Liked it enough to purchase one to keep, that tells you something. Wished I have read it 6 years ago. I would be in a better financial position

Entertaining and incredibly informational. Easy to read. Gave me some confidence in personal finance and ideas for how to approach “adulting” after finally getting my first professional job. This book is a bit dated occasionally like when referring to a time when everyone one may have computers (paraphrasing) but the content and the ideas are still very applicable and pertinent to me. I expect they remain that way for most people. Extremely helpful and easy to read. Will start implementing these ideas now :)

As I left college, diploma in hand, and went into that limbo period before entering the real world, I found myself a complete idiot when it came to personal finance. I didn't know what a 401(k) plan exactly is (I knew it was for retirement), what pensions are (also something for retirement), or how to invest in stocks and bonds (totally clueless about this!).

Because of this, I thought it would be helpful to pick up a couple of basic books on personal finance (this one and the wall street journal one, which I am still reading). Both have turned out to be great - I learned about all of this an more. This book is one of the best "for Dummies" books I've read, partially because this information is so practical. It's not the most entertaining topic by any means, but it's important information to know.

It's definitely a book every college grad should read to get a hold of their finances, to feel empowered and stress-free.

Recommend from a colleague when he asked me about having any investment. Best book from the series X for Dummies I have ever read. Eric Tyson has done his best in explaining all the finance jargon with plain English and helped me learn mistake from the others.

Although most of items in the books are only available/only work in the USA (retirement account, 401 plan, its complex tax system), but you can get the concept of how bond, stock, certificate of deposit work. Insurance is also boring topic for most of us, but it worths reading.

I wish I would read this book two years ago, so I can have a better plan for my personal finance rather than just saving account and lend it to my relative, and help me out of headache when worked in project of investment sector ;)

quite helpful, though some bits are not internationally relevant

Everyone should read at least one book about personal finance in their early twenties.
This book will walk you step by step toward dealing with money, you'll get familiar with
Earning
Spending
Budgeting
Saving
Investing
Insurance
Retirment
And setting life long financial goals
This book will answer important questions which most of us don't even bother asking but can turn our lives upside down
Planning your personal finance properly is a necessary skill that will benefit you alot and you'll finish this book with a different ideaology about personal finance

If "your finances reflect the history of your life more than they reflect a comprehensive plan for your future," this book may break the chain of "financial illiteracy passed on from generation to generation" by helping you "make a short list of your financial marching orders" from here to mature financial habits and arrangements.

this book is very well-written. Very accessible by the layman or laywoman. I have read a few financial texts in my life and have invested in mutual funds and 401Ks for a while, so I am not a complete novice, but this was a good refresher on the differences between investing in stocks and bonds, the difference between taxable and non-taxable securities, what you should/should not invest in through a 401K compared to what you should/should not invest in through a directly purchased investment such as a mutual stock fond or mutual bond fond. He promotes purchasing funds rather than stocks or bonds directly because you get experienced management with your investment.

His approach is very sensible. He tells you what kind of insurance you need and what not to waste your money. He distinguishes between catastrophic insurance and insuring for possibilities that would not be catastrophic. For example, losing your ability to earn money when you have dependents is catastrophic. Having a fender bender that costs $500 is not. YOu can probably afford a deductible of $500 for your car insurance and you will spend a lot less every year in insurance (plus look at how much decreasing that deductiblew to $250 every year will cost you -- you might be amazed at how little sense it makes for you to carry that each year).

There are several chapters I did not read because they do not apply to me, so I cannot speak to them. These are chapters on saving for a child's education, buying life insurance (we have always had life insurance from our employers), and buying real estate.

This is a basic introduction to personal finance, and, honestly, I can't say I learnt that much reading it. Perhaps I have a knack for finance or maybe I've just had to deal with it enough to need no introduction, but unfortunately I was expecting a bit more. Nevertheless I am glad I got to read this. It's quite well written. My biggest criticism is the books misleading title, a more apt one would have been Personal Finance for Americans as the vast majority of its contents deal with problems unique to the U.S.A.

I give this book only 2 stars because most of it doesn't apply to be. I'm not a homeowner and so don't need advice on mortgages, I'm in no financial position to play the stock market, etc. For a mid-twenty-something, the useful information I gleaned from this book could just as easily come from Wikipedia or better yet, my dad! Not to mention making any sort of investment right now (CD, bond, long term savings plan) has such little pay off it's almost not worth it to think about. Maybe when I'm ready to settle down this book will be useful, but as someone just scraping by, there's only so much you can do.

Personal Finance for Dummies is clearly written and gives a good overview of all the basics. It has very broad coverage - everything from budgeting to investments to mortgages to wills. This is useful if you need to learn about or do multiple things at once.

I admit I was embarrassed to check out a "Dummies" book - even though I read it on my phone where no one would see the cover! However, this was a high quality read. It has many good tips and helped me build a thorough understanding. I have a better grasp on several topics (investments, mutual funds) and can now see where I need to learn more (wills, estates).

Highly recommended to help you build a solid understanding. If you're new to budgeting read Chapter 6 on reducing your spending to get a head start!

Thank you for REMINDING AND HITTING me on the head! A VERY GOOD BOOK! three thumbs up!!!

"Another problem with seeking to amass wealth is that tomorrow might not come. Even if all goes acccording to plan, will you know how to be happy when you're not working if you spend your entire life making money? More importantly, who will be around to share your leisure time? One of the costs of an intense career is time spent away from friends and family. You may indeed realize your goal of retiring early, but you mabe putting off too much living today in expectation of living tomorrow....Making and saving money is like eating food....The right amount, perhaps with some extra to spare, affords you a healthy, balanced peaceful existence. Money should be treated with respect and acknowledged for what it is - A MEANS TO AND END..."

"...please consider your HIGHER LIFE GOALS AND PURPOSES. What are your non-financial priorities (family, friends, causes) and how can you best accomplish those with the financial resources you do have?"