Jeff Wuorio

Jeff Wuorio, a former journalist and a writer of magazine and online publications regarding money and personal finance, breaks down the basics of finances - covering everything from debt, buying a first house, investing, and taxes - specifically for those in their 20s and 30s just starting out in the world of personal finances.

I'm fairly good about budgeting carefully and saving my money, but the truth is I could use a bit of brushing up on finances in general, especially investing beyond just a savings and checking account. First off, I have to point out that this book was published in 1999 and some elements are dated. Basically, I ignored any example with actual numbers, knowing that just about everything has changed. The Internet was just getting off its feet, so some of the websites he mentions (www. bankrate.com) still exist and others have moved (it's irs.gov, not irs.ustreas.gov though I suppose there might be a redirect). Some of the specifics need to be taken with a grain of salt or simply ignored, knowing for example that home loans from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac have changed substantially, health insurance law is completely different from when he was writing, and filing online taxes is much more mainstream than it was 16 years ago.

That being said, there's a wealth of pretty solid financial information in there, and I found it readable and interesting (!) and became pretty excited about my financial possibilities now that I've paid off my student debt and am looking to save towards the down payment on a house. His approach gives you his opinion, but also gives you an array of options and the caveat that you need to decide what works for you, your lifestyle, and what you're saving towards. I feel pretty confident about my decisions lately and have some "next steps" to look into, such as money market accounts, and wouldn't have had the vocabulary to know what I was researching without the book. Smooth reading and practical application made this a great starting point for me to start looking into more specifics when it comes to my finances.… (plus d'informations)