It Made (Almost)

110

(1)

Spenders Have to Work a Little Harder

111

(1)

A Penny Saved Is More Than a Penny Earned

112

(2)

Getting Into a Savings Mindset

114

(1)

Saving Money on Almost Everything

115

(2)

Your Credit: Use It, Don't Abuse It

117

(14)

Building a Credit History

118

(1)

Knowing When Enough Is Enough

118

(1)

Oops! I Think I'm in Trouble

119

(4)

Recognizing Credit Trouble

120

(1)

Preventing and Recognizing Identity Theft

120

(1)

Knowing When to Get Help

121

(1)

Repairing the Damage

122

(1)

Reputable and Not-So-Reputable Sources of Help

123

(1)

Your Credit Report and Credit Score

124

(7)

How to Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

128

(3)

Part 3: Coasting Along

131

(60)

Movin' On Up

133

(10)

Emergency Funds

134

(1)

Finding Another Car

135

(1)

Back to School

136

(3)

M.B.As, Ph.Ds, M.C.Ps, M.Archs, and Sc.Ds

137

(1)

Online Degrees---How Do They Measure Up?

137

(1)

Finding Loans to Help Finance Your Education

138

(1)

Life Is Better in the Tropics

139

(1)

Aren't These Computers Cool?

140

(1)

Getting Your Own Place

141

(2)

What's All This Talk About Investments?

143

(16)

Starting Small

144

(2)

How Much Do You Have to Invest?

145

(1)

What's Out There?

146

(1)

Mutual Funds

146

(3)

Dollar Cost Averaging

149

(1)

Money Markets

150

(1)

CDs---We're Not Talking Compact Discs

151

(2)

401(k)s

153

(5)

A Match Made in Heaven

153

(1)

Investing in Your 401(k)

154

(1)

Tax Advantages of 401 (k) Plans

155

(1)

Getting Money Early from Your 401 (k)

156

(1)

Vesting

157

(1)

Money Purchase and Cash Balance Plans

158

(1)

A Taxing Topic

159

(16)

How Did Taxes Happen, Anyway?

160

(1)

What's Your Taxable Income?

160

(2)

How to Make Less of Your Income Taxable

162

(1)

Deductions

163

(5)

Standard Deductions

163

(1)

Itemized Deductions

164

(4)

Fitting In: Tax Brackets

168

(1)

Preparing Your Tax Returns

169

(3)

I Can Do That!

170

(1)

Help! I Need Somebody (Not Just Anybody)

171

(1)

Websites and Software To Help You Prepare Your Taxes

172

(1)

Paying Your Taxes Online

173

(2)

Looking Out for What You Have

175

(16)

Welcome to the Insurance Jungle

176

(1)

Insurance 101

176

(1)

Sometimes You Need It, Sometimes You Don't

177

(9)

Health Insurance

179

(2)

Auto Insurance

181

(2)

Property Insurance

183

(1)

Disability Insurance

183

(2)

Life Insurance

185

(1)

You Just Don't Need It

186

(1)

My Mama Told Me: You Better Shop Around

187

(1)

What Do You Mean, I'm Not Covered?

188

(3)

Part 4: To Everything There Is a Season

191

(78)

Working from Home

193

(12)

Can 20 Million Americans Be Wrong?

194

(1)

Working at Home for Somebody Else

195

(1)

Going It Alone From Home

196

(1)

Setting Up a Home Office

196

(4)

Zoning and Other Legal Issues

197

(1)

Finding the Right Space

197

(1)

Getting the Equipment You Need

198

(1)

Financing the Stuff You'll Need

199

(1)

Challenges and Opportunities for the Self-Employed

200

(5)

Taxes

200

(2)

Deductions

202

(2)

Insurance Is Especially Important

204

(1)

The Game of Life

205

(12)

Footloose and Fancy-Free

206

(1)

She (Gulp!) Wants Me to Move In with Her!

207

(2)

Financial Advantages

207

(1)

Financial Disadvantages

208

(1)

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

209

(1)

Will You Marry Me?

209

(2)

Uh, Could You Sign Here, Please?

211

(1)

Goin' to the Chapel and We're Gonna Get Married

212

(2)

With This Ring

212

(1)

Ouch! Here Comes the Bill

213

(1)

Filing Jointly or Separately?

214

(1)

And Then There Were Three

214

(3)

How a Baby Affects Your Life

215

(1)

How a Baby Affects Your Pocketbook

215

(2)

Not Your Father's Pension Plan: Retirement Funds in the Modern World

217

(14)

Is Retirement Planning Your Top Priority? It Should Be

218

(2)

It Pays to Start Early

218

(1)

Little Savings Can Mean a Lot

219

(1)

What's Out There?

220

(4)

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

220

(2)

The Importance of Timing Your IRA Contributions

222

(1)

Roth IRAs

223

(1)

Doing It on Your Own

224

(3)

SEP-IRAs

224

(1)

Keoghs

225

(1)

Simple IRA

226

(1)

Annuities

226

(1)

So Where Should My Retirement Money Go?

227

(1)

Early Withdrawal Penalties

228

(3)

Investing Beyond Retirement Accounts

231

(12)

When Is the Best Time to Start Investing?

232

(1)

What Are You Investing For?

232

(1)

What Kind of Investor Do You Want to Be?

233

(2)

High-Risk Investors

233

(1)

Moderate-Risk Investors

234

(1)

Conservative Investors

234

(1)

Your Timetable Is Important, Too

234

(1)

You Can't Tax That! Can You?

235

(4)

Show Me the Way to the Investment Store

239

(4)

Buying Mutual Funds

239

(2)

Understanding Index Funds

241

(1)

Buying Stocks or Bonds

242

(1)

Investment Options

243

(14)

How Does the Stock Market Work?

244

(4)

When You Own

246

(1)

When You Loan

247

(1)

Mutual Funds

248

(2)

Understanding the Risks

250

(2)

Understanding Asset Allocation

252

(1)

Where to Invest Your Money

252

(5)

Safe, but Not Too Exciting

253

(1)

Exciting, but Just How Safe?

254

(1)

Is Investing in Baseball Cards a Good Idea?

254

(3)

We All Need Somebody to Lean On

257

(12)

Know Thy Finances, Know Thy Advisor

258

(1)

Do I Need a Financial Advisor?

258

(1)

The Who's Who of Financial Advisors

259

(2)

Financial Planners

259

(2)

Finding a Reputable Financial Advisor

261

(2)

Finding a Financial Advisor Online

262

(1)

Go With the Gut

263

(1)

Places and People to Avoid

263

(3)

Too-High Fees

263

(1)

Conflicts of Interest

264

(1)

I Know What You Did Last Summer

265

(1)

Things Your Investment Advisor Should Never Do

266

(3)

Misrepresentation

266

(1)

Taking Custody of Your Money

266

(1)

Ignoring Your Wishes or Neglecting to Keep You Informed

267

(2)

Part 5: So You're Thinking of Buying a House

269

(88)

There's No Place Like Home

271

(16)

It's the American Dream---But Is It Right for Everyone?

272

(1)

How Much House Can You Afford?

273

(4)

How Much Do You Make?

274

(1)

Your Expenses

275

(1)

Your Monthly Mortgage Payment

275

(2)

The All-Important Down Payment

277

(2)

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

279

(1)

The Great House Hunt Begins

280

(4)

Building a House vs. Buying a House

281

(1)

How About a Fixer-Upper?

282

(1)

Single, Double, Townhouse, Duplex, or Condo?

282

(1)

There Goes the Neighborhood

283

(1)

Don't Forget to Check Out the Schools

283

(1)

Time to Buy Some Furniture

284

(3)

The Least You Need to Know

285

(2)

We'd Like to Borrow Some Money, Please

287

(16)

Just What Exactly Is a Mortgage?

288

(1)

Getting the Mortgage That's Best for You

289

(7)

Fixed-Rate Mortgages

290

(1)

Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

290

(2)

Which Is Better: Fixed-Rate or Adjustable?

292

(1)

Knowing When to Refinance Your Mortgage

293

(1)

Other Types of Mortgages

294

(1)

Thirty-Year Versus Fifteen-Year Mortgages

295

(1)

Points

296

(1)

Alternative Types of Mortgages

296

(2)

Federal Housing Administration Loans

297

(1)

Veteran's Administration Loans

297

(1)

Community Home Buyer's Program

297

(1)

Fannie Neighbors

297

(1)

Where to Go to Get Your Mortgage

298

(1)

Online Mortgage Lenders

299

(1)

Getting Your Mortgage Approved Faster

300

(1)

What Happens at Settlement?

300

(3)

Paying It Off, Little by Little

303

(14)

How Quickly Should You Pay Your Mortgage?

304

(5)

How Much Extra Do I Have to Pay?

307

(1)

What About Biweekly Payments?

307

(2)

Put Your Money Where Your Mortgage Is

309

(1)

What If I Can't Make a Payment?

310

(3)

Late Penalties

310

(1)

Private Mortgage Insurance

311

(2)

Putting Money in an Escrow Account

313

(4)

How Owning a Home Affects Your Taxes

317

(8)

Tax Benefits of Owning a Home

318

(3)

Deductions, Deductions

318

(2)

Capital Gains Exclusion

320

(1)

You Wanna Play House? You Gotta Pay Taxes

321

(1)

Home-Equity Loans and Lines of Credit

322

(3)

Homeowners Insurance

325

(32)

Nobody Should Be Without Homeowners Insurance

326

(2)

How Much Homeowners Insurance Do You Need?

327

(1)

Look for a Guaranteed Replacement Provision

327

(1)

Personal Property Coverage

328

(2)

Exactly What Should You Insure?

329

(1)

Make Sure You Know What You Have

330

(1)

Liability Insurance

330

(1)

Insuring Against Natural Disasters

331

(2)

The Government Will Take Care of Us

332

(1)

The Best Places to Buy Homeowners Insurance

333

(2)

Appendixes

A Additional Resources

335

(4)

B Show Me the Money Glossary

339

(18)

Index

357

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

9781592573325

1592573320

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance in your 20'sand 30's,3E

9781592573325

1592573320

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

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