About the Book
When it comes to personal finance, the rules may have changed, but the time-tested principles of sound personal financial management haven't. Those starting out on their paths to financial security just need to learn them better and apply them earlier than ever before - ideally, right from the start.
Previous generations have had some help in achieving financial security that young people can't count on today: generous employer pensions, steady housing price increases, and a well-funded Social Security program, to name a few. In short, the old "muddle through" approach won't cut it anymore - not even close. A steady income is still a must, but parlaying this into long-term financial security is now an entirely different proposition than ever before. The institutions of the past can no longer be relied upon to handle the process; each person now needs to manage the long-term financial planning and decision making on their own.
Fortunately, though, anyone just starting out can still achieve a very strong financial future from almost any income level - but only by doing the right things to make it happen. Those things aren't particularly hard to understand or to do, but it is important to do them right, to do them consistently, and to do them in the right order. Most importantly, if you get an early start, the risks are minimal and the payoff is substantial. But each year that passes, the risks go up and the payoff goes down. If you have just started out in your financial life, or if you are just about to, and you want a complete and practical education in the fundamentals of personal finance for a secure future, then this book is for you. Chris Smith guides readers through the basics of saving, investing, and financial planning in language that is clear, accessible, and lively, making difficult concepts understandable to the novice, and enjoyable to those who already have some understanding. He shows readers how to apply this knowledge, and to avoid the most common pitfalls, to insure the best possible outcome for long-term financial security.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Introduction
Part One: The Essential Concepts
The Truly Amazing Power of...
Your Financial Health
The Big Picture
The Ultimate Acceleration Strategy
Part Two: Building Your Foundation
Budgeting
Case Study: Billy Bigshot
Your Cash Bucket
Borrowing, Credit and Lending
Taxes, Risk Management and Insurance
Part Three: Big Ticket Items - Cars and Houses!
Cars
Should You Buy A House?
Buying A House: How the Money Works
Case Study: Mortgageville
Buying A House: Let's Do It!
Part Four: Long-term Investing
Long Term Investing: Introduction
Simple But Not Easy
Your Portfolio
Protecting Your Investments From Taxes
Long-Term Investing: Let's Do It!
Wrapup and Summary
Question and Answer Session
Your Financial Future
Bibliography
About the Author
About the Author :
Chris Smith worked for Hewlett-Packard for 27 years, where he held a number of positions in finance before rising to the level of Vice President of Finance for two of HP's global business units, eventually playing a key role in HP's merger with Compaq. He has taught at Florida A&M's School of Business and Industry, where he was presented with an Outstanding Service Award for bringing real-life business experience into the college classroom. He is based in Seattle, and is the single father of two college-age children.
Link to the book's page.
Review :
A Seattle-based author and father of two college-age children offers the basics of personal finance. Budgeting, borrowing, buying — it's all here "in clear, accessible, and lively language."
Beginners befuddled by the morass of available financial advice need look no further—Smith offers a thorough and straightforward approach to personal finance in this clear guide. Though his target audience is folks in their 20s and 30s, readers in all stages of life will benefit from Smith’s insights. Broken up into four sections, the author covers “The Essential Concepts,” “Building Your Foundation,” “Big-Ticket Items,” and finally, “Long-Term Investing.” In addition to explaining basics like credit scores, mortgages, and compounding interest, Smith—a former VP of finance for two of Hewlett-Packard’s global divisions—also suggests ways to work against one’s natural impulses. People often spend, and then save whatever’s left. Smith, however, encourages readers to “Pay Yourself First” (at least 10% of everything you make), and then spend the remainder. While he admits this is nothing new, his frequent insistence on time-honored wisdom backed up by the numbers makes his reasoning particularly convincing. Though highly accessible, this is still an exhaustive introduction to finance, which doesn’t exactly make for light reading; accordingly, Smith provides useful chapter summaries and a valuable index for readers looking to quickly reference specific information.
Financial security—an impossible dream for young people today? This may be the Age of Economic Anxiety, but Chris Smith explains how making a few good early decisions and sticking to sound principles can put today’s college students on the road to financial success. Required reading for every college student and recent graduate (and for their parents, too).
It isn't easy making financial topics fun to learn, but that's exactly what Chris did for years at HP with his creative approaches and trademark humor. Young adults everywhere: prepare to be entertained and learn how to manage your finances at the same time!
Were I to recommend just one book for a young person just starting his or her financial life, Chris Smith's Securing Your Financial Future would be it. Comprehensive yet lively and easily readable, it covers everything from saving habits to a sound, stone-simple investment strategy; the chapters on the multiple facets of house buying alone are worth the price of the book. It will improve both the peace of mind and bottom lines of its recipients, and it may even make them better people.
Chris Smith's book is a must-read for all those beginning their financial lives. Indeed, this superb book has clear and compelling guidance for financial decision making throughout life.
Young adults today face so many economic pitfalls, including excessive credit card bills, student loans, investing blunders and more. If you're just starting your financial life, or you know someone who is, Securing Your Financial Future can help you or a loved one avoid all those money-draining mistakes that we've all made—and later come to regret. Securing Your Financial Future is truly a life-changing gift for anyone seeking long-term financial security. Best of all, it's chock-full of interesting, sound advice dispensed in a way that makes learning about money matters fun and doable.
The majority of young adults are not taught basic money management either by parents or through school. Consequently, they receive their financial education by attending the School of Hard Knocks. It doesn't have to be that way. Chris Smith's Securing Your Financial Future is the easy to understand and enjoyable primer that shows young adults how to create a strong financial foundation for, as the title says, a secure future.
