Talking Money Everything You Need to Know about Your Finances and Your Future

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ISBN: 9780446678100 | 0446678104
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 1/1/2002

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The definitive guide to managing your money in the 21st century.Talking Money is a detailed and informative guide on how to get personal finances in order. Jean Chatzky knows firsthand that once minor money problems are under control, the big picture falls quickly into place. This is the perfect book to guide readers over their financial hurdles, preparing them for long term goals and financial security.

Introduction

xvii

Talking Goals

(16)

Setting Goals

(1)

The Wish List

(1)

Five Questions to Ask Yourself (and/or Your Partner) About Your Goals

(6)

Challenge Your Goals

(1)

Frame Your Goals

(2)

Revisit Your Goals

(1)

You Can Do This! (Will You?)

(1)

Seven Ways to Make a Good Habit Stick

(3)

Talking Debt

(25)

Quick Quiz: How Debt Dependent Are You?

(2)

Debt Relief Plan No. 1

(3)

Debt Relief Plan No. 2

(2)

Debt Relief Plan No. 3

(3)

Five Questions to Ask About Your Credit History

(2)

The Best Ways to Borrow

(7)

How to Pick a Credit Card

(2)

Five Questions to Ask Your Credit Card Company

(1)

Finding the Best Deal on a Home Equity Loan

(3)

The Fed Watch: What Happens to Your Debt When Interest Rates Rise and Fall?

(3)

Talking Saving

(27)

Follow the Money

(6)

A List to Get You Started

(3)

Using Your Data to Spend Less, Save More

(1)

The One Very Best Way to Save (and Eight Second-Place Alternatives)

(4)

Ten Ways to Add to Your Savings

(3)

Where Does All This Saving Get You?

(2)

Payoff No. 1: Security

(1)

Payoff No. 2: Freedom

(1)

Payoff No. 3: The Pleasure of Watching It All Add Up

(1)

A Bank: The Best Holding Pen for Your Dollars

(2)

Picking the Right Bank (and Bank Account) for You

(1)

Five Questions to Ask Your Bank

(2)

Don't Hesitate: Automate

(3)

Talking Investing for Safety

(19)

What Is the Short Term?

(1)

The Short-Short Term: Up to Six Months

(5)

Money Market Accounts

(1)

Money Market Mutual Funds

(3)

Six Months to Two Years

(7)

U.S. Treasury Securities

(2)

Certificates of Deposit

(1)

Ultrashort and Short-Term Bond Funds

(3)

Three to Five Years

(3)

Balanced Mutual Funds

(3)

Talking Investing for Retirement and College

(38)

Your Goals: How Much Should You Be Investing?

(2)

The Ballpark Estimate

(4)

The Four Keys to Making Your Money Grow

(3)

Buy and Hold

(1)

Don't Try to Time the Market!

(1)

Don't Hesitate: Automate

(1)

Keep Your Expenses Down

(1)

The Investment Triumvirate

(1)

Asset Allocation 101: Two Approaches

(1)

Investing Your Money: The Simple Route

100

(1)

Investing Your Money: The More Complicated Route

100

(1)

Five Questions to Ask Before Buying a Stock

100

(3)

Five Questions to Ask Before Buying a Mutual Fund

103

(2)

A Quick Bond Primer

105

(2)

Invest for Retirement Now; Pay the Taxes Later

107

(6)

To: CEOs of the Home; Re: Spousal IRAs

111

(1)

Retirement Accounts for the Self-Employed (Moonlighters: Listen Up!)

112

(1)

Retiring When You're a Step Behind

113

(1)

Investing for College as You Invest for Yourself

114

(2)

Financial Aid: The Lowdown on Student Loans

115

(1)

Where to Put Those College Dollars

116

(4)

What About the Rest of Your Money? Taxable Accounts

120

(1)

Watching the Stock Market

120

(6)

The Five Indexes You Need to Understand

121

(1)

Monthly Data It Pays to Follow

122

(1)

The Soft Signals

123

(3)

Talking Insurance

126

(29)

Life Insurance

128

(11)

Worksheet: How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

129

(1)

What Kind of Life Insurance Is Right for You?

130

(4)

So Which Is Better? Term or Permanent? Or Both?

134

(2)

Getting a Good Deal

136

(2)

Five Questions to Ask Your Life Insurance Company

138

(1)

Health Insurance

139

(3)

If You Have Health Insurance Through Your Company

140

(2)

If You Don't Have Insurance Through Your Company

142

(1)

Homeowners Insurance

142

(4)

Insuring the Structure

143

(1)

Insuring the Contents

144

(1)

Renters Insurance

145

(1)

How Do You Get the Best Rates?

145

(1)

Auto Insurance

146

(4)

How Do You Get the Best Rates?

148

(2)

Umbrella Liability Coverage

150

(1)

Disability Insurance

150

(2)

Long-Term Care Insurance

152

(3)

Talking About the Things You Don't Want to Talk About (aka Talking Estate Planning)

155

(27)

The Musts: Estate Planning Basics You Shouldn't Be Without

158

(6)

The Musts: A Will

159

(1)

The Musts: Picking Guardians

160

(1)

The Musts: Durable Power of Attorney for Finances

161

(1)

The Musts: Medical Directives

162

(1)

The Musts: Schedule Regular Estate Checkups

163

(1)

The Musts: Organize Your Important Papers

163

(1)

One Big Maybe: Living Trusts

164

(2)

Five Questions to Ask Your Attorney About Estate Planning

166

(1)

Beyond the Musts: Estate Planning to Save Taxes

167

(10)

Retitling Select Assets (Owning Everything Jointly Is a Bad Idea)

169

(1)

Annual Gifts

170

(1)

Gifts Over $10,000 (Singles), $20,000 (Couples)

170

(1)

Marital (Bypass) Trusts

171

(1)

Trusts for People Who've Been Married More than Once

172

(1)

Insurance Trusts

172

(1)

Gifts to Charity

173

(1)

Charitable Trusts

173

(1)

Charitable Gift Annuities

174

(1)

Special Gifts from Grandparents Only

175

(2)

Managing an Inheritance

177

(2)

Giving It Away: Charitable Contributions

179

(3)

Four Things to Know Before You Contribute

179

(3)

Talking Real Estate

182

(30)

Buying a House: The Homeowner Plunge

184

(3)

Give Your Credit a Once-over

185

(1)

Do Some Independent Market Research

186

(1)

Why You Need a Real Estate Agent

187

(1)

Keep the Next Owner in Mind

188

(1)

Making Your Case

188

(1)

Making an Offer

189

(2)

Closing the Deal

191

(1)

Who's Representing You?

192

(4)

Five Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

196

(1)

Paying for It: Getting a Great Mortgage Deal

197

(9)

Why Choosing a Loan Is Almost as Tough as Choosing a House

197

(1)

How Quickly Will You Pay It Off?

198

(2)

How Large a Loan Do You Need?

200

(1)

Where to Shop?

200

(1)

Paying Points

201

(1)

Don't Forget Closing Costs

202

(1)

Get Your Paperwork in Order

202

(1)

Pulling the Trigger--Locking In

203

(1)

When Should I Consider Refinancing?

204

(1)

Five Questions to Ask Your Mortgage Broker

205

(1)

Moving On: The Best Way to Sell Your House

206

(3)

Get Your House in Shape

207

(1)

Do You Want to Use an Agent?

207

(1)

Going Solo

208

(1)

How About a Second Home?

209

(3)

Talking Spending

212

(23)

Avoiding Overspending

214

(4)

The Studied Approach

215

(1)

My Mother's Approach: The Four Golden Rules of Shopping

216

(2)

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Buy Anything

218

(1)

Shopping on the Internet

219

(2)

Getting a Good Deal On:

Cars

221

(2)

Dining Out

223

(1)

Home Repair

224

(2)

Pets

226

(2)

Phone Service

228

(1)

Travel

229

(3)

Shut Up, Already: Financial Information to Keep to Yourself

232

(3)

Talking Money with Your Investment Team

235

(25)

What Is a Financial Planner?

237

(1)

How Is Your Financial Planner Paid?

238

(1)

Fee-Only Planners

240

(1)

Commission-Only Planners

240

(1)

Fee-Based Planners

240

(1)

Wealth Managers

240

What Do Their Designations Mean?

239

(3)

Checking Up on Your Planner

242

(2)

What Do You Get for Your Money?

244

(1)

Five Questions to Ask a Financial Planner

245

(2)

Financial Counselors: Hand-holding in Money 101

247

(1)

Planners Specializing in Divorce

248

(1)

Choosing a Broker

249

(11)

Full Service Brokers

252

(1)

Discount Brokers

252

(2)

Deep Discount Brokers

254

(1)

Online Brokers

254

(6)

Talking Money with Your Family and Friends

260

(25)

Talking to Your Spouse (or Life Partner)

262

(6)

How to Start Talking

263

(1)

Merging Your Finances: Dos and Don'ts

264

(2)

The Prenup Question

266

(1)

Five Questions to Ask Your Spouse to Get Your Goals in Sync

267

(1)

Talking to Your Parents

268

(5)

Five Questions to Ask Your Aging Parents About Money

270

(1)

Financial Planning for the Seriously Ill

271

(2)

Talking to Your Kids

273

(5)

Ages Five to Twelve

275

(1)

The Teenage Years

276

(2)

Talking to Your Friends: Money Etiquette

278

(3)

The Lowdown on Tipping

281

(4)

Index

285

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Talking Money Everything You Need to Know about Your Finances and Your Future

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials