The path to personal finance super-stardom
Jenn and I have been putting together a financial plan over the past few months and, in doing so, have found a handful of great resources on the subject of personal finance. We even went so far as to read “Smart Couples Finish Rich” by David Bach to each other during the evenings and on weekends in order to establish some common ground in our approach to money. While there are still a few disagreements on the details, the big picture is solid and should let us retire from our working lives sometime in the distant future (along with achieving some other major goals that require greenbacks).
The Book
Smart Couples Finish Rich, by David Bach (2002)
This book is broken down into nine “steps” that David thinks all couples should follow in creating a financial plan to “finish rich”. From identifying the role of money in your life to setting up the various savings “baskets” (retirement, security, and dream), these steps ask you to commit yourself now to the type of life you want to have in the future. In some cases, you’re asked to participate in the activities that David - a financial planner by day - goes through with his clients. It’s these activities that are most useful in getting the ball rolling if it’s not already.
The book is a little old at this point, so I’d recommend his latest version, “Start Late, Finish Rich”, which was published in 2007. From other reviews on the web, each of the books in the “Finish Rich” series contain basically the same information, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the title unless your still in your 20s.
Personal Finance Sites
Notes:
- At Morningstar, check out the free “Investing Classrom” courses
- David Bach and Ben Stein are regular contributors to Yahoo! Finance
- 529 plans can be used for post-graduate education expenses, too.
Personal Finance Blogs