| The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success: Nine Essential Steps for Planning, Budgeting, and Investing-second addition
Frank J. Eberhart
iUniverse (2007, 2008)
ISBN 9780595411986
Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (11/07)
At first glance, you might be a little bit skeptical about a mere 137-page book labeled a ‘bible.’ Yet author Frank J. Eberhart delivers a straightforward and concise look at personal finances…even if you think you’ve put it off way too long. “The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success: Nine Essential Steps for Planning, Budgeting, and Investing” will get you up and on the road toward fiscal achievement in no time flat.
“The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success” is organized in a workbook style format, making it easy to apply your current situation right there as you read. These practical applications make immediate use of what you learn – and as you are learning it - giving you the confidence that you are getting the gist of each concept. Eberhart leaves ample writing space to fill in your own information for analysis and future reference.
If terms like ‘defective granter trust’ or ‘qualified terminal interest property’ make your head spin, “The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success” will take away the pain. Eberhart walks you step-by-step through a myriad of different financial options and even the most confusing terminology. There are plenty of reasons why people procrastinate when it comes to truly managing their money. “The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success” actually makes it hard not to go ahead and get things organized.
Financial advisors and insurance agents all have products to sell so you are never 100% sure that the information they give you is completely unbiased. Are you buying into a smart investment that will positively benefit your financial future or are you simply padding their big ol’ commission checks? With “The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success,” you don’t have those concerns and uncertainties; you have honest, impartial advice meant to profit (pun intended) you and your loved ones.
Frank J. Eberhart wants you to quit postponing your financial makeover and discover how easy it actually is. “The Procrastinator’s Bible for Financial Success” does just that, regardless of your previous fiscal background (or lack thereof). It’s never been this effortless – or pleasant – to make sense of the complicated financial world! Why put it off a minute longer?
ForeWord-Clarion
PERSONAL FINANCE
Five Stars *****
The Procrastinator’s Bible For Financial Success:
Nine Essential Steps For Planning, Budgeting, And Investing
Frank J. Eberhart
iUniverse
137 pages
Softcover $18.95
978-0-595-41198-6
Five stars (out of Five) *****
Frank Eberhart’s Procrastinator’s Bible For Financial Success is a wellspring of knowledge about wealth, how to attain it, and how to keep it. A profitable read for beginning investors, procrastinators, and seasoned traders, this “comprehensive workbook” delivers what it promises in a readable, well-organized, easily-followed fashion. From his years of experience and expertise as a financial advisor, Eberhart has distilled nine essential steps for the key areas of planning, budgeting, and investing. If followed, he writes, these steps can “take your finances, your estate and yourself to a new level.”
In his introduction, Eberhart stresses the need for planning, whether the reader is a financial procrastinator or not, and provides a set of five “must-do” items to facilitate the planning process. He follows these with his nine steps which, he says, “are designed to help you understand how investments work, get organized, set your estate plan in place, and put your goals into writing.” A natural born teacher, Eberhart leaves nothing to chance in guiding his readers through the steps. He explains acronyms like QTIP, ETF, JTWROS, and QPRT. He includes definitions throughout the book and a glossary of terms like “front-end load,” “arbitrage,” and “triple witching day.” He includes tips, multiple examples, footnotes that make sense, an entire reference section of relevant Web sites, and frequent advice about consulting experts in legal and financial matters. And perhaps most helpful of all are the checklists and worksheets for specific topics. The one for a retirement budget calculation is an excellent example, with entries for everything from auto expenses to vacation requirements. Equally useful are the six sections of worksheets in chapter two: Personal/Business Information. They provide space to record personal data including the names of family members, prior marriage partners and obligations, wills, assets, debts, life insurance details, estate administration factors, and special needs requirements. Once completed, these pages can be photocopied for use elsewhere if needed.
Eberhart is meticulous in ensuring he thoroughly covers each topic, whether he is detailing how to keep track of investments or discussing how to determine one’s need for life insurance. It’s hard to imagine any questions left unanswered after his chapters on “Step Eight, Understanding Your Investments” and “Step Nine, Mutual Fund Checklist: Items You Need to Address Before Investing.” In addition to his nine steps, Eberhart provides a chapter on learning before investing, which includes topics on the basic classification of funds, the most frequently seen funds, specialty funds of various kinds, a comparison of different funds, an example of his own fund management process, and a note about arbitration. As well there are chapters about bonds, choosing a financial adviser, and a very interesting test on financial trivia.
As his final bit of sage and cogent advice, Eberhart states, “It is up to you to protect your and your family’s financial future. Whether investing or planning your estate, the more you learn, the more you earn—and the more you keep what you earn!” And that, as they say, you can take to the bank.
M. Wayne Cunningham- Five Stars*****
My book is being featured in sponsorship with the BBB on NBC, CBS. It will be featured on WeTv (womens entertainment network) in September/October |
