How to Be a Financial Grownup: Proven Advice from High Achievers on How to Live Your Dreams and Have Financial Freedom

by Bobbi Rebell

Bobbi Rebell, award-winning TV anchor and personal finance columnist at Thomson Reuters, taps into her exclusive network of business leaders to share with you stories of the financial lessons they learned early in their lives that helped them become successful. She then uses these stories as jumping off points to offer specific, actionable advice on how you can become a financial grownup just like them.

Financial role models such as Author Tony Robbins, Entrepreneur Ivanka Trump, Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary, Mad Money's Jim Cramer, Designer Cynthia Rowley, Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren, Zillow's CEO Spencer Rascoff, PwC's CEO Bob Moritz, and twenty others share their stories with you.

The book walks you through some of the biggest money decisions you'll make regarding real estate, investing, debt management, careers, friends and money, family finances, and even health and wellness. You're guided by proven examples and given the information you need to make choices that are right for you.

How to Be a Financial Grownup will especially appeal to you if you're interested in new ideas to better manage your finances, especially if you're going through life changes where you have to pay more attention to your financial well-being.

Genres: Finance, Personal Finance, Business, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Money

232 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2016

About the author

Bobbi Rebell, CFP® is the author of Launching Financial Grownups: Live Your Richest Life by Helping Your (Almost) Adult Kids Become Everyday Money Smart. She is a speaker, conference host, and moderator, and works as a spokesperson for brands aligned with her values. Bobbi is also the host of the critically acclaimed Money Tips for Financial Grownups podcast, which has more than 700,000 downloads. In 2021 she launched a new venture, GrownupGear.com as a fun way to promote adulting and being a financial grownup. Earlier in her career Bobbi was a global business news anchor and personal finance columnist at Reuters and held various journalist positions at top news outlets including CNBC, CNN and PBS. Bobbi is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and received her Certificate in Financial Planning from New York University. Her first book “How to be a Financial Grownup: Proven Advice from High Achievers on How to Live Your Dreams and Have Financial Freedom” was released in 2016. She lives in New York City with her family.

Reviews

[Charmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. ASK:
- Find someone you admire and talk to them about themselves.
- Most people enjoy sharing their experiences.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY:
- You must be responsible for your own financial planning.

3. SAY YES:
- When someone offers to do something for you, say yes, and get to work.

4. MARRIAGE:
- By merging your finances when you get hitched, you lose financial freedom.

5. START EARLY:
- Each dollar you save for the future in your 20s is nearly five times as valuable as one you save later on.
- Saving early helps you recognize the value of a dollar at an early age and, ultimately, leads you on the right path to making smarter decisions down the road.

6. FEES
- Every 1% more in fees takes away 10 years of future retirement income.
- Index fund options within your company’s plan, which often have the lowest fees. Index funds are almost universally great deals for investors.

7. CAREER ABSENCE:
- Leaving the workforce for years is not a good financial move.

8. SMART INVESTORS:
- Smart investors will be strategic and make deliberate, well-thought-out decisions.

9. BUY IN:
- Always send to the VIP, the decision-maker, and the team. Most people don’t.
- Getting the team on your side is not only a smart move in the short term, it also creates a base at that company even if your main point of contact moves on to another job.
- It’s also a nice thing to do and makes people feel happy and appreciated.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick review for a quick read. I actually liked most of the advice in this personal finance/productivity/self-help book, though it ranged widely in terms of the quality of the information given. Bobbi Rebell compiles a number of perspectives from successful personalities (entertainment, business, etc.) to reflect on their "financial grownup moment" - the moment when they started taking steps towards building towards their financial goals and freedom. After each reflection, Rebell expounds upon a topic relating to a pertinent financial topic. Such topics range from credit cards, student loans, 401Ks/IRAs to giving to charities and having to make financial decisions in social situations. It seems like it was quite the personal, passion project for Rebell contacting the people she selected in this compilation (by email, phone, various mediums) and she notes this in the beginning of the book before delving into the various topics of the book. I honestly thought some of the inclusions were really powerful, but others just felt like the responses were dashed off and it was hard to glean what the true lesson was because it felt like it came from a privileged place rather than one of struggle and a true awakening for realizing the importance of one's financial goals and progressions. This book also had financial conversation topics that had useful overviews, but others dragged on for far too long and felt oddly specific for what could be situations with multiple factors (such as buying drinks).

I don't know if I would return to this book personally, because I think it really didn't give me more than an overview, but if an overview from real-world success stories is something you're looking for, it may be worth checking into this as a resource from the library. It was a well-narrated audiobook and it did touch on things that I found to be helpful. I just didn't feel like it dug as deeply as I would've liked into certain topics, while spending a bit more time on others that really didn't need the focus.

Overall rating: 2.5/5 stars.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single young adult who is graduating from college this year should be given this book!
Bobbi explains it all---from how to buy a car, to different retirement plans, to developing credit, to buying a house.

Please read this book if you have never taken the time to understand finances and their impact on your life. The vignettes are wonderful and easy to understand.
Great information!

[Lianabaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Likes the mix of personal stories and practical advice from highly successful people including the author. Breezy read but will make you think of your own financial decisions. disclaimer: I work with Bobbi

[Kimrudnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this book and felt it had a lot of good information. Some of the chapters, I already knew the information, but it was still interesting to hear the stories of how people have achieved things in their life and learn from that. The book was packed with information that I'm sure I would have to go back and listen again, as it was a lot to take in. I would definitely recommend this book for someone trying to become more financially savvy.

[Rachel Leibman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overly simplified writing style with random tidbits of important financial advice strewn between lots of disjointed, random advice on how to act like an adult. The book concept is a solid one, but I found it better suited to someone younger (or more irresponsible) than myself.

[E M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved. Great guide for novice and pros alike.

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

short stories of financial learning and tips.

[Melissa Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Bobbi - your book provides inspiring advice and also very practical tips that will help my three girls as they move from high school to college and eventually into the working world. A must-read for young women to help them achieve financial confidence and independence.

[Chelsey Cosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everybody grows up in different ways and at different moments. Hearing those moments of realization from different successful people, from Tony Robbins to Kevin O’Leary, from Ivanka Trump to Drew Barrymore, can provide invaluable insight that can illuminate paths in your own life. However, there is a great deal of no-duh info here. As interesting as it was to hear individual stories, those epiphanies didn't provide me with new information, new lessons learned, not like I'd hoped. Perhaps I've read one too many finance books. Maybe it's my own fault, but How To Be A Financial Grown-Up didn't offer me a single revelation. I wouldn't recommend it.

[Samantha A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book, but I was hoping for more tangible tips - the vast majority of the advice given is pretty idiot proof, and I wanted something a bit deeper.

[Vader · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

[Mandi Zucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some very good, concrete advise to really help make good financial decisions. Kept me reading!!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone looking for clear and concise advice on managing personal finances. In addition to engaging celebrity anecdotes,there is a lesson here for everyone, whether you're single, married, just starting in your career, or well established. I especially enjoyed the part about getting organized!