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Financially Fearless: The LearnVest Program for Taking Control of Your Money
Finally, a financial plan that lets you be YOU, only richer. It’s time to throw away all your old notions of what financial advice should look like. Because if you’re looking for a book to put you on an austerity savings plan that has you giving up vacations and lattes, you’re out of luck. But if you’re looking to get your finances in rock-hard shape--in less time than it takes to finish a workout--then Alexa von Tobel, Founder and CEO of LearnVest, has your back.How? Through the LearnVest Program. First, you’ll take stock of where you stand today. Then, you’ll create your customized 50/20/30 plan. 50/20/30 simply refers to the percentage breakdown of how to spend your take-home pay each month. The 50 gets the essentials out of the way so you don't have to stress about them. The 20 sets your foundation for the future, then the 30 is left to spend on the things that bring happiness to your life.By the time you’re finished reading this book, you’ll walk away with a financial game plan tailored to your priorities, your hopes and dreams, and your lifestyle. And, because von Tobel and the team at LearnVest are experts at financial planning in the online era, you’ll also learn how to integrate your financial plan into your mobile, social, digital life. Like your own personal financial planner between two covers, this book will set you up for a secure, worry-free money future, without having to give up things you love.So toss those old-school financial guides out the window, and get ready to start living your richest life.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
133 people are currently reading
1301 people want to read
About the author
Alexa Von Tobel
8 books29 followersAlexa von Tobel is the founder and CEO of LearnVest.com, a personal finance website, and the founder and Managing Partner of Inspired Capital.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 10, 2016
I read the LearnVest blog, so I decided to check out the founder's book to see if I could learn anything. The book is great for someone who doesn't really understand his/her finances whatsoever. For someone who does, I didn't feel I learned much. I also felt like this book was geared towards people who are not married and/or don't have children.
Another issue I had was that the 50/30/20 plan is very unrealistic for someone who has children and lives in an expensive area like the DC area. I looked online, and I read one of their blogs. They use the example of a couple who makes 150K, and only pays a mortgage of $1200/month. Also, another example had a family of four only paying $400/month for groceries. This doesn't work for the majority of people in this country. It also listed day care as a lifestyle choice. A lifestyle choice? Yes, I wish I didn't have to pay child care when the kids were too young to stay home alone, but I wouldn't consider that a lifestyle choice.
As someone else said in his review, I felt like the book was a sales pitch for LearnVest. We get that she is the founder of the book, and she is writing the book to get new customers. However, there are plenty of other authors who are trying to do the same, and they are not so blatant about it. It turned me a bit off.
Other than that, the book had great advice that could help a twentysomething who doesn't have a clue about finances. For someone who has read tons of personal finance books, has a good grasp of her own, lives in an expensive area, and has children, the book was definitely not for me.
Another issue I had was that the 50/30/20 plan is very unrealistic for someone who has children and lives in an expensive area like the DC area. I looked online, and I read one of their blogs. They use the example of a couple who makes 150K, and only pays a mortgage of $1200/month. Also, another example had a family of four only paying $400/month for groceries. This doesn't work for the majority of people in this country. It also listed day care as a lifestyle choice. A lifestyle choice? Yes, I wish I didn't have to pay child care when the kids were too young to stay home alone, but I wouldn't consider that a lifestyle choice.
As someone else said in his review, I felt like the book was a sales pitch for LearnVest. We get that she is the founder of the book, and she is writing the book to get new customers. However, there are plenty of other authors who are trying to do the same, and they are not so blatant about it. It turned me a bit off.
Other than that, the book had great advice that could help a twentysomething who doesn't have a clue about finances. For someone who has read tons of personal finance books, has a good grasp of her own, lives in an expensive area, and has children, the book was definitely not for me.
February 5, 2014
This is a pretty basic book. Some of the information is on point. Other parts way off. The author has a good financial background but the book appears to be mostly based on her personal life experience. As a result she can't relate to entire portions of society and gives no advice for them outside of saying she can help them too.
Some of the information is actually inaccurate. I haven't held a credit card in ten years and have no problem getting a hotel room or renting a car when I travel. in the past two years, prof that I flew in not only got me reduced rates but also resulting in waiving any deposit.
I do like the cost per happy concept so the book isn't a total loss. This is a definitive way of measuring how happy something makes you so you can make better decisions about what you want to spend your expendable money on.
I personally got nothing from this book and i'll go out on a limb and say I don't want my kids reading it for guidance.
Some of the information is actually inaccurate. I haven't held a credit card in ten years and have no problem getting a hotel room or renting a car when I travel. in the past two years, prof that I flew in not only got me reduced rates but also resulting in waiving any deposit.
I do like the cost per happy concept so the book isn't a total loss. This is a definitive way of measuring how happy something makes you so you can make better decisions about what you want to spend your expendable money on.
I personally got nothing from this book and i'll go out on a limb and say I don't want my kids reading it for guidance.
October 19, 2013
I received an advanced copy of this book and thought von Tobel did a very nice job completely covering the essential components of personal financial literacy. Having read several financial planning books by folks like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman, I thought this one was every bit as good as what they offered.
Because I'm a bit older and more established, some of the info felt a bit elementary. However, I think this would have been extremely valuable as a senior in college or as a recent graduate.
Would this be an appropriate FYE book? Probably not. In my opinion, first year students are just not at a place where this info would sink in.
My only complaint with this book (and it is a small one) is that I don't like when authors use their books to promote their business. I recognize her personal mission is to help all become financially literate, but it just read a bit too much like a commercial for LearnVest.
Because I'm a bit older and more established, some of the info felt a bit elementary. However, I think this would have been extremely valuable as a senior in college or as a recent graduate.
Would this be an appropriate FYE book? Probably not. In my opinion, first year students are just not at a place where this info would sink in.
My only complaint with this book (and it is a small one) is that I don't like when authors use their books to promote their business. I recognize her personal mission is to help all become financially literate, but it just read a bit too much like a commercial for LearnVest.
January 21, 2014
Arguably the best personal finance book I've ever read, and I've read my fair share (though I do not own up to it here on Goodreads because then I would be publicly admitting that I'm broke). Von Tobel breaks down every aspect of personal finances in a way that absolutely anyone can understand. The best part is that she skips all the obvious rubbish (no "Stop buying coffee and cancel your cable" here, but she does explore how much those seemingly small expenses can add up to) and gets to things that actually need clarification, like insurance. I mean, I have an MBA in finance and didn't fully understand insurance options until I read this book. It's definitely a life -- and game -- changer.
November 23, 2020
This is excellent! In addition to typical and expected financial advice, Alexa Von Tobel encourages normalizing talking about finance with friends and family. Education is the key to success when it comes to “investing in your richest life.” She’s adamant that financial planning is a human right. Finally, I loved the “cost per happy” calculation when deciding if something you bought was worth it!
February 20, 2014
Financially Fearless was easy and enjoyable to read (how many times can you say that about a book on money?!) and covered a wide range of personal finance topics in an organized manner. Even though I have pretty secure finances, I lacked confidence that I was doing everything I could/should to maximize them. After reading FF, I feel more confident that I'm doing the right thing.
That said, a lot of the information is pretty basic: why you should pay down debt and how to do it; what is a credit score and how to improve yours; how to make a reasonable household budget. For someone who is just starting out (say in their 20s and on their own) or who's made some financial mistakes, this book would be super useful and encouraging -- "a judgment-free zone." Or even if you, like me, just lack confidence.
Some things that I was not expecting and that I don't think would be in just any book on finances were more personal than practical. She talks a bit at the beginning about different money ideas and how your money opinions develop (hint: childhood!) and helps you figure out what you think about money and finances. Later, in the section on "lifestyle" (the 30% of your budget you can spend on whatever you want), she talks about "cost per 'happy'" and some interesting concepts to help you prioritize getting the most bang for your disposable buck.
If you're looking for specific advice on insurance or investments, however, this is not the place for you. (A book may not be at all.) Unlike other reviewers, I didn't feel like the book was "just an ad for LearnVest" [the author's company]. Obviously she talks about it; the subtitle, after all, is "The LearnVest Program for Taking Control of Your Money." I think if you're in need of basic to moderate financial advice you'll learn a lot from the book even if you never talk to a financial planner. One thing other reviewers mention that I do agree with is that she hasn't had kids and it kind-of shows; but they therefore say that the 50/20/30 plan is unrealistic and I think that shows they kind-of missed the point of the book.
So, a good book to check out from the library and skim to see if you want to invest more deeply.
That said, a lot of the information is pretty basic: why you should pay down debt and how to do it; what is a credit score and how to improve yours; how to make a reasonable household budget. For someone who is just starting out (say in their 20s and on their own) or who's made some financial mistakes, this book would be super useful and encouraging -- "a judgment-free zone." Or even if you, like me, just lack confidence.
Some things that I was not expecting and that I don't think would be in just any book on finances were more personal than practical. She talks a bit at the beginning about different money ideas and how your money opinions develop (hint: childhood!) and helps you figure out what you think about money and finances. Later, in the section on "lifestyle" (the 30% of your budget you can spend on whatever you want), she talks about "cost per 'happy'" and some interesting concepts to help you prioritize getting the most bang for your disposable buck.
If you're looking for specific advice on insurance or investments, however, this is not the place for you. (A book may not be at all.) Unlike other reviewers, I didn't feel like the book was "just an ad for LearnVest" [the author's company]. Obviously she talks about it; the subtitle, after all, is "The LearnVest Program for Taking Control of Your Money." I think if you're in need of basic to moderate financial advice you'll learn a lot from the book even if you never talk to a financial planner. One thing other reviewers mention that I do agree with is that she hasn't had kids and it kind-of shows; but they therefore say that the 50/20/30 plan is unrealistic and I think that shows they kind-of missed the point of the book.
So, a good book to check out from the library and skim to see if you want to invest more deeply.
January 25, 2014
von Tobel presents a solid, common sense approach to personal finance. A good reference with some simple exercises to see where you are bleeding money. Some of the advice is specific to the US, but much of the advice is universal making it worth the investment. Be aware that the $50 credit towards the LearnVest service will NOT cover the full price and prices are in US dollars. Fortunately my bank offers free appointments with a financial planner so I won't be using the professional advice service from LearnVest, but there's plenty of good advice free on their web page if you want to take a look before you get the book.
The best piece of advice in the book is to talk openly about money, especially with your kids. Teaching them to manage money early can make all the difference later. And let your friends and family know you are restructuring your finances so they understand that any shift in your lifestyle is a positive thing and they can be supportive.
The best piece of advice in the book is to talk openly about money, especially with your kids. Teaching them to manage money early can make all the difference later. And let your friends and family know you are restructuring your finances so they understand that any shift in your lifestyle is a positive thing and they can be supportive.
September 12, 2013
Suze Orman has competition. Financially Fearless is readable and informative. Interspersed with real life examples of financial challenges, the text presents practical solutions for young people just starting out and for older people who need to get their finances organized. Ms Von Tobel presents a very reasonable 50:30:20 basic financial game plan. 50% of take home pay pays basic fixed costs: 20% is devoted to retirement or future investments : 30% is flexible spending money. Her advice about student loans and priority spending is sound. I learned some good tips about when to use a credit card and when to use a debit card. THis book will certainly be a major hit.
November 7, 2014
Suze Orman's stuff is much more detailed and comprehensive, Ramit Sethi's more accessible. However, Alexa provides additional detailed points for a beginner delving into personal finance that is still useful. You won't find depth as you would with Orman's material regarding expense ratios and index funds, and I wouldn't recommend this book for people with more complex financial situations, but for the average layman, it will do just fine.
December 22, 2019
I actually really liked this book. She kept things accessible while not infantilizing the audience. I liked her focus on freedom and personal choice rather than fear. Pretty good book for getting a grasp on the basics.
September 10, 2018
aka how to be an adult. It's a super useful book for figuring out your finances, but goes beyond budgeting -- what about life insurance? Long term disability? Getting a will? Some people's parents did a good job at this but things have also changed since their generation was where we are. How many people's parents had crushing student loan debt, for starters? Luckily, not everything in the book was necessary for me (such as the student loans chapter) but in general, this is a great book for getting your financial house in order. There are a lot of checklists, so a paper copy would be more useful than an audiobook. Also, note that the company the author founded, Learnvest, is currently offline for re-tooling...not exactly sure what that means and I don't think it's a sign that the author's advice is bad, just be forewarned that some of the links she mentions no longer work.
October 15, 2017
Got this as a gift to learn a little more about individual finances. The information is pretty much the basics and for that I would suggest this or really any other basic finances book to help get you on the road to saving/spending well. It was nice getting a "professional" opinion on day-to-day finances so that you can gauge your own behavior against it, but a lot of these are guidelines from which you can adjust to fit your own circumstances. Unfortunately, the information stops at the very basics and I personally found it mostly obvious. The one major drawback is that you buy this book and it spends a significant amount of time acting as a commercial for signing up for paid financial services on her website. That aspect makes the books motives seem contradictory.
February 24, 2020
For me personally, I didn't learn much from this book. I learned the most in the last 1/5 of the audiobook. I learned a few terms I was not aware of "TOD and POD" and learned a couple things about what does and does not go into probate. I have dealt with plenty of family death, but nobody had assets to go through probate, so I haven't dealt with that so far.
I would recommend this book for people who have less experience with financial education books, either academic or the self-help type. Those people who have already read a few of those probably won't learn much from it, but it has something to offer for everyone else.
I would recommend this book for people who have less experience with financial education books, either academic or the self-help type. Those people who have already read a few of those probably won't learn much from it, but it has something to offer for everyone else.
December 30, 2017
Straight forward guide to Money
This book is a how to guide to your money. It written in plain English and doesn’t use unnecessary financial terms. If don’t know how to budget this book is the best guide to the 50/20/30 budget that I’ve read. There is an significant element of Learnvest infomercial to the book. However, I think the information provided is solid and if you don’t know what to do with your money this is a good resource to set you on your way.
This book is a how to guide to your money. It written in plain English and doesn’t use unnecessary financial terms. If don’t know how to budget this book is the best guide to the 50/20/30 budget that I’ve read. There is an significant element of Learnvest infomercial to the book. However, I think the information provided is solid and if you don’t know what to do with your money this is a good resource to set you on your way.
April 27, 2020
Overall this book was very informational for me, and laid out nicely a framework for keeping track of finances. I learned some important things, and never felt overwhelmed by the information presented. The only thing I didn't love was the "tone" of the book with many exclamation points and it felt almost preppy for lack of a better word? I felt like I was being cheerleaded to when I didn't need it, but I did appreciate the "you/anyone can handle this" message of the book.
August 23, 2017
I loved this book. I think Alexa had a lot of great information as to how to budget your money and I love that she had examples and charts for us to use to get started. The book was easy to read and it gives you an idea as to where you can improve. I've read a lot of financial help books and I really liked the way this author explained her methods.
Read
October 31, 2025This book has been on my physical TBR the longest. I'm glad I finally got around to it and can check it off my list. overall it feels like the same generic financial advice. a few good takeaways that I'm grateful for.
November 6, 2017
Listened to this book on audiobook. One of the best one if you are looking to get inputs on managing your personal finance. A simple one to get started.
November 16, 2017
Nothing mind-blowing
October 5, 2018
Good solid comprehensive financial advice even though the book is 5 years old. I especially like the 50/30/20 rule and the idea of cost per happy.
January 24, 2020
I wish schools would go through this book with young people!!
March 16, 2020
Informative, easy to read book with great advice for all areas of financial life. I love that it includes the emotional and social sides of finances, as well.
July 14, 2022
read/skimmed it
July 22, 2022
So superficial it is useless
July 10, 2025
Comprehensive and practical, even if the references may be a little dated. Also a clear commercial for their online program.
January 5, 2020
A good basic book for someone just getting to personal finance. Lots of short few page sections that you can jump around to to learn the basics on debts, investments, and budgets. I like her explanation of the 50/20/30 rule which I think would serve many people well. I’d recommend this book to someone looking to learn about personal finance.
March 22, 2017
good practical advice on saving for retirement with interesting exercises on why we have certain mindsets about money
March 10, 2015
Financial planning shouldn't be a luxury. According to the American Payroll Association more than two thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and 3 in 10 making $100K per year do so. Alexa gave short shrift to the CFP designation and should have explained it as more than a 2 day 10 hour test. I am not sure why Alexa labels people as different types? I find that it is difficult to change who someone really is and do not think that the labeling was beneficial. This book seemed like it was for a younger target audience than me. I agree wholeheartedly that it is very important to regularly calculate your net worth (I do mine every month). I did not agree as to why one should put homeowners insurance on mortgage payments by "impounding" when your insurance company can also do so? I really like the idea of using a budget plan for all utilities. In shopping, Alexa should have recommended extrapolating the unit price to cost per ounce or some other measure. I think that the 20% of take home pay number for the future ignores pre-tax deductions like for a 401k. To me, the 70% retirement salary seems high as your mortgage should be paid off and you do not have the 20% for the future to worry about anymore. I totally agree that retirement is the top financial priority. When reading this book on the Kindle, some of the charts were impossible to read. I like the idea of bonuses going into your freedom (emergency) fund which I will try to do. Selling unwanted / unused items and putting any cash back rewards into the fund is something that I already do. I maximize cash back and will use the card that has the best percentage which is Bank of America at 2.25% for me right now. I also make sure that I sign up for the 5% categories that other cards offer on a rotating basis. Paying credit cards with balances twice a month to reduce interest, this was a new concept for me. Alexa’s home buying advice did not include avoiding PMI which I think is a huge waste - mentioned later but missed that can get rid of with a new appraisal. I thought that this was a weird example, if you are buying a house and have a huge sum like $500K in one account; my thought was that you do not need this book. I wish I had heard about a roof warranty when I bought my house. In choosing a brokerage, I would add – do they automatically reinvest dividends? I thought that her "fearless tips" offered very practical advice. Overall, I feel like that Alexa skims the surface and does not cover subjects in-depth because the LearnVest folks are waiting to help and the book feels like one long advertisement for their services.
July 10, 2015
She is right about "making decisions" financially even if we don't realize it; and some are winging it. I have read and watched past videos on Susan Orman but some of the thing I did or tried didn't benefit me even thought it sounded good. I will see how this one helps.
For me, in the beginning, I kept hearing about "LearnVest" and constantly selling her program was frustrating and quite annoying. I said if I hear about it one more time I am ditching this audiobook since I have so many other reads to do. I was going to fast forward those 15 seconds until I got to the gist of it. Finally in step 1, I started hearing more about money; concerning beliefs, financial actions, plans, and how does it make you feel. I had to think about the "value of money" but never really considered it. I just pay bills, make money to do just that and spend and save very minimal, and try to bless others with it. So will have to think about $ a bit more but one day we will not use MONEY but a chip instead.
I thought I finally got my budget down to a science: 70 (bills), 10% save, 10% spend, 10% title (70/30 split 3 ways by 10%). Now listening to her audiobook on 50/20/30 but unsure where tithing goes in this one. I presume it would be in the 30 (spend). 20 savings sounds better. But 50 towards all bills seems daunting, but maybe I see what I should make per month and re-calculate to see this breakdown to see if it works with current bills which is minimal since living with a relative. I have already eliminated unnecessary bills years ago, and no more credit cards since 2010.
Okay read, 2.5
Leisure read 2015
For me, in the beginning, I kept hearing about "LearnVest" and constantly selling her program was frustrating and quite annoying. I said if I hear about it one more time I am ditching this audiobook since I have so many other reads to do. I was going to fast forward those 15 seconds until I got to the gist of it. Finally in step 1, I started hearing more about money; concerning beliefs, financial actions, plans, and how does it make you feel. I had to think about the "value of money" but never really considered it. I just pay bills, make money to do just that and spend and save very minimal, and try to bless others with it. So will have to think about $ a bit more but one day we will not use MONEY but a chip instead.
I thought I finally got my budget down to a science: 70 (bills), 10% save, 10% spend, 10% title (70/30 split 3 ways by 10%). Now listening to her audiobook on 50/20/30 but unsure where tithing goes in this one. I presume it would be in the 30 (spend). 20 savings sounds better. But 50 towards all bills seems daunting, but maybe I see what I should make per month and re-calculate to see this breakdown to see if it works with current bills which is minimal since living with a relative. I have already eliminated unnecessary bills years ago, and no more credit cards since 2010.
Okay read, 2.5
Leisure read 2015
April 30, 2015
I got this book through my local library.
I found the layout very organized and easy to use. I was able to easily jump to the sections I was interested in and skip or skim the sections that clearly didn't apply to me. The author doesn't waste time with unnecessary frills but tries to get down to brass tacks as quickly and efficiently as possible. I appreciated that.
I did use many of the suggestions and spent some time thinking about how to adapt some of the strategies to my specific situation. For that purpose, it did a pretty good job overall of providing me with the useful language to discuss these financial processes in my own life.
I think this book is geared towards people with at least moderate amounts of privilege. It's also specifically geared towards people who live in the United States. The author does take into account a few difficulties specific to people of lower incomes, but the language used doesn't generally recognize the daily reality of most very poor Americans; perhaps because many of those realities don't have neat financial management solutions and are instead caused by a systemic inequality that many people don't have control over.
I found the layout very organized and easy to use. I was able to easily jump to the sections I was interested in and skip or skim the sections that clearly didn't apply to me. The author doesn't waste time with unnecessary frills but tries to get down to brass tacks as quickly and efficiently as possible. I appreciated that.
I did use many of the suggestions and spent some time thinking about how to adapt some of the strategies to my specific situation. For that purpose, it did a pretty good job overall of providing me with the useful language to discuss these financial processes in my own life.
I think this book is geared towards people with at least moderate amounts of privilege. It's also specifically geared towards people who live in the United States. The author does take into account a few difficulties specific to people of lower incomes, but the language used doesn't generally recognize the daily reality of most very poor Americans; perhaps because many of those realities don't have neat financial management solutions and are instead caused by a systemic inequality that many people don't have control over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews