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Beth Kobliner
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Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties Kindle Edition

by Beth Kobliner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 900 ratings
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An updated edition of the New York Times bestseller: “A tremendously useful guide to all the essentials of sound personal finance” in your 20s and 30s (Fortune).

This is a completely revised and updated fourth edition of Get a Financial Life—the book that has served for more than two decades as a down-to-earth guide for younger adults on how to get out of debt, learn to save, and invest for the future. Beth Kobliner shares brand-new insights and concrete, actionable advice geared to help a new generation deal with challenges like student debt and sky-high rents, and form healthy financial habits that will last a lifetime. From tackling taxes to boosting credit scores to making smart decisions about investments, insurance, and more, Get a Financial Life is an essential resource that can help you avoid all-too-common money mistakes.

“Sometimes the very best books are the simplest. And that’s the beauty of Get a Financial Life . . . it offers the fundamental ABCs of how to manage your money.” —USA Today

“A highly readable and substantial guide.” —The New York Times

“Get it. Read it. Reference it often.” —Kiplinger’s
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  1. Print length
    399 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster
  5. Publication date
    March 21, 2017
  6. File size
    3263 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Paul A. SamuelsonProfessor of Economics Emeritus, MIT; Nobel Laureate in EconomicsShaw said youth is wasted on the young. I suspect the Kobliner financial wisdoms will work out well at all our ages.

"Beth Kobliner is telling you it's time to smell the latte. In "Get a Financial Life," Kobliner serves a rich, smooth brew of common sense on everything from paying off your student loan to saving for (gasp) your own kid's future. The advice is thoughtful, precise, and up-to-date. But the simple, step-by-step explanations make getting a financial life easier than steaming the perfect froth on a cappuccino." -- Saul Hansell, "The New York Times"

"With numerous insights, this fine book demonstrates that, through discipline and enterprise, anyone can win their financial independence." -- Tom Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool

Burton G. MalkielChemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics, Princeton University; author, "A Random Walk Down Wall Street"One of the best guides to help young people get a handle on money matters.

"Kobliner's done it again! "Get a Financial Life" gives clear and straightforward advice on how to manage your money-even in a financial meltdown. A must-read for 20-and 30-somethings who want to be fiscally smart and financially secure." -- Soledad O'Brien, CNN

"Stop worrying and start reading Beth Kobliner's "Get a Financial Life," the best book to help you understand your money in the toughest financial market since the Great Depression." -- Jim Cramer, CNBC's "Mad Money"

Paul A. SamuelsonInstitute Professor Emeritus, MIT; Nobel Laureate in EconomicsShaw said youth is wasted on the young. I suspect the Kobliner financial wisdoms will work out well at all our ages.

Paul A. VolckerFormer Chairman, Federal Reserve BoardWith all those new choices, personal financial decision making is getting more and more complicated, even for the computer generation. Beth Kobliner's book provides a much-needed and sensible guide.

Linda Stern"Newsweek"A daring book aimed at Generation Xers unafraid of a blunt author who will tell them what to do fast....A life's worth of smart financial advice.

Linda Stern

"Newsweek"

A daring book aimed at Generation Xers unafraid of a blunt author who will tell them what to do fast....A life's worth of smart financial advice.



"One of the best guides to help young people get a handle on money matters." -- Burton G. Malkiel, Chemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics, Princeton University; author, "A Random Walk Down Wall Street"

"Beth Kobliner's book provides a much-needed and sensible guide." -- Paul A. Volcker, Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Board

Paul A. Volcker

Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Board

With all those new choices, personal financial decision making is getting more and more complicated, even for the computer generation. Beth Kobliner's book provides a much-needed and sensible guide.



Burton G. Malkiel

Chemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics, Princeton University; author, "A Random Walk Down Wall Street"

One of the best guides to help young people get a handle on money matters.



Saul HansellBusiness Reporter," The New York Times""Get a Financial Life" is an expert yet reassuringly simple guide to mastering your money, for people trying to keep afloat in the wake of the baby boomers.

Paul A. Samuelson

Professor of Economics Emeritus, MIT; Nobel Laureate in Economics

Shaw said youth is wasted on the young. I suspect the Kobliner financial wisdoms will work out well at all our ages.



Paul A. Samuelson

Institute Professor Emeritus, MIT; Nobel Laureate in Economics

Shaw said youth is wasted on the young. I suspect the Kobliner financial wisdoms will work out well at all our ages.



Dean Shepherd

Anchor, CNBC

Laying a solid financial foundation is one of the most important and rewarding tasks facing young people today. In "Get a Financial Life," Beth Kobliner has created a great guide that will make the job much easier and a lot more fun.



Dean ShepherdAnchor, CNBCLaying a solid financial foundation is one of the most important and rewarding tasks facing young people today. In "Get a Financial Life," Beth Kobliner has created a great guide that will make the job much easier and a lot more fun.

"If the financial crisis seems frightening to a grizzled Wall Street vet like me, I can only imagine the panic of people in their twenties and thirties. Kobliner's got it all, from what Wall Street's meltdown means to you to how to keep your savings safe. Stop panicking and start reading this book!"-- Jim Cramer, CNBC's "Mad Money"

"Shaw said youth is wasted on the young. I suspect the Kobliner financial wisdoms will work out well at all our ages."-- Saul A. Samuelson, Professor Emeritus, Mit; Nobel Laureate In Economics

Stuart Varney"CNN Business News"I have six children who will soon need "a financial life." This is the kind of basic, readable book they should have.

"A daring book....A life's worth of smart financial advice." -- "Newsweek"

Deborah Stead

"The New York Times"

A highly readable and substantial guide to the grown-up worlds of money and business. Backed up by bibliographies, source lists, and useful phone numbers, this book could be tucked into one of those ubiquitous backpacks to guide novices through the thickets of apartment rentals, mortgage applications, taxes and more. Its strength is in explaining both the principles and the practicalities involved in each chunk of the landscape.



"Newsweek"

A daring book....A life's worth of smart financial advice.



"Smart, thorough-a tremendously useful guide to all the essentials of sound personal finance." -- Eric Gelman, "Fortune"

"A daring book...A life's worth of smart financial advice."-- "Newsweek"

Deborah Stead"The New York Times"A highly readable and substantial guide to the grown-up worlds of money and business. Backed up by bibliographies, source lists, and useful phone numbers, this book could be tucked into one of those ubiquitous backpacks to guide novices through the thickets of apartment rentals, mortgage applications, taxes and more. Its strength is in explaining both the principles and the practicalities involved in each chunk of the landscape.

Stuart Varney

"CNN Business News"

Saul Hansell

Business Reporter," The New York Times"

"Get a Financial Life" is an expert yet reassuringly simple guide to mastering your money, for people trying to keep afloat in the wake of the baby boomers.



""Get A Financial Life" gives you the essential information you need to get your finances in order as you're starting your career. The rest is up to you. Educate yourself, get motivated, and get your finances in shape now by reading this book." -- Sharon Epperson, CNBC Personal Finance Correspondent and author of "The Big Payoff "

"A highly readable and substantial guide to the grown-up worlds of money and business." -- "The New York Times"

"Newsweek"A daring book....A life's worth of smart financial advice.

About the Author

Beth Kobliner is a personal finance commentator and journalist, and the author of the New York Times bestseller Get a Financial Life as well as a book for parents, Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not). Beth was selected by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans, dedicated to increasing the financial know-how of kids of all ages and economic backgrounds. A former staff writer at Money magazine, Beth has contributed to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Today, Sesame Street, and NPR.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B017I25CW8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; Reissue edition (March 21, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 21, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3263 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 399 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 900 ratings

About the author

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Beth Kobliner

Beth Kobliner

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One of the nation’s leading authorities on personal finance for young people, Beth Kobliner is a commentator and journalist, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Get a Financial Life and Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not). In 2010, Beth was selected by President Obama to be a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, where she created MoneyAsYouGrow.org. A former columnist for Money magazine, Beth has written for numerous other publications, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. As a content advisor for Sesame Workshop’s financial education initiative For Me, For You, For Later, she offered on-air money advice to Elmo.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
900 global ratings
Very informative and thorough. Great for beginners.
5 Stars
Very informative and thorough. Great for beginners.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is thorough but simple at the same time. It makes it easy for people with no previous education and not much experience to learn about each subject. I am attaching pictures on all of the topics that this book covers. I felt like the book was well structured and very helpful on every subject. It is the second book that I read on personal finance and I definitely learned things here I didn't learn in the other book which was more basic and easy to understand but not as detailed as this one. The book is also well made and I love the material of the cover.
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Top reviews from the United States

Peter Arnold, CLU, CFC, CNM
5.0 out of 5 stars Gain FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE - Excellent for ANY Age
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
Gain FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE - Excellent for ANY Age!

Get A Financial LIFE: Personal Finance - This book caught my attention because I know, only too well, that most people (young and old) worry about MONEY.

Sadly, our educational institutions are virtually "bankrupt" when it comes to providing helpful advice on Money Management and Personal Finance. Even most MBA programs fall short!

As a Business & Financial Consultant for many years, mostly to Health Care Professionals, I have seen, first hand, the deep concern most people have about the health of their savings / investments / retirements / homes / jobs / professions - and with very good reason. I have also witnessed the high stress, frustration, discouragement, pain - and diminishing hope - that many have gone through, with the frail (global) economy.

Although this book is aimed more at the younger market, I see it as a 'basic guide' for ALL ages, and for many different situations.

Yes, perhaps there are some 'more sophisticated' financial strategies that could have been covered (like "becoming your own banker" - "income sprinkling" - "passive income options", etc), but they usually require some 'hands on' guidance from an expert in financial matters.

Nevertheless, whether you are single - in university - married and raising a family - in your prime career years - a professional - an entrepreneur - retired ... OR, whether you're earning $20,000/yr - $250,000/yr+ ... OR, whether you're financially savvy (or otherwise) ... it doesn't really matter, as this 352-page book (by Beth Kobliner, best-selling author and journalist) will educate and empower "anyone" to greater financial success in their life.

For example, in my practice over the years, working with mainly with Health Practitioners, who are very busy, with hectic schedules ... many are stressed out, often taking better care of their clients than they do of themselves. Also, they have paid a "huge" price, in time, effort and money (bank debts!) to receive their professional designations and certifications. These dedicated, heart-centered healers are very well trained in the CLINICAL side of their practice - but most often, the BUSINESS side - as well as their PERSONAL FINANCES - are a totally different story.

Kobliner includes common sense and sound advice that's applicable to "everyone" - on budgeting, credit, banking, investing, credit cards, ATMs, bank accounts, mutual funds, retirement savings plans, apartment renting, paying back student loans, retirement planning, home buying, insurance, taxes, tips on car loans, and more.

Without any hesitation, I give this excellent book a 5-STAR recommendation!

Sincerely, Peter Arnold, CLU, CFC / Canada
55 people found this helpful
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Marcos Vega
5.0 out of 5 stars This was the perfect book for someone who usually gets bored to tears by personal finance
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
This was the perfect book for someone who usually gets bored to tears by personal finance (aka me). When I started this book, I had heard terms like 401k and Roth IRA before, but I didn't know much if anything about them and I didn't feel the need to learn. However, as a 25 y/o, it's important that I become financial competent, so I picked this book after seeing it recommended several times in financial subreddits. I never expected to finish this book over my holiday vacation, but I found the content to be so straight forward that I actually felt competent instead of confused by financial jargon. I finished the book understanding where my money should go and in what order (high interest debt first, then x, y z, etc). Reading this book inspired many questions for my financial advisor, and now, I finally feel prepared and empowered to have an intelligent conversation about this subject.
23 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Beth Kobliner does a wonderful job of presenting the information in an easy to ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book helped me to build upon previous knowledge that I had on personal finance.My first read was personal finance for dummies book which helped build a foundation. Beth Kobliner does a wonderful job of presenting the information in an easy to read way. I finished the book in about 5 days! I am a current graduate student in college, and would recommend to anyone looking to secure their financial future.
2 people found this helpful
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Jonathan Hercules
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for anyone who doesn’t know much about personal finance especially for college students
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
Having graduated from college recently this book has served well in my research of personal finance. I found this book to have supplemental information with other books I’ve read such as I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. Most of the information is something I’ve come across again which is a great feeling knowing the information is solid and consistent. In regards to the tax information, the author did state the information is likely outdated and states readers should look for updated tax info. Regardless some of the info is good for anyone who doesn’t know much about taxes and serves as a good introduction.
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John E.
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
If you have someone in your life that doesn't have a good grasp on all things financial/taxes/insurance/etc. I highly recommend this book. I have given away at least 30 copies. This purchase was for my soon to be 18 year old step daughter, since she didn't understand car insurance. I used to keep several copies on hand just to give away. Highly recommend!!
4 people found this helpful
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Davinia Osborne
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read. Informative. Life-changing
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
Wow. I’m 22 and I’m so happy I brought this book. It was an easy read and was super informative. I’ve learned a lot about 401k, taxes, investing, credit just to make a few. I truly feel like it’s one of those books that make your life better with the knowledge it provides you with. I wanted to reread it when I was done just to make sure I truly got everything I needed to know but someone asked if they could borrow it to read themselves and I felt like I just needed to share it with them so they can be aware of these things too. I’ll reread when they give it back. It’s definitely a book I want to keep in my personal library.
8 people found this helpful
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Mike
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but needs a revision specially in tax chapter
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is my second finance related book after reading RDPD and I have to say there's a lot of good content in here and lots of nice advise that i wish I read years ago.

I really liked how she explains the whole insurance process and many othersl scenarios suchbas 401k.

One major problem i see in this book is when it comes to the taxes chapter. The tax code have had a major overhaul with this administration and unfortunately a lot of the tax information is totally invalid. I recommend you look for tax answers elswhere.
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Mike
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but needs a revision specially in tax chapter
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2020
This is my second finance related book after reading RDPD and I have to say there's a lot of good content in here and lots of nice advise that i wish I read years ago.

I really liked how she explains the whole insurance process and many othersl scenarios suchbas 401k.

One major problem i see in this book is when it comes to the taxes chapter. The tax code have had a major overhaul with this administration and unfortunately a lot of the tax information is totally invalid. I recommend you look for tax answers elswhere.
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7 people found this helpful
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Michael Pesce
5.0 out of 5 stars For The Love of Money
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2021
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I love learning common-sense approaches to handling finances. Every month, my wife and I, put together a zero-base budget and it has been one of the most successful ways in managing money for our family that we've ever experienced. This book just continues on with the education of learning what to do and what not to do when it comes to managing this constantly changing resource. Can't wait to read the book furthermore.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

From a Mum
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is worth your time and money, even when written for USA citizens
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is precise and to the point, how to handle your finance, which steps to do and what to look out for. It is a instructions book, which was clever researched, every detail you need is written for you, which website to go, where to call, what to say. It is not only good and great for beginners, it is good knowledge. It gives you ideas how to do better with your finances.
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Ashley
2.0 out of 5 stars Directed solely to those living in the US
Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2020
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This book does have some helpful points in it for sure but I was disappointed to learn that it's geared solely at those living in the US and so all the tips and information doesn't relate to the way things work in Canada. Wish I had known that but ah well .
One person found this helpful
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Michele
2.0 out of 5 stars Not really useful for europeans
Reviewed in Germany on August 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
It is a book clearly written for united states citizen. It has reference to the US labour and rent law, or the way of living of americans (eating out, mobile homes etc...) The most interesting part is the discussion about how useful it is to buy a house and what advantages and disadvantages it has. But there as well you need to adapt it to european context. If you live I europe I would not suggest it.
2 people found this helpful
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Christian Abi-lamah
1.0 out of 5 stars Book not clean
Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2020
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Book not clean, I’m not sure it’s a new copy! The cover has many stains and scratches
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Bharat Kul Ratan
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for indian lifestyle and policies.
Reviewed in India on December 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book repeats that you maintain a good credit score and gives reference to various websites for cross verification. Also it is focused on American policies. So an Indian reader might not be able to connect also I found most of the content very basic and repetitive.
5 people found this helpful
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