Personal Finance: Saving and Spending
ALA Recommended Books
Your Score by
The most comprehensive insider's look at what every consumer needs to know about their credit score--and most importantly, how to fix it If you, like so many millions of Americans, are terrified by the daily headlines regarding Equifax and identity theft, and how all of this can directly affect your basic credit score, then this book should be considered as mandatory reading. Like it or not, a healthy credit score is essential if you want to participate in today's financial world. But very few people actually understand how their credit score is determined. Worse yet, most don't know how their score is used by all kinds of companies and banks to dictate financial terms that will strongly affect their daily lives. When consumers interact with the world of credit, they do so from a position of weakness. InYour Score, Anthony Davenport aims to change that. Finally, here is a road map for navigating the confusing world of consumer credit. Drawing on the real stories of his own firm's high-profile clients, as well as the stories of middle-class Americans, he reveals the hidden credit pitfalls that await even the most careful consumer and shares smart strategies to avoid them. An accessible but detailed manual,Your Score finally lets readers take control of their credit score, understand how to play the game, and gain an insider's knowledge of how to better navigate the most important financial decisions of their lives.
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781328695277Publication Date: 2018
Happy Money by
Two professors combine their fascinating and cutting-edge research in behavioral science to explain how money can buy happiness--if you follow five core principles of smart spending. Most people recognize that they need professional advice on how to earn, save, and invest their money. When it comes to spending that money, most people just follow their intuitions. But scientific research shows that those intuitions are often wrong. Happy Money offers a tour of research on the science of spending, explaining how you can get more happiness for your money. Authors Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton have outlined five principles--from choosing experiences over stuff to spending money on others--to guide not only individuals looking for financial security, but also companies seeking to create happier employees and provide "happier products" to their customers. Dunn and Norton show how companies from Google to Pepsi to Charmin have put these ideas into action. Along the way, Dunn and Norton explore fascinating research that reveals that luxury cars often provide no more pleasure than economy models, that commercials can actually enhance the enjoyment of watching television, and that residents of many cities frequently miss out on inexpensive pleasures in their hometowns. By the end of this "lively and engaging book" (Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness), you'll be asking yourself one simple question every time you reach for your wallet: Am I getting the biggest happiness bang for my buck?
Call Number: 332.024 DUNISBN: 9781451665062Publication Date: 2013
Pogue's Basics: Money by
Want to know where you can buy $100 iTunes gift cards for $85? Did you know you can pay your taxes by using a cash-back credit card? Why are you still paying $235 a year to rent your cable box? You're leaving money on the table every day, with every transaction you make: changing your oil, withdrawing ATM cash, booking flights, buying insurance, shopping for clothes, squirting toothpaste. But inPogue's Basics: Money,the third book of thisNew York Times bestselling series, David Pogue proves that information is money. Each of his 150 simple tips and tricks includes a ballpark estimate of the money you could make or save. Okay, you won't use every tip in the book--but if you did, you'd come ahead by $61,195 a year.
Call Number: 640.73 POGISBN: 9781250081414Publication Date: 2016-
The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finances by
From the world's most respected business publication comes the definitive guide to the new, ever-changing landscape of personal finance. The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finance is an essential tool for anyone looking for sound financial advice in a world where everything you thought you knew about saving, managing risk, and constructing a portfolio has been turned upside-down. In the aftermath of the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finance is the navigator every investor needs to thrive in a still uncertain financial climate.
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9780061986321Publication Date: 2010
The Financial Rules for New College Graduates by
An indispensable guide for any recent graduate that provides simple, easy-to-follow rules for making smart personal finance choices during the first decade of one's career. * Demonstrates how simple choices, especially in the years after college, can guarantee (barring misfortunes such as catastrophic illness or drug addiction) a lifelong, healthy relationship with money * Illustrates how to apply the attitudes inherent in modesty, skepticism, and optimism to all financial decision-making, both upon graduating and in the future * Includes a math refresher for understanding the basic principles of interest rates, credit card debt, investment, and retirement savings * Demystifies without boring, simplifies without condescending to, and above all highlights the relevance and practical applications of financial planning during one's first ten years out of school
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781440861055Publication Date: 2018
All the Money in the World by
How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours obsessing over out budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little, For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances? According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective. Instead of looking at money as a scarce resource, consider it a tool that you can use creatively to build a better life for yourself and the people you care about. For instance, the average couple spend $5,000 on engagement and wedding rings, making these pricey purchases largely because everyone else does. But what if you decided to spend $300 on rings and apply the rest to future date nights, weekend getaways, and thinking-of-you bouquets over the next ten years? In the long run, what would bring more joy to your marriage? Likewise, will owning a home with a pristine lawn and a two-car garage-the American Dream-really make you more satisfied? Or are you saving up for this investment just because financial planners tell you it's worth it? Vanderkam shows how each of us can figure out better ways to use what we have to build the lives we want. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as the stories of dozens of real people, Vanderkam offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values. Among her advice- Laugh at the Joneses- It's human nature to compare yourself to those around you, but you can create a lifestyle that brings you personal satisfaction without copying your neighbors. Give yourself the best weekend ever- Studies show that experiences oftern bring more pleasure than material goods. With a little planning and creativity, you can give yourself a memorable getaway with leaving town or going broke. Embrace the selfish joy of giving; Giving back not only helps you build karma, it also helps you build a community-which is much more fulfilling than a tax deduction. All the Money in the Worldis a practical and inspiring guide that shows how money can buy happiness-if we spend it wisely.
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9781591844570Publication Date: 2012
The End of the Good Life by
Financial journalist Riva Froymovich has good reason to be anxious about the financial turmoil facing Generation Y. This is her generation. Indeed, Generation Y has suffered the brunt of the financial crisis and great recession. For those in the U.S. born after 1976, the American dream is a is becoming a nightmare. Swamped in student loan debt they're postponing marriage and buying homes, unable to save money, and delaying having children. The End of the Good Life: How the Financial Crisis Threatens a Lost Generation--and What We Can Do About It examines short-sighted government policies and initiatives that will wreak havoc on our youth. In addition to offering concrete policy suggestions, this book is driven by the touching personal stories of Americans and other young people around the globe affected by the financial crisis.
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9780062217844Publication Date: 2013
Additional Books
Money-Making Mom by
Entrepreneur, author, and popular blogger Crystal Paine shares the secrets of building income at home, using real life examples from her own journey in becoming a money-making mom as well as the stories of other women from all walks of life. The nuts and bolts of how to make more money from home are revealed in clear steps that can be immediately and easily put into practice. But more than just a how-to book for earning extra income, Money-Making Mom is a challenge to dream big and create a pathway for life. Paine offers examples and insights about what "finding your purpose" can look like in family, career, and service to others. Readers will find inspiration and hope for a life that's more than "just getting by," one driven by vision and the freedom to bless others generously.
Call Number: 332.024 PAIISBN: 9781400206483Publication Date: 2015
Sources
American Library Association. Financial Literacy in Public Libraries: A Guide for Building Collections.
My thanks go to ALA for inventing this wheel for me.
Thrall Library's Links for Investors.
CFPB's list of financial educational resources
Websites
- America Saves Gives savings tips, strategies, and resources to help build personal wealth.
- Building Wealth A financial education resource from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas offering guidance to individuals and families who wish to increase their personal wealth.
- Choose to Save A national financial education initiative that promotes long-term financial security.
- Consumer Reports Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers make practical, safe, and healthy decisions.
- Saving and Investing-USA.gov U.S. Government information to help consumers save and invest their money.
- Savings Planner A savings planner calculator from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
- Smart About Money An interactive web resource supported by the National Endowment for Financial Education.
- Smart About Money—Spending and Saving A basic self-paced courses from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
