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've never read a "For Dummies" book, so I grabbed this along with a few other personal finance books, just to tidy up my bookkeeping, etc. I found it rather obnoxious. It WAS written in a readable, conversational style, but that's not what I want from an instructional book. I want to be able to read and skim quickly, gleaning what I want from it. There was way too much breezy silliness to wade through.

That said, it did have some good information and tips in it, so it wasn't a total waste.

Good summary and a good starting point for basic information.

Skipped chapters I didn't need. Know where to find information to revisit. Simple enough of a book.

Good information

There is some information in the book. I found the tax and investment information very confusing and boring so I skipped most of it.

Another in my personal finance reading for the year. There are common messages in many of these books: #1 - get out of debt as soon as possible, #2 - cut your expenses, #3 - have at least 6 months of living expenses in the bank. They say it over and over!

This book also talks a lot about investing for retirement and what that should look like. He writes simply and clearly and explains everything well. He definitely has opinions, so you should examine them to see if they fit into your own life.

Biggest take away from the book - diversify my retirement investments and discuss savings goals with my partner. Inspired me to make some changes to my personal finance.

This is a good financial planning read with specific tips and resources throughout. I appreciate Eric Tyson’s balanced tone throughout, no hyping one thing or fear-mongering about another; though, it can be a somewhat boring read too - which is probably why I half read, half skimmed this book.

I’ve been wanting to make sure we’re on a good path financially and this helped me evaluate what I’ve done so far and whether I need to correct or anticipate something new I hadn’t thought about. Recommended as a map to what comes with financial planning in the States.

Tailored for Americans

Solid financial advice that cover a wide range of topics from getting out of bad debt, saving for your kid's college and your retirement, investing, and getting the most out of insurance and tax breaks. Not a ton of new information for people already a little financial savvy and informed, but I still picked up a handful of useful things. Would particularly be a great gift for recent high school or college grads.

Despite always hating this series for calling their own readers dummies, this book was actually incredibly helpful to learn so many things about math, life, and personal finance the semester before I graduated. Great timing and so, so helpful!

This is a comprehensive and powerful book for an overview for personal finance. This was the first book I have read from the "for Dummies" series and was intrigued by this book based on my interest in personal finance. As a disclaimer, this book is much like a textbook and I think that it is more for referencing various topics, rather than reading through like I did. This book begins with basics, such as budgeting and credit cards before delving into more complex subjects such as investing within tax-deferred accounts, college planning, and insurance. In my opinion, the second half of this book is far more challenging to understand for a finance neophyte such as myself. While I have done considerable self-education, I still think that many of the concepts in the second half were more difficult to understand. I will say that the most valuable portion of this book was likely insurance and speaking about the various types and necessity. However, that was also the most dry portion of the book. Most personal finance may cover insurance, but I think that most people, including myself, glaze over at the concept, leading it to be under-appreciated and under-learned. I think any of the more complex topics (eg. real estate investing, college payments, insurance) could have been a whole book or course within itself, so I do think that the author did a strong job for these very large subjects. Smaller and simpler topics such as budgeting and credit cards were covered adequately. The one criticism or critique I would have when it comes to this book would be when it comes to career planning, as this book does not mention that. Of course, that could be interpreted and spoken about at length, but I think prudent career planning is a driver to be able to use all of these concepts and that one's income is likely the most valuable asset over a working lifetime. Therefore, there should be some talk about it. Last notes are that Tyson is very objective, which is wonderful in an industry that is fraught with misinformation and salesman and honest about certain situations (eg. avoiding a consumer lifestyle, etc.) Overall, a strong book and a good recommendation for all ages.

I got this book on the recommendation of a financial adviser at work. He said he made all his new hires read this book before starting. I hope anyone starting a finance job would already understand everything in this book because a large part of it even I was already familiar with.

The first two parts are the real "for dummies" parts. The topics include determining your financial net worth, establishing goals, dealing with debt, and setting a budget. I actually took a long break from the book after finishing these parts as they were so basic I felt I was wasting my time reading the book. I already track my finances on a weekly basis and have analyzed my spending and budget several times.

The third part is the most worthwhile for someone like me. The author explains different types of investments: bonds, stocks, mutual funds, 401(k)s, IRAs, real estate, etc. While I didn't actually learn anything groundbreaking it certainly made me more confident in my understanding of these topics. By the end of the section, though, I had learned that I can do pretty much all the investing I need by simply contributing to my 401(k). The author even mentions many times to maximize such tax-free options before anything else.

I skipped the fourth part about insurance. I have no interest in shopping around for my own insurance so I simply examine and select one of the plans offered by my employer. If I was a small business owner, a contractor, or otherwise self-employed I'm sure this section would be much more important and useful.

I also skipped the fifth part about further resources such as financial advisers, software, and books. My investment strategy after the third part is so simple I have no need for any of these.

Overall the book was worth the price I paid for it on Amazon. It was the first "for dummies" book I ever read so I was not aware how truly basic the information can be. I did not learn much new stuff but I am more confident in the stuff I know now.