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Get Ready!: A Step-by-Step Planner for Maintaining Your Financial First Aid Kit

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Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award 2020 Adult Book of the Year

Accidents. Fires. Floods. Hurricanes. Job instability. Unexpected repairs. Now, more than ever, uncertainty is a fact of life. This raises an important question we all too rarely ask in advance: “What happens to the pieces of my financial life if an emergency hits?”

In GET READY!, financial expert and award-winning author Tony Steuer explains how to organize your financial life with a comprehensive, easy-to-follow, step-by-step process. After explaining what exactly each piece of your financial life is—from bonds and bank accounts to CDs and retirement plans—GET READY! expertly guides you through the process of documenting vital information and gathering it in one place to maximize your financial preparedness.

GET READY! covers:

• Implementing the GET READY! system to help organize your financial documents in the way that works best for you
• Assembling documents and knowing which are critical to your financial preparedness and which to toss
• Creating a critical emergency action list, so you can be prepared in the event of an evacuation
• Communicating key components of your financial life to family and heirs, so they’re not left guessing in an emergency and can step right in if something should happen to you
• Setting up your financial dashboard to monitor your overall financial preparedness
• Staying ready with a system that helps you maintain your financial health and preparedness

GET READY! goes beyond other financial organizational systems by demystifying the world of personal finances, explaining how to easily assess your financial situation and identifying issues that need to be addressed so that you can become better educated about your finances and maximize your resources.

As a bonus, all worksheets are available for download through links provided in the book.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2019

13 people are currently reading
4971 people want to read

About the author

Tony Steuer

14 books76 followers
I’m a best-selling author, podcast host, speaker, writer and award-winning financial literacy thought leader.

My goal is to empower people to make smart money choices by providing them with the knowledge, and resources that can have a dramatic impact on their financial lives.  I’m on a mission to change the way we think about money.

My best-selling books, including Get Ready!, Insurance Made Easy and Questions and Answers on Life Insurance have won numerous awards (3 time recipient of the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award among other awards.

I host the Tony Steuer Podcast which features conversations with financial literacy advocates who are changing the conversation on money.

I’m regularly featured in media including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fast Company and other media and has appeared as a guest on shows like ABC’s Seven on Your Side.

And, I served as a long term member of the California Department of Insurance Curriculum Board.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
6,258 reviews80 followers
February 17, 2021
I won this book in a good reads drawing.

A very good book for getting back on your feet after economic reversals, complete with journal entries. Very complete. Recommended.
Profile Image for Laura.
3,205 reviews348 followers
March 11, 2019
I wish I had had a copy of this book several decades ago! At the time I am reading it I am entering my retirement phase (or dreams.) This book is what we should be teaching our children at the beginning of their financial lives. It covers so many topics that most people find difficult to understand or retain their understanding of. Even if you don't learn everything from this book you will learn intelligent questions to ask your own financial advisers.
In an 0versized format, there is room to enter your information directly into this book or to easily make copies and prepare your own Get Ready binder. I appreciated the comparisons made to other kits one prepares for emergency use or prevention. From bank accounts and insurance policies to subscriptions that automatically renew and other aspects of financial life that don't get the regular attention they require, this book covers more than any other I have read.
I think I need additional copies for family members.
Using easily understood language, this book explains what you need to do and why.
The layout and format make sense.
Tony Steuer clearly knows his topic.

Profile Image for Sara.
3,270 reviews46 followers
March 3, 2019
I was just expecting this to be another financial book, but I was really blown away by how thoroughly it covers finances. Here are just some of the topics: Creating a Financial First Aid Kit (emergency contacts, personal papers, contents of wallet, personal information, children, grandkids, pets, and much more); Listing Your Assets (bank accounts, CDS, collectibles, stocks, and more); Organizing your retirement plan; Your home & real estate; compiling your income; organizing your debts, personal loans, living expenses and more; Assembling your insurance portfolio; Estate Planning; Evaluating your financial readiness; and Staying Ready.
This guide was really helpful to me. I recommend it to anyone who is alive and wants to get their finances organized.
Profile Image for J.
94 reviews
March 10, 2019
At over 200 pages, I'm quite certain the author managed to think of everything you could possibly need. There are tips and notes everywhere, all subjects are concisely and simply explained, worksheets are included (but because the layout can make them unnecessarily bulky and some customization may be necessary, the author considerately offers printable versions online), suggested next steps, end of chapter check-ins, a suggested financial review calendar...

It not only helps you create a financial kit, it helps you maintain it and know how to use it.
10 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2019
Superb guide! I've been using it and it's so clear and helpful. I recommend this to anyone who needs to get their financial affairs organized.
19 reviews
November 16, 2019
This book is a book that has all the info you need to get your financial house in order. It is very thorough, and covers everything imaginable in detail including Assets, Debt, Property, Insurance, and Estate Planning. If you want to be prepared for any financial crisis this book will help you do it.
Profile Image for Mona.
294 reviews8 followers
July 19, 2020
I've read a lot of personal finance books and I have so say this one was one of the most helpful!
Profile Image for Cristie Underwood.
2,270 reviews64 followers
kindle
February 12, 2019
Excellent and easy to follow guidance that is explained in an approach that is relatable to anyone that reads this. I will definitely be utilizing tips from this book!
Profile Image for Debbie.
55 reviews
March 15, 2021
This is a terrific financial planner/organizer for those at any age. The explanations in each chapter will be very helpful to those just beginning to save and on their own for the first time. The charts for keeping track of where all of your financial and personal documents along with contact phone numbers should be very helpful to the elderly, especially to one’s families when there is a death in the family. Those same charts and contact phones will also be helpful to folks that live in many areas of the country where they need to evacuate quickly due to fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, etc, this is just the type of kit to keep where it’s easy to grab and go, rather than searching through files for documents. I heartily recommend this book! Thanks so much to Goodreads and to the author, Tony Steuer for a copy of this wonderful book!
97 reviews5 followers
June 5, 2019
This is a very important, useful book. My mom passed away recently and she had already made many financial mistakes that no one could help her with because not even she remembered her account numbers, passwords, etc. This books also helped me to think about the big picture of where I am financially and where I want to be. I will keep the information up to date as best I can in order to make things easier for myself and my children.
Profile Image for Tiffany Moser.
4 reviews6 followers
March 1, 2021
I received the Kindle version of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and I found it super useful. Some of the information was not applicable for me at the current moment yet I'm glad I can go back and reference as needed. The font in the Kindle version is a bit small; however, I don't think the physical copy will have the same issue.
Profile Image for Kade Gulluscio.
975 reviews64 followers
April 8, 2019
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.

Informative. Much more in-depth/detail than ie xpected.
Profile Image for Sharley.
570 reviews8 followers
March 27, 2019
This was not what I was expecting..... it is FAR more in depth and detailed than I had thought possible. Definitely geared towards planning for a crisis / death but organising for the future.
If you are wanting to have a detailed life financial bible this is it, I would imagine this is not a one off and you’re done scenario either. It is a little Americanised which can take a bit of adjustment and getting used too, I’d have preferred it to be edited for my country platform as it is so detailed for financial planning so would have been perfect then.
This really did make me think carefully and strategically about my finances but I’m not sure I have the understanding, patience or enthusiasm to get this done and then kept up to date, I live a basic life with not much money so don’t think it needs any high level detail like this.... may be good for those with more wealth and those within finance and planning, advisory to use, almost like a textbook, example template.
Profile Image for Amy.
302 reviews7 followers
August 24, 2019
This book was extremely helpful for me. I now feel in a much better place about my finances and knowing exactly where I am going, what my target point is, and how I am going to get there. This takes the complicated out of the word "finances!" If you have ever said, "I don't know anything about finances, this book simplifies it for you. Just know this isn't a read in a day book, as you work through the book, it does require real effort, work and thought on your part. Thank you for allowing me to be a reviewer of this book, and I apologize for the delay in getting this review written.
Profile Image for Regina Tula.
54 reviews29 followers
June 26, 2019
There is a lot of great instructions for setting up and preparing your family for later years or when tragedy may arise unexpectedly. I enjoy the layout of this book. I look forward to begin filling in the book for my loved ones so they are equipped to handle my business and personal affairs. My hope is they'll grieve and not worry about things. My husband and I are working on filling in the blanks for them, through the use of this book.
Profile Image for Huong.
158 reviews4 followers
January 17, 2021
This book will benefit anyone, from minimalist, tiny-home owners, to billionaires.
Great short explanations of tax forms, great advice on personal finance management, and document retention. A lot of documents need to be kept for 6 years!! It would be great to have an electronic, fillable copy of the stocks and bonds management sheet because no one put all their eggs in one basket.
Profile Image for Lisa Cobb Sabatini.
851 reviews25 followers
June 22, 2020
I won a copy of Get Ready!: A Step-by-Step Planner for Maintaining Your Financial First Aid Kit by Tony Steuer from Goodreads.

Get Ready!: A Step-by-Step Planner for Maintaining Your Financial First Aid Kit by Tony Steuer is a superb guide for every aspect of a person's financial life from birth to death. The writing and layout of this book is clear, coherent, logical, and succinct, encouraging to anyone who may feel overwhelmed in getting important financial matters organized. Readers do not need to do everything in order to benefit from the workbook. Each reader decides what to document and pursue. As a very conservative investor, I have been inspired to seek out an improved financial return for myself and an elderly relative.
Get Ready! is the perfect gift for newlyweds, individuals planning to retire, and everyone in general. There is plenty in this book to help everyone make better financial decisions.
Profile Image for Kristi Wren.
10 reviews
Read
June 18, 2020
Packed with concise, easy to follow information when it's time to really buckle down and plan out your retirement. AMD And even before then, this resource should always he a go-to for correct and timely information to guide you every step of the way. Everything is verified and right on the money so to speak so that nothing is overlooked as you prepare the most important matters of this long awaited time in one's life. Bravo! Will recommend!
4 reviews9 followers
June 23, 2020
This is a great resource. I wish I had this book years ago before we ended up in bankruptcy. However I do find a lot of the practical tips and advice given are useful now and not stuff I knew. And I do consider myself a fairly financially savvy person. I thought it was comprehensive and easy to understand.
Profile Image for Susan.
70 reviews
September 24, 2020
Get Ready!: A Step-by-Step Planner for Maintaining Your Financial First Aid Kit by Tony Steuer is a great reminder to anticipate and put financials in order. A much needed resource, Get Ready is easy to use with tips and information to be more aware in just what it takes to get things done. #GoodreadsGiveaway
Profile Image for HOPE MICHELLE.
47 reviews2 followers
December 12, 2019
Where was this book 30 years ago when I was just starting out on the journey to adulthood and finances? 😊 A must have when you are starting out in life and just learning about finances and how to prepare for retirement.
Profile Image for Sue.
85 reviews
July 25, 2020
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway; thank you!

This is a very informative book. My daughter, just starting out on her own, has looked through it and feels it'd be extremely helpful to someone in her situation.
Profile Image for Sara Stabile.
14 reviews4 followers
November 10, 2021
This book has really helped me get on track which is exactly what I needed. I’m a single parent so it was great to write all my information down and have it in front of me. I highly recommend this book.
140 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2020
A wonderful book to get your finances in order! This book is a must have!
Profile Image for JB.
2,183 reviews8 followers
February 22, 2020
I don’t like to give spoilers on the books that I read. I believe the blurb on the back is enough for you to decide if you will read the book or not. If you choose to read, enjoy!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
169 reviews36 followers
July 21, 2020
I am not happy with this book.I've tried to figure out how to to read this.it can't be put bigger on my devices.if I could get a hard copy I could review it better and give a recommendation.
Profile Image for Kristina.
7 reviews
August 21, 2022
Fantastic financial prep book. This is a great book for getting a bearing of what kinds of things you need to be financially aware.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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