Smart Women Finish Rich, Expanded and Updated

I am not a finance person. I know the basics, to a point. My eyes glaze over with talk of personal finance, stocks, investments, etc. But it's an important topic! This book is great. I read it cover to cover and learned a lot. Useful information. I will use their filing system set up and their form to organize my financial information. I loved the author's charts and graphs--easy to grasp the concepts. I wish I'd had this book when I first started earning money! I recommended it to my daughter and my girlfriends! Well worth the price and the time to read it!

Within the first day of this book arriving I read the first 100 pages in one sitting. You can tell that Bach has been working with women for many years -- his writing style is relatable, funny, informative, and understanding. He understands that (most) women need to feel emotionally connected to something to be passionate about it, and he doesn't belittle nor shy away from that, and instead gives prompts to help you best understand your emotional connection to your financial resources. He does a fantastic job of outlining the many reasons why, as women, we NEED to be in control of our finances -- not only because we are (statistically) incredibly good at it, but because we deserve to be. I'm 27 and feel so thankful for finding this book early in life, but he also makes plain that he can help you at whatever stage you're at -- poor, wealthy, married, single, divorced, younger, older, millionaire or living paycheck-to-paycheck -- he gives you the resources for you to be in control of your financial life. He also does an incredible job of not shaming you if you haven't started the journey already, and is very encouraging. I'm so excited to get further along in this incredibly easy-to-understand, encouraging and informative book. Highly recommend.

I'm turning 40 next year, and I've done a fair share of reading/research on retirement planning -- not a lot, mind you, but a fair bit. Much of it was dry, boring, or just plain incomprehensible. As a result, my savings and investing were haphazard (at best), and my record keeping was, frankly, pathetic. "Smart Women Finish Rich" has motivated me like nothing else has. I don't know if it's because it's easier to understand and doesn't through a lot of jargon around, or if it's because Bach is so personable and seems genuinely interested in his readers. What really lit the fire underneath me though were the various charts he had illuminating the value of compounded interest, using time to your advantage, etc. Now, this is something we all "know" at the intellectual level, but the way he presented it was enough to get me off my rear and working on putting my financial house in order. In the past several days, I have set up my filing system, reviewed my IRA account, requested and reviewed my credit report, opened an account for my "emergency fund" and scheduled automatic deposits, and made a plan for paying down credit card debt. In the next week I'll get the ball rolling to contribute to my employer's 401(k) and get estate planning done for myself and my husband. I can't say enough good things about how this book has helped me put my financial priorities in order. The reduction in my anxiety level over money is amazing. Well worth it!

Good read

I am honestly so impressed with the amount of practical information in this book, as well as how it is broken down so simply. I'm in no way a financial guru, but I knew that I needed to get my finances in order once I graduated from medical school with A LOT of student debt. Before reading this book, I dreaded the thought of money and organizing my finances. But David Bach explains things so well and made me actually enjoy getting my finances together! Each chapter is broken down into a different topic and there is a task at the end of each one, so by the time you've completed the book you have a solid grasp on your finances (and have probably started saving way more and/or are less in debt because of it!). So if you're a single/married/young/old/rich/poor women with minimal financial experience and you're looking for some information on where to put your money & how to steward it best, grab yourself a copy of this book!

Great book everyone male or female should read!

David Bach is very honest and straight forward about money without being patronizing. He's a realist and explains why it's important, in fact more important, for women to take charge of their finances. It was his grandmother who taught him at an early age the value of money. When he later grew up to discover that so many women in America did not have the same savvy, he was inspired to write "Smart Women Finish Rich". The first 1/3 of his book points out how so few Americans today don't have enough money saved to retire by age 65, usually attributed to ignorance, overspending or sheer miunderstanding about how investment works. Even high-income wealthy people come into his office financially destitute because of poor financial habits. He explains in layman's terms everything from a Small-Cap fund and annuities to the mistakes of leaving your IRA account to a living trust when you die. Best thing of all about this book: He asks the individual to address what the value of money means to them. Most people say "security", and then he asks them to define in specific terms what they mean. Answers have ranged from "Financial freedom to do whatever I want when I want and how I want" to "Having free time to spend with my kids" to "Doing what the Lord Wants me to do." This is a very practical book with a lot of heart. This is book written specifically for women in a tone that we can understand and appreciate. I'd advise men to read it as well. A must have. Don't go without it.

I really enjoyed reading this book, perfect for those who want to get control over their finances. It is very well explain how to set goals on the subject, how to plan to succeed. It really clarified for me notions like security basket, dream basket, egg nest and most importantly how to cultivate habits in order to create wealth. I really enjoyed the chapter about how to raise kids in the spirit of money management. This book inspired me to pay myself first, to get control of my spending.

This is the book I read 20 years ago when I was 20 years old that got me to start investing. Such a great book, I definitely wouldn’t have started investing early without this book! Highly recommend especially if you’re young and looking to build wealth. I just wish I listened even more to the book over the part 20 years and I’d be even further ahead!

It's the 3rd book from David Bach that I buy. It's very easy to read and understand it. A few of the tips are just related to USA but most of them have an european version and are very useful to manage your finances on the smartest and fastest way.

This book is a must for all those people putting their head in the sand over their financial situation and not knowing where or how to start or how to improve things. It gives practical immediate advice and strategies that no other book has come close to providing. It is like having your own very good financial advisor who is also your personal coach and motivator. The only negative aspect is that it is an American version referencing American retirement policies/tax legislation etc so a uk version would be great. But this is a minor issue considering the quality and scope of this book. It is a wake up call that I really needed and has really changed my attitude to money. It has changed my life. The sooner you buy it, read it and read it again, the better....

Of you are willing to change your financial future you must read this!!