The Wall Street Journal. Complete Personal Finance Guidebook

by Jeff D. Opdyke

From America’s most authoritative source: the quintessential primer on understanding and managing your money

Money courses through just about every corner of our lives and has an impact on the way we live today and how we’ll be able to live in the future. Understanding your money, and getting it to work for you, has never been more important than it is today, as more and more of us are called upon to manage every aspect of our financial lives, from managing day-to-day living expenses to planning a college savings fund and, ultimately, retirement. From The Wall Street Journal , the most trusted name in financial and money matters, this indispensable book takes the mystery out of personal finance. Start with the basics, learn how they work, and you’ll become a better steward of your own money, today and in the future. Consider The Wall Street Journal Complete Personal Finance Guidebook your cheat sheet to the finances of your life. This book will help you:

• Understand the nuts and bolts of managing your money: banking, investing, borrowing, insurance, credit cards, taxes, and more

• Establish realistic budgets and savings plans

• Develop an investment strategy that makes sense for you

• Make the right financial decisions about real estate

• Plan for retirement intelligently


Also available—the companion to this guidebook: The Wall Street Journal Personal Finance Workbook , by Jeff D. Opdyke

Get your financial life in order with help from The Wall Street Journal . Look for:

• The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guidebook

• The Wall Street Journal Complete Identity Theft Guidebook

• The Wall Street Journal Complete Real Estate Investing Guidebook

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

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2006

Reviews

[Neechi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old but gold

I would give five stars, but the book is outdated. However, I now understand many financial concepts that have eluded me for years, such as the taxes, mortgage, investing etc.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book needs to be update; however, is a very good book for an entry level tutorial about personal finance. Many things have changed and this book is over 15 years old so some details are no longer valid. If it were current with rules and financial best practices, it would be a 5-star rating. Yet, I would caution giving it to someone unfamiliar with current rules as they may make financial mistakes unknowingly by not having up to date information.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is exactly what it says in the cover. Good overall Personal Finance book. Found the insurance section particularly enlightening (no joke!)

This book is a fast read. My 2020 reading has been slow. Hope to pick up the pace for the rest of the year.

[MADHUKAR DAYAL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old. Outdated. But leaving the numbers given and years referenced, the basic concepts are still applicable and well described. A good starting point for the average Harry entering the personal finance World.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one I would use as a resource when asked about personal finance details I am not as strong on - things such as investing types and tax questions. It is very dry in spots but it shows graphics for specific examples and uses easily-understandable language.

Overall great resource.

[Joel Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wallet-wrenching critique of the saver condition that so many, so easily, turn their eyes from.

[Lloyd Petty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty Basic, but not bad.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

So useful to someone starting out! Helped me get my finances in order.

[Cindi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Information is old

I didn't realize a lot of the reference material was going to be from 2005 when I bought this book. It made me question a lot of the supporting data.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good basic book about finance, it is probably something everyone should read in their early 20s.. I only rated it three stars because it contains pretty basic information. The good news is that it is a real quick read so if the information is too basic for you... you can read through it quickly. It goes over the differences between different saving financial instruments (CD, money market...) and the reason why various accounts are used. It also goes over borrowing, credit cards, mortgages, purchasing a car, good and bad debt, car loans, investing,

The book does covers some key concepts like the rule of 72 (which tells how long it takes money to double at different interest rates) and places of find good interest rates (bankrate.com and www.banx.com).

The book also references some good resources when buying a car (nada.com, kbb.com, and edmund.com).

The copy I got from the library online was really dated. The examples came from 2005. The Kindle version also had some formatting issues.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice primer of the tools necessary to manage your own money. Wish Santa had stuffed this in my stocking about 25 years ago. Need a present for someone who's just graduated from high school or college? Looking for a gift for a newly married couple? Forget the new car, luggage, and the Osterizer: learning how to manage your income while you're still young is a far better present. Sure, they'll think you're a cheapskate when they unwrap this book, but they'll be loving you 30 years down the road.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sort of book we all should read once in awhile--and then follow its advice! For instance, I now know that I need to order all three credit reports, develop and follow a spending plan, and call my credit card companies to have them lower their credit limits for us. The style is very readable--just when one gets bogged down in the content, the author throws in a little humor with a funny example.

[Kirk G. Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is well written and laid out in a manner that is easy to read and follow. Also the author uses everyday common terms to explain the ins and outs of personal finance. The book also covers the majority of issues every person faces in the realm of personal finance. I may check out some of the other books in the series to see if they are as well done. The only criticism I have is it could be updated to reflect the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent primer in explaining the way the financial world works, showing how to make your money work for you, and warning you about pitfalls and common financial mistakes. The material is very accessible; it also includes references to additional resources to pursue under the various topics of the book, from borrowing to investing.

[Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARTIST FRIENDS: read this book. I'm on a campaign to advocate for investing in stocks, learning how to purchase a house and otherwise figuring shit out that the cruel world reserves for those with MBAs. Do yourself a favor and figure this stuff out.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference guide that covers everything--mortgages, insurance, investing, bank accounts... It's a little light on the advice, but there is some in there. Mostly it's meant to help you understand the options, I think.

[Jase Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty basic but complete book on everything involving personal finance. Chapters include banking, insurance, investing, taxes, and retirement.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started my career in investing. Good book for basics of banking, loans, investing and personal planning. Would need something else for more in-depth Wall Street info.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great format for visual types. Super easy to read. Great basic finance content.

[Zahreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent personal finance guidebook - broke everything down and explained each concept in good detail (not too little as to still be confused, and not too much as to be overwhelmed).

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic personal finance reference guide for the financially clueless.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like so many others said, it's a great primer. I read it, and now I'm pretty much filthy stinkin' rich... with KNOWLEDGE!

[Jennifer Vaca]

Great book as an introduction to personal finance and budgeting. A must read to anyone who is just starting out and maybe doesn't grasp the whole picture....which is probably you.

[Bryan Mclellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practically thorough.

[Tyler Barrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was helpful and informative for every aspect of money. If I get into investing, it will be a good re-reading to learn freshen up on the definitions.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good info, and much of it I had already learned along the way. It was good to have some "validation" of my personal practices, but also taught me a few new tips.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of personal finance. I feel a lot more comfortable understanding many concepts (at a high level).

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic understand guide to a broad variety of common topics related to finance.