Kiplinger's
Practical Guide to Your Money
İMoney
Magic, Inc. 3/30/02
Saturday Daybreak KATV, Chn. 7
Mary Ann Campbell, CFP
"Essential
information you need to make money-smart decisions throughout
your life"
One
of my favorite sources for clear, unbiased financial information
is anything published by Kiplinger. Their Personal Finance Magazine,
and Kiplinger Washington Letter present current topics of interest
in an understandable way.
Ted
Miller is a financial journalist with more than two decades of
experience at the Kiplinger pioneer magazine. He has compiled
a comprehensive reference that can be your quick and easy resource
for money-smart decisions. This book is the product of teamwork
from the staff of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Most
importantly, all the new tax and IRA rules are integrated into
apropriate chapters.
Some
of his points are:
- Goals:
You must set goals because of needs, such as a steady source
of income, financial reserves, protection against financial
catastrophes, the need to get further ahead each year, and
the fact that things don't come to you by accident.
- Debt:
If you're having aproblem with debt, solving it should go
right to the top of your list of priorities.
- Credit
Cards: Pay a credit card bill in full before the
grace period runs out, and you get in effect a free loan -
the closest you'll come to free money.
- Hope
Scholarship: Permits you to subtract from your tax
bill the first $1,000 you pay for tuition and fees and 50%
of the next $1000.
- Divorce:
If you're able to check your anger and resentment at the door,
professional mediation can avoid the lengthy, humiliating,
and expensive process of dragging through the courts.
- Children:
It's unrealistic to expect your children to develop an attitude
toward money that's more mature than your own. Your attitudes,
the way you handle it, and discuss it will make an impression
on your children.
Mr
Miller includes in his appendix: State Securities Regulation Offices,
Federal Reserve Banks, a Guide to Recordkeeping, and a Glossary.
He has cut through the information clutter and focuses on time-proven
ways to make your money grow, enabling you to achieve the financial
independence you seek.
