Idiot’s Guides: Personal Finance in Your 20s & 30s, 5th Edition

Revised and updated, this new edition of Idiot’s Guides: Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s, Fifth Edition, explains all the basic information you need to get started in life and plan for your future. You’ll learn how to manage all aspects of your personal finances, as well as enhance your financial plan to yield better returns on your investments.

• The basics of personal finance, such as creating and following a budget, learning how to maintain a healthy savings, and building an emergency fund.
• Up-to-date look at internet and online banking and choosing the best account options.
• The truth about credit cards, how to wisely use them, and how to pay off debt wisely.
• Creative ideas for developing a plan to pay off student load debt and understanding your choices if you choose to further your education.
• Ways to make wise choices on big purchases such as homes and transportation.
• Tips on how to make the right choices when you’re unemployed or underemployed, short on assets/funds, or lack employer-sponsored healthcare options.
• A thorough explanation of 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and how to make the most of them.
• The basics on investing your money wisely.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Your Financial Foundation
Chapter 1 Your Financial Base
Chapter 2 Choosing the Right Bank Accounts
Chapter 3 Budgeting Your Living Costs

Part 2: Building Your Credit
Chapter 4 Your Credit History, Report, and Score
Chapter 5 Finding the Best Credit Cards
Chapter 6 The Truth About Credit Card Debt

Part 3: Paying Off Your Student Loans and Debt
Chapter 7 Student Loan Debt and Costs of Education
Chapter 8 Debt Consolidation and Payback Options

Part 4: Your Money and Your Career
Chapter 9 Employed, Unemployed, Underemployed
Chapter 10 Employer-Sponsored Benefits
Chapter 11 Surviving on Unemployment

Part 5: Your Savings
Chapter 12 Cutting Costs
Chapter 13 Your Savings Options
Chapter 14 Your Investing Options

Part 6: Big-Ticket Purchases
Chapter 15 Buying Versus Leasing a Car
Chapter 16 Owning Versus Renting a Home
Chapter 17 Insuring Yourself and Your Property

Part 7: Relationships and Money
Chapter 18 Life, Love, and Money
Chapter 19 Choosing Life Insurance
Chapter 20 Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Health-Care Directives

Part 8: Looking to Your Future
Chapter 21 401s and IRAs
Chapter 22 Working with Professional Financial Advisers