Securing Your Financial Future: Complete Personal Finance for Beginners

Beginners befuddled by the morass of available financial advice need look no further%E2%80%94Smith offers a thorough and straightforward approach to personal finance in this clear guide. Though his target audience is folks in their 20s and 30s, readers in all stages of life will benefit from Smith's insights. Broken up into four sections, the author covers "The Essential Concepts," "Building Your Foundation," "Big-Ticket Items," and finally, "Long-Term Investing." In addition to explaining basics like credit scores, mortgages, and compounding interest, Smith%E2%80%94a former VP of finance for two of Hewlett-Packard's global divisions%E2%80%94also suggests ways to work against one's natural impulses. People often spend, and then save whatever's left. Smith, however, encourages readers to "Pay Yourself First" (at least 10% of everything you make), and then spend the remainder. While he admits this is nothing new, his frequent insistence on time-honored wisdom backed up by the numbers makes his reasoning particularly convincing. Though highly accessible, this is still an exhaustive introduction to finance, which doesn't exactly make for light reading; accordingly, Smith provides useful chapter summaries and a valuable index for readers looking to quickly reference specific information. (Apr.)