Book Review of

Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Money, The

Author : Robert Heady and Christy Heady

Pros : Good source for information about banks and CD's.

Cons : Rest of information is very routine and unremarkable.

Grade : C

Contents : Jump to review...

Part 1 : You and Your Money

1. Grab Good Financial Planning by the Tail
2. Managing the Debt Monster
3. Shop 'Til You Drop - It Really Pays Off!
4. The Quickest Route Through the Money Jungle

Part 2 : Banking Fundamentals

5. Ten Money-Making Secrets Your Friendly Banker Won't Tell you
6. How to Get the Best Deal on a Checking Account
7. How to Beat Those Low-Paying Savings Accounts
8. Secrets of CD Shopping
9. Relationship Packages - Good or Bad Deals?
10. When It's Time to Kiss Your Banker Goodbye

Part 3 : Interest Rates : How to Ride the Roller Coaster

11. Easy Crash Course in Interest Rate Math
12. Reading the Interest Rate Cycles

Part 4 : Credit and Loans : Getting Money When You Need It

13. How to Cut Your Credit Card Costs in Half
14. Financing a Car - Without Being Taken for a Ride
15. So You Want to Buy a Home
16. Which Mortgage is Best for You?
17. Inside Those Credit Rating Agencies
18. The Biggest Advantages - and Dangers - of Home Equity Loans

Part 5 : Simple Investment Strategies

19. Are You Ready to Roll the Dice on Wall Street?
20. Ten Smart Money Moves You Should Make NOW
21. Investment Strategies for Seniors

Part 6 : Money Issues You Don't Have to Deal with Every Day

22. Money on the Job
23. Covering Your Assets : Insurance and You
24. Tackling Taxes

Part 7 : Getting Ready for the Year 2000

25. So How Come Your PC Doesn't have a Modem?
26. Getting the Kids Through School
27. You're Never Too Young to Think About Retiring
28. Estate Planning

Review :

More than a third of the book is devoted to boring stuff about how to pick the right bank.

One chapter tells you confidently that it's easy to predict where interest rates are going. It's not easy.

Reviewed by David Luhman, MBA, EA

Published 1995 by Alpha Books (Macmillan). ISBN 1-56761-530-9
Length : 420 pages.