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Fight For Your Money: How to Stop Getting Ripped Off and Save a Fortune
A war for your money is raging and it is time to fight back! In a book that will forever change how you spend your hard earned money, America’s favorite financial coach, David Bach, shows you how to save thousands of dollars every year by taking on the “corporate machines.” In these times when every dollar counts, big businesses are using dishonest tricks to rip you off, making themselves billions while they keep you living paycheck to paycheck. David Bach knows that until you learn to fight for your money, you will overpay for almost everything you buy. In Fight for Your Money , he gives you the tools to FIGHT BACK and WIN.
Bach shows you how every dollar you spend is really a battle between you and the businesses—and the government—who want to take it as profit. When you know how the system is rigged –the extra points, the hidden fees, the late charges, the unused tax breaks, the escalating rates—you can fight back against the pickpockets and save literally thousands every year—money in your pocket that can help you live your dreams.
Fight for Your Money shows how you are being taken on your cell phone contract, cable bill, car purchase, credit card, life insurance, healthcare, 401(k) plan, airfare, hotel bills, and much more. Bach gives you all the tools you need to fight back, with websites, phone numbers, sample letters and real-life stories of ordinary people who have fought for their money and won.
You’ll learn how
Beat the credit card companies at the games they play that cost you thousands annually in interest and fees
Make your bank accounts work for you with higher yields and lower fees
Save thousands by pre-paying college tuition at TODAY’s prices
Raise your credit score and pay thousands less in mortgage interest
Cut your life insurance premiums in half by making one call
Save hundreds on air travel, hotels, and car rentals—just by being an informed consumer
Avoid huge rip-offs like bank-issued gift cards, medical credit cards, 401(k) debit cards, and sneaky renewals of your cell-phone plan.
David Bach knows that when you are being taken financially, you work harder than you have to, for longer than you need to. This book helps you fight for your money, so you can live your life doing what you really want to do.
Bach shows you how every dollar you spend is really a battle between you and the businesses—and the government—who want to take it as profit. When you know how the system is rigged –the extra points, the hidden fees, the late charges, the unused tax breaks, the escalating rates—you can fight back against the pickpockets and save literally thousands every year—money in your pocket that can help you live your dreams.
Fight for Your Money shows how you are being taken on your cell phone contract, cable bill, car purchase, credit card, life insurance, healthcare, 401(k) plan, airfare, hotel bills, and much more. Bach gives you all the tools you need to fight back, with websites, phone numbers, sample letters and real-life stories of ordinary people who have fought for their money and won.
You’ll learn how
Beat the credit card companies at the games they play that cost you thousands annually in interest and fees
Make your bank accounts work for you with higher yields and lower fees
Save thousands by pre-paying college tuition at TODAY’s prices
Raise your credit score and pay thousands less in mortgage interest
Cut your life insurance premiums in half by making one call
Save hundreds on air travel, hotels, and car rentals—just by being an informed consumer
Avoid huge rip-offs like bank-issued gift cards, medical credit cards, 401(k) debit cards, and sneaky renewals of your cell-phone plan.
David Bach knows that when you are being taken financially, you work harder than you have to, for longer than you need to. This book helps you fight for your money, so you can live your life doing what you really want to do.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
32 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
David Bach
69 books355 followersDavid L. Bach is an American financial author, television personality, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and founder of FinishRich.com. Bach, is best known for his Finish Rich Book Series and Automatic Millionaire Series of motivational financial books under the Finish Rich Brand. He has written 12 books since 1998 with over seven million copies in print.
Eleven of Bach's books have been national bestsellers, including nine consecutive New York Times bestsellers, two of which were consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers (The Automatic Millionaire and Start Late, Finish Rich). Bach has had four of his books Smart Women Finish Rich, Smart Couples Finish Rich, The Automatic Millionaire and The Finish Rich Workbook appear simultaneously on the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and USA Today bestseller lists. Eleven of Bach's books have been published from Random House (Broadway Books).
Bach's first book Smart Women Finish Rich was published in 1998, and appeared on the bestseller lists for a decade. His most recent book Debt Free For Life (2011) was published by Crown Business Books, and appeared simultaneously on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.
Bach has appeared regularly on television dispensing his financial advice since 1994. His first appearance on television took place in San Francisco, on local cable channel BayTV, where he was "The Money Doctor", and answered personal financial questions.
He was a regular contributor to The Today Show, appearing weekly on the Money 911 Segments. He also has contributed to CNN American Morning, CNBC, Fox Business, ABC Good Money, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show over six times, including the shows "How to become an Automatic Millionaire" (2004), "How to become an Automatic Millionaire Couple" (2004) and "Oprah's Debt Diet Series" (2006). Bach has appeared on CBS's The Early Show, NBC's Weekend Today, CNN's Larry King Live, ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly, and ABC's The View.
Bach has written, produced and hosted two public television specials, Smart Women Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire, which aired nationally. Smart Women Finish Rich was produced by Connecticut Public Television (1998) and The Automatic Millionaire by Chicago Public Television (2006). He has hosted two radio shows, Finish Rich with David Bach (Sirius Satellite Radio) and The Finish Rich Minute (Westwood One).
Eleven of Bach's books have been national bestsellers, including nine consecutive New York Times bestsellers, two of which were consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers (The Automatic Millionaire and Start Late, Finish Rich). Bach has had four of his books Smart Women Finish Rich, Smart Couples Finish Rich, The Automatic Millionaire and The Finish Rich Workbook appear simultaneously on the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and USA Today bestseller lists. Eleven of Bach's books have been published from Random House (Broadway Books).
Bach's first book Smart Women Finish Rich was published in 1998, and appeared on the bestseller lists for a decade. His most recent book Debt Free For Life (2011) was published by Crown Business Books, and appeared simultaneously on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.
Bach has appeared regularly on television dispensing his financial advice since 1994. His first appearance on television took place in San Francisco, on local cable channel BayTV, where he was "The Money Doctor", and answered personal financial questions.
He was a regular contributor to The Today Show, appearing weekly on the Money 911 Segments. He also has contributed to CNN American Morning, CNBC, Fox Business, ABC Good Money, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show over six times, including the shows "How to become an Automatic Millionaire" (2004), "How to become an Automatic Millionaire Couple" (2004) and "Oprah's Debt Diet Series" (2006). Bach has appeared on CBS's The Early Show, NBC's Weekend Today, CNN's Larry King Live, ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly, and ABC's The View.
Bach has written, produced and hosted two public television specials, Smart Women Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire, which aired nationally. Smart Women Finish Rich was produced by Connecticut Public Television (1998) and The Automatic Millionaire by Chicago Public Television (2006). He has hosted two radio shows, Finish Rich with David Bach (Sirius Satellite Radio) and The Finish Rich Minute (Westwood One).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 17, 2012
Good if you want money-saving tips for travel, cable, banking, etc. Some of it was new to me, and some didn't apply. Some kindle excerpts:
www.kayak.com, www.hotwire.com, and www.sidestep.com, along with travel sites like Expedía (www.expedia.com), Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), can get you competing rates for any model car, on any date, at any location. Once you've got these in hand, you can contact the rental companies themselves, either through their web sites or by phone, and see if they can do better. Often, they can—and will.Read more at location 1038
Add a note
You can give up to $1 million to anyone you want over the course of your lifetime without having to pay any gift tax—and if you give away less than $12,000 in any one year, it doesn't count toward the $1 million total. (Recipients of a gift don't have to pay taxes on it.)Read more at location 2983
Add a note
College Board's Financial Aid EasyPlanner (http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/...). It can help you work through every phase of college financial planning—from calculating the likely total cost of Junior's four years at Harvard to comparing financial-aid packages to figuring your estimated family contribution (the amount, based on your income and assets, that a college will expect you to pay out of your own pocket each year).Read more at location 3070
Add a note
(www.savingforcollege.com/college-savi...). JustRead more at location 3075
Add a note
The biggest drawback of 529 savings plans is that if the funds are used for some purpose other than qualified education expenses—say, because you saved too much or because your kid decided not to go to college—they will be subject to ordinary income tax and a 10% penalty. Then again, it's easy to move 529 plans from one beneficiary to another.Read more at location 3110
Add a note
only about 10% of the people eligible to contribute to individual retirement accounts actually do so.Read more at location 4865
Add a note
If you've gotten a gift card from a store you don't like, there's a better alternative to throwing it away. You can swap it online for a gift card from a store you do like. Sites such as Swapagift.com, CertificateSwap.com, and CardAvenue.com provide a marketplace where you can trade cards with other dissatisfied recipients, put your card up for sale, or purchase one at a discount.Read more at location 5718
Add a note
According to the Federal Trade Commission, “By law, companies are required to send rebates within the time frame promised, or if no time is specified, within a ‘reasonable’ time,” which the FTC defines as 30 days.Read more at location 5799
Add a note
The IRS suggests using thrift-store or consignment-store prices as a gauge of what your donated item is really worth. eBay is another acceptable source of prices for used goods. You can also find a valuation guide for clothing and many household items on the Salvation Army's web site (www.salvationarmyusa.org).Read more at location 6114
Add a note
Air travel may no longer seem like a bargain, but there are bargains to be had if you shop around. Online travel sites like Expedía (www.expedia.com), Hotwire.com (www.hotwire.com), Kayak (www.kayak.com), Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), Priceline (www.priceline.com), SideStep (www.sidestep. com), and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) can find you airfares for a fraction of the airlines’ own published tariffs. But not all the best bargain-priced carriers, like Southwest and JetBlue, show up on the independent sites, so don't neglect the airlines’ own sites. And comparison sites like Farecast (www.farecast.com) and FareCompare (www.farecompare.com) can offer solid advice not only on where to get the best deals but also on whether prices for your particular destination are trending up or down, so you can figure out whether it's worth your while to book now or wait awhile.Read more at location 6842
Add a note
Don't Buy Tickets in Bunches—Buying One at a Time Can Be Cheaper One of the most maddening things about air travel is that similar seats on the same flights are often sold for wildly different prices. That's because airlines use complicated pricing formulas that calculate the most efficient way to ensure that every seat gets sold. Usually, only a handful of seats are available at the lowest fare. This can be particularly frustrating if you're shopping for several seats all at once—say, because you're traveling with your family. Most likely, there won't be enough cheap seats available to fill your whole order. But instead of selling you as many cheap seats as they have and then charging you more for the rest, most airline reservation systems will simply kick your booking up to the next price level and charge you a higher fare for all your tickets. The way to beat this system is simple: Shop for your tickets one at a time. For example, when I searched for four tickets for a July 2008 trip from Los Angeles to New York, the American Airlines web site quoted me a fare of $619; when I searched for just one, the price for the same flight came up at only $344.Read more at location 6868
Add a note
If you pay for your ticket with cash or a check, you're out of luck in the event something goes wrong with your flight—like, say, the airline goes bankrupt and ceases operations. Buying your ticket with a credit card, on the other hand, protects you, since credit card companies will not force you to pay for a service you did not receive. If something goes wrong with your flight, buying your ticket with a credit card protects you. There is one catch with this. Most credit card companies will cancel a disputed charge only if you file a complaint within 60 days of when it first appeared on your bill. What this means is that if you buy an airline ticket six months in advance and then the carrier goes out of business the day before you're scheduled to take off, you're out of luck. So don't buy airline tickets too far in advance. Reserve them if you have to—but try to avoid paying for them until you reach the 60-day window. If you're concerned about locking in a low fare, check with a web site like Farecast or FareCompare to get an indication of whether fares on the route you're traveling are likely to rise or fall in the near future.Read more at location 6922
Add a note
Book Early—and Then Book Again at the Last Minute Since many hotels offer discounted rates for advance bookings, it's generally a good idea to make your reservation as early as you can. But hotels also sometimes drop their prices at the last minute in an effort to fill vacancies. So you should call again a day or two before your trip to see if you can get an even better rate. In most cases, you'll be able to cancel your original reservation and get yourself a new one at the lower rate without having to pay any kind of penalty.Read more at location 6996
Add a note
Whenever you're planning to stay at a hotel you've never been to before, go online to a traveler-based review site like Boo.com, Gusto.com, lgoUgo.com, or TripAdvisor.com, to see what real travelers who've been there have to say about the place.Read more at location 7014
Add a note
RESORT FEES. Many hotels charge “resort fees” of $15 to $25 a day for facilities such as gyms and tennis courts that you may never use. There's generally no way to avoid them, except to ask, when you make your reservation, whether the daily rate covers everything. Mandatory tipping may also be another “resort fee” that you are unaware of, so ask before you leave tips (otherwise you are double tipping).Read more at location 7045
Add a note
INTERNET CONNECTIONS. Virtually every decent hotel makes a big deal of advertising the availability of broadband Internet connections. But most of them charge you through the nose for it—often as much as $14.95 a day. (You can avoid this charge by using a nearby wireless hotspot. There are a number of online directories—such as www.jiwire.com, www.wififreespot.com, and www.wi-fihotspotlist.com—that can point you to the nearest one.)Read more at location 7059
Add a note
If you're looking for a vacation deal, I recommend doing some comparison searches on the major travel sites, like www.expedia.com, www.Travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, www.sidestep.com, www.Travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, www.sidestep.com, and www.kayak.com. Click on “Vacation Packages” to see what specials are being offered. For last-minute getaways, visit www.lastminute.com.Read more at location 7161
Add a note
www.kayak.com, www.hotwire.com, and www.sidestep.com, along with travel sites like Expedía (www.expedia.com), Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), can get you competing rates for any model car, on any date, at any location. Once you've got these in hand, you can contact the rental companies themselves, either through their web sites or by phone, and see if they can do better. Often, they can—and will.Read more at location 1038
Add a note
You can give up to $1 million to anyone you want over the course of your lifetime without having to pay any gift tax—and if you give away less than $12,000 in any one year, it doesn't count toward the $1 million total. (Recipients of a gift don't have to pay taxes on it.)Read more at location 2983
Add a note
College Board's Financial Aid EasyPlanner (http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/...). It can help you work through every phase of college financial planning—from calculating the likely total cost of Junior's four years at Harvard to comparing financial-aid packages to figuring your estimated family contribution (the amount, based on your income and assets, that a college will expect you to pay out of your own pocket each year).Read more at location 3070
Add a note
(www.savingforcollege.com/college-savi...). JustRead more at location 3075
Add a note
The biggest drawback of 529 savings plans is that if the funds are used for some purpose other than qualified education expenses—say, because you saved too much or because your kid decided not to go to college—they will be subject to ordinary income tax and a 10% penalty. Then again, it's easy to move 529 plans from one beneficiary to another.Read more at location 3110
Add a note
only about 10% of the people eligible to contribute to individual retirement accounts actually do so.Read more at location 4865
Add a note
If you've gotten a gift card from a store you don't like, there's a better alternative to throwing it away. You can swap it online for a gift card from a store you do like. Sites such as Swapagift.com, CertificateSwap.com, and CardAvenue.com provide a marketplace where you can trade cards with other dissatisfied recipients, put your card up for sale, or purchase one at a discount.Read more at location 5718
Add a note
According to the Federal Trade Commission, “By law, companies are required to send rebates within the time frame promised, or if no time is specified, within a ‘reasonable’ time,” which the FTC defines as 30 days.Read more at location 5799
Add a note
The IRS suggests using thrift-store or consignment-store prices as a gauge of what your donated item is really worth. eBay is another acceptable source of prices for used goods. You can also find a valuation guide for clothing and many household items on the Salvation Army's web site (www.salvationarmyusa.org).Read more at location 6114
Add a note
Air travel may no longer seem like a bargain, but there are bargains to be had if you shop around. Online travel sites like Expedía (www.expedia.com), Hotwire.com (www.hotwire.com), Kayak (www.kayak.com), Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), Priceline (www.priceline.com), SideStep (www.sidestep. com), and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) can find you airfares for a fraction of the airlines’ own published tariffs. But not all the best bargain-priced carriers, like Southwest and JetBlue, show up on the independent sites, so don't neglect the airlines’ own sites. And comparison sites like Farecast (www.farecast.com) and FareCompare (www.farecompare.com) can offer solid advice not only on where to get the best deals but also on whether prices for your particular destination are trending up or down, so you can figure out whether it's worth your while to book now or wait awhile.Read more at location 6842
Add a note
Don't Buy Tickets in Bunches—Buying One at a Time Can Be Cheaper One of the most maddening things about air travel is that similar seats on the same flights are often sold for wildly different prices. That's because airlines use complicated pricing formulas that calculate the most efficient way to ensure that every seat gets sold. Usually, only a handful of seats are available at the lowest fare. This can be particularly frustrating if you're shopping for several seats all at once—say, because you're traveling with your family. Most likely, there won't be enough cheap seats available to fill your whole order. But instead of selling you as many cheap seats as they have and then charging you more for the rest, most airline reservation systems will simply kick your booking up to the next price level and charge you a higher fare for all your tickets. The way to beat this system is simple: Shop for your tickets one at a time. For example, when I searched for four tickets for a July 2008 trip from Los Angeles to New York, the American Airlines web site quoted me a fare of $619; when I searched for just one, the price for the same flight came up at only $344.Read more at location 6868
Add a note
If you pay for your ticket with cash or a check, you're out of luck in the event something goes wrong with your flight—like, say, the airline goes bankrupt and ceases operations. Buying your ticket with a credit card, on the other hand, protects you, since credit card companies will not force you to pay for a service you did not receive. If something goes wrong with your flight, buying your ticket with a credit card protects you. There is one catch with this. Most credit card companies will cancel a disputed charge only if you file a complaint within 60 days of when it first appeared on your bill. What this means is that if you buy an airline ticket six months in advance and then the carrier goes out of business the day before you're scheduled to take off, you're out of luck. So don't buy airline tickets too far in advance. Reserve them if you have to—but try to avoid paying for them until you reach the 60-day window. If you're concerned about locking in a low fare, check with a web site like Farecast or FareCompare to get an indication of whether fares on the route you're traveling are likely to rise or fall in the near future.Read more at location 6922
Add a note
Book Early—and Then Book Again at the Last Minute Since many hotels offer discounted rates for advance bookings, it's generally a good idea to make your reservation as early as you can. But hotels also sometimes drop their prices at the last minute in an effort to fill vacancies. So you should call again a day or two before your trip to see if you can get an even better rate. In most cases, you'll be able to cancel your original reservation and get yourself a new one at the lower rate without having to pay any kind of penalty.Read more at location 6996
Add a note
Whenever you're planning to stay at a hotel you've never been to before, go online to a traveler-based review site like Boo.com, Gusto.com, lgoUgo.com, or TripAdvisor.com, to see what real travelers who've been there have to say about the place.Read more at location 7014
Add a note
RESORT FEES. Many hotels charge “resort fees” of $15 to $25 a day for facilities such as gyms and tennis courts that you may never use. There's generally no way to avoid them, except to ask, when you make your reservation, whether the daily rate covers everything. Mandatory tipping may also be another “resort fee” that you are unaware of, so ask before you leave tips (otherwise you are double tipping).Read more at location 7045
Add a note
INTERNET CONNECTIONS. Virtually every decent hotel makes a big deal of advertising the availability of broadband Internet connections. But most of them charge you through the nose for it—often as much as $14.95 a day. (You can avoid this charge by using a nearby wireless hotspot. There are a number of online directories—such as www.jiwire.com, www.wififreespot.com, and www.wi-fihotspotlist.com—that can point you to the nearest one.)Read more at location 7059
Add a note
If you're looking for a vacation deal, I recommend doing some comparison searches on the major travel sites, like www.expedia.com, www.Travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, www.sidestep.com, www.Travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, www.sidestep.com, and www.kayak.com. Click on “Vacation Packages” to see what specials are being offered. For last-minute getaways, visit www.lastminute.com.Read more at location 7161
Add a note
August 3, 2018
Very helpful, I learned too much from it. The only thing that this book need to be perfect is to be updated:)
March 13, 2017
Emotionally loaded and outdated as expected, with some good advice.
August 3, 2021
Its so helful for me and hopefully for other people who has read this book.
I Love traveling around every year with my family, Indeed we need to save much more money to present our plan. Always looking for tips how to get that. Specially for all traveller, I may suggest to try to find out best offers, Like Agoda, expedia, kayak or any others. We wound a website comparison for flight and hotels it is www.withgohar.com . Since we try searching flight from Minnapolis to Phoenix and get cheaper.
https://withgohar.com/flights-from-mi...
I Love traveling around every year with my family, Indeed we need to save much more money to present our plan. Always looking for tips how to get that. Specially for all traveller, I may suggest to try to find out best offers, Like Agoda, expedia, kayak or any others. We wound a website comparison for flight and hotels it is www.withgohar.com . Since we try searching flight from Minnapolis to Phoenix and get cheaper.
https://withgohar.com/flights-from-mi...
chose-not-to-finish
February 16, 2021This is my absolute favorite kind of finances book. Unfortunately, much of the information is outdated. I listened to 76% of it before it was due again at the library. I will probably not return to it because of the contents being so outdated. I will be checking to see if this guy wrote another one more recently as I love the detailed style.
May 29, 2019
I originally rated this 3 stars. Then I followed advice from the book and called an independent insurer and changed my home owner’s insurance provider and saved $700. Now I am changing the rating to 5 stars!
May 20, 2020
The principles are sound and I never thought about the fact that businesses are in a life or death struggle for my money. However, it’s very outdated and the long URLs he includes are out of date as well, it needs a new edition for 2020.
July 28, 2025
It's just so old! Don't waste your time, like I did, reading a book full of advice on how to save money on your cable bill, and ways to avoid long distance charges. Sadly, this book is just way out of date. There is some good advice! But that is amidst a lot of what is now essentially nonsense.
September 26, 2020
This book is full of great information. Anything that you could possibly come across as a problem or ways to get discounts this book covers.
January 17, 2021
Dated but makes some great points that survive the test of time
Read
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February 24, 2024
The book is a bit dated at the time of this review - but I think it covers important sound principles we should consider when spending our money and how to not only get the best value, but avoid getting ripped off - also sometimes I think a book like this can Install a scarcity mindset in some which can be negative - and although the advice is good and important - you should always remember to think abundantly.
The protecting your money advice was good, but the investing part - not so much in my opinion as it isn’t as foundational or agreeable - more the authors own opinions ( in my opinion - pardon the pun lol) yet many would disagree at his advice including myself - but on the whole this was a good book and important reminder about the various people and institutions out there that will eat up your money unless you fight for it / protect it!
To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
Waseem.tv/Blog
👆🏼 P.S -
If you found this review helpful - I’d like to invite you to discover more on our blog. Where the community share some of our most important insights to level up each others knowledge 💡- from experience in studying books like this, training programs, podcasts and much more - visit the blog link above to find out more.
P.P.S 😅 - You probably noticed from my profile that I’ve reviewed a LOT of books over the years now - if you love seeking knowledge like me I’d love to connect with you further as a like minded person (send me a friend invite! 😀) - Also if you are curious - here is my preferred and recommended resource for seeking timeless wisdom - Check it out via the website invite link below 👇🏼 (You’ll be able to claim some awesome books for free 📚)
https://Waseem.tv/GoodReadsBookInvite
The protecting your money advice was good, but the investing part - not so much in my opinion as it isn’t as foundational or agreeable - more the authors own opinions ( in my opinion - pardon the pun lol) yet many would disagree at his advice including myself - but on the whole this was a good book and important reminder about the various people and institutions out there that will eat up your money unless you fight for it / protect it!
To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
Waseem.tv/Blog
👆🏼 P.S -
If you found this review helpful - I’d like to invite you to discover more on our blog. Where the community share some of our most important insights to level up each others knowledge 💡- from experience in studying books like this, training programs, podcasts and much more - visit the blog link above to find out more.
P.P.S 😅 - You probably noticed from my profile that I’ve reviewed a LOT of books over the years now - if you love seeking knowledge like me I’d love to connect with you further as a like minded person (send me a friend invite! 😀) - Also if you are curious - here is my preferred and recommended resource for seeking timeless wisdom - Check it out via the website invite link below 👇🏼 (You’ll be able to claim some awesome books for free 📚)
https://Waseem.tv/GoodReadsBookInvite
December 9, 2016
Intended for U.S. audience, but still interesting. Not in the case you think probably. Advice is pure common sense, a lot of small things, not the real fights. For example, instead of learning what rip-offs there exists in credit cards or "payday loans" (our country got this capitalism invention not long ago too), you can probably learn about finance and not to go for any credit cards or loans (or other sh.t you don't really need). Learning something about yourself as human in the world of economics (behavioral economics) probably can change much more.
Tell you a secret. System works following way: there are two types of people - who spend (slaves, junkies) and who get what is spent (bullies). There are many schemas to put slaves on the needle. To be exact - everywhere.
On mutual funds, hedge funds. Don't know if you can (in U.S.), but often your pension profits are eaten by commissions (what Wall Street system is about). It is why J. Boggle created simple tool - Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Most of them have low commissions (up to 1% instead common 20%+2% in hedge funds case) and anyone can buy them anytime for $1 per trade. Right, here's how to do it: https://investor.vanguard.com/etf/how...
To account for behavioral economics, you should need to know that real profits are dependent only on dividends, not speculative stock/ ETF price growth. This isn't mentioned in the book, probably it is known only by investors/ traders.
References in audiobook...
Tell you a secret. System works following way: there are two types of people - who spend (slaves, junkies) and who get what is spent (bullies). There are many schemas to put slaves on the needle. To be exact - everywhere.
On mutual funds, hedge funds. Don't know if you can (in U.S.), but often your pension profits are eaten by commissions (what Wall Street system is about). It is why J. Boggle created simple tool - Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Most of them have low commissions (up to 1% instead common 20%+2% in hedge funds case) and anyone can buy them anytime for $1 per trade. Right, here's how to do it: https://investor.vanguard.com/etf/how...
To account for behavioral economics, you should need to know that real profits are dependent only on dividends, not speculative stock/ ETF price growth. This isn't mentioned in the book, probably it is known only by investors/ traders.
References in audiobook...
read-audiobook
August 29, 2012This a great reference book for how to get the most for your money in any one several different areas of personal finance. There are sections on travel, retirement, banking and utillities among others. Each section has some basics on how to get the best deal, some information on how to resolve problems that might arise, and lists of contact information for complaints and disputes. While it could definitely be improved in some areas, it is a must for personal finance readers because it lays down the basics of how to keep the money that you have earned. There are some very clever points that you might not have thought of, that are bound to save you some cash![return][return]However, this is a really terrible book as an audiobook. The narrator reads out long lists of addresses, URLs and other list-type information that is totally lost on you unless you are listening to the book because you might be blind or hard of sight. For me, listening to it as I commute, those sections are a hindrance. I recommend getting the book in hard copy, and only reading the sections that you think apply to you right now. If you are impressed, buy it and keep it as a reference book, looking up applicable sections whenever one of the subjects comes up in your own personal finance experience.
June 21, 2010
Fight for Your Money is one of Bach's weaker books. It's still certainly worth it for people who are looking for systematic ways to spend less, but this reads more like a reference than a personal finance advice guide (like his others). Less pep talk, more systematic info.
Much of the information and advice in this book can be found in Bach's other works; his consistency is a strong point at a time when financial leaders are largely mistrusted, even if it's a bit boring. He emphasizes the role of competition and understanding the games that companies play to "nickel and dime" their way to profit. The best feature of FFYM is at the end of every chapter: Bach includes a list of who to contact with complaints and what steps to follow for rip-off resolution.
This book is largely for people attempting to get a little edge on their spending control or for those with complaints to resolve. Even though I read it straight through, I would recommend it as more of a reference for most readers.
Much of the information and advice in this book can be found in Bach's other works; his consistency is a strong point at a time when financial leaders are largely mistrusted, even if it's a bit boring. He emphasizes the role of competition and understanding the games that companies play to "nickel and dime" their way to profit. The best feature of FFYM is at the end of every chapter: Bach includes a list of who to contact with complaints and what steps to follow for rip-off resolution.
This book is largely for people attempting to get a little edge on their spending control or for those with complaints to resolve. Even though I read it straight through, I would recommend it as more of a reference for most readers.
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February 1, 2010This is a great book to get you thinking about your money and, hopefully, how to keep your hands on a little more of it. It's divided up into sections like Buying Cars, Credit Scores, Buying a House, Banking, etc. Every section gets you thinking about common sense ways to avoid unnecessary fees, services you don't need, and how not to get ripped off.
The author is a little extreme in some cases (he mentions skimping on brake inspections and maintenance more than once) but his heart is in the right place and there are a ton of genuinely smart ideas.
Apparently this guy did some money makeovers on Oprah, but go ahead and give him a shot anyway.
The author is a little extreme in some cases (he mentions skimping on brake inspections and maintenance more than once) but his heart is in the right place and there are a ton of genuinely smart ideas.
Apparently this guy did some money makeovers on Oprah, but go ahead and give him a shot anyway.
May 13, 2009
In plain language Bach covers in an encyclopedia-like format automobiles; banking; credit; family matters; health; home; retirement; shopping; taxes; TV and phone; and travel. The reader can read the book from cover to cover, or by subject. Since each section is dense with information, Bach includes action step checklists for the reader's convenience. He also includes sample complaint letters and a list of additional resources.
This book is perfect for a young graduate. While most adults will have already learned the lessons through life experience, the book is condensed enough to be a quick-reference refresher.
This book is perfect for a young graduate. While most adults will have already learned the lessons through life experience, the book is condensed enough to be a quick-reference refresher.
June 22, 2009
Tip #1, borrow the book from a friend or the library.
The book did have a few good tips, I particularly liked the section on travel, but not enough to warrant the $30 (CDN) pricetag.
Especially disappointing was the fact that the home mortgage section didn't have a discussion on variable vs fixed rate terms.
This book would probably best suit a young person just starting out on their own. Middle aged folks like myself probably already have learned from experience the issues Bach raises.
The book did have a few good tips, I particularly liked the section on travel, but not enough to warrant the $30 (CDN) pricetag.
Especially disappointing was the fact that the home mortgage section didn't have a discussion on variable vs fixed rate terms.
This book would probably best suit a young person just starting out on their own. Middle aged folks like myself probably already have learned from experience the issues Bach raises.
October 15, 2010
2.5 stars. I'll admit, I didn't read every single page of this book. It's more of a reference book, covering many topics about how to be aware of and avoid costly financial pitfalls. It touches on a wide variety of subjects: from buying a car to saving for retirement to shopping in online auctions. Sections such as building a remodeling a home don't apply to me, so I didn't read them. The book provides some good information, but nothing earth-shattering.
September 14, 2022
This book has a great outline. And a little something for everybody. I really enjoyed it and will definitely revisit it. Though some of these information are outdated, considering I am reading it 14 years after it was published. Some company services has changed over the years, and new companies have taken over. The websites were a little confusing too or didn’t work. But overall, I recommend this book to anyone because you can go directly into the information you are interested in learning.
May 11, 2009
The book offers good solid advice on various financial topics, from buying a car to travel to dealing with bank credit and debit cards. In terms of advising you to avoid things that are stupid, for example payday loans, it is excellent. The sections on what to do when things go wrong are good reference material but do not make good reading.
March 31, 2014
An interesting but basic money book that shows the reader how to avoid extra fees, unnecessary warranties and tips on how to purchase goods (like cars). This would be a useful gift for someone just entering the workforce and just getting started in life. I learned a few things in the "buying a car" section.
December 16, 2014
At first I though it was a poor imitation of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but Bach does bring a bit of his own to the table. He's much more specific about action steps. If you're interested in this subject, you'll probably find you know 1/2 to 3/4 of what he goes over (credit card interest, nonredeemable rebates, confusing cell phone plans, etc.), but it doesn't hurt to make sure you heard it all.
June 17, 2015
This is okay as a basic reference book. Written in 2009, it feels very outdated to me, especially the sections on cell phone plans, cable tv and health insurance. A lot of his info I already knew. There were entire chapters that did not pertain to my life: buying a new car (no way!), divorce, tax prep ... I would not recommend.
March 24, 2009
So far, have read one chapter (you can skip around), and didn't learn anything new about getting ripped off by 401ks. Mostly , it just talked about management fees.
I'll see if the travel chapters reveal anything insightful.
I'll see if the travel chapters reveal anything insightful.
June 10, 2009
I enjoy any of Bach's books as he presents finance in an easy to understand format. This book was unique as it takes a look at various aspects of your life and breaks down where you can save money; everything from on the cable bill to buying a new house.
July 20, 2009
A solid intro to a lot of different topics, and Bach makes it very easy to find information on a specific topic. In areas like retirement plans it doesn't go very deep and another book on the subject would be a good idea.
July 12, 2009
I skimmed this one, but it has a bunch of really good advice. Some of which we currently do, and some of which we need to change. Really good for those starting out in life, or those in need of financial direction.
October 28, 2009
I've tried reading a lot of personal finance books, but this was the first I was able to finish. I found Bach very readable, and he gave the right amount of information for someone like me who is young and just finished up grad school.
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