Title: Money Made Easy! How You (And Your Partner) Can Get a Grip On Your Finances

Author: Helenna Snowden

Genre: Non-fiction

 

In Money Made Easy! How You (And Your Partner) Can Get a Grip On Your Finances, passionate finance enthusiast Helenna Snowden discusses the basics of money management. Throughout the guide, she pulls from her knowledge to discuss all things related to personal finance, from budgeting to retirement planning.

Snowden starts off by outlining couples’ options for combining finances and poses questions to help the reader decide if they should combine bank accounts and bills with their partner or keep them separate. Addressing topics such as whether married couples should file taxes together or separately, she communicates simply and understandably. She doesn’t take an overly-practical approach but considers the relational aspects of joint finances and gives suggestions based on that perspective.

Next, she takes on budgeting, credit scores, loans, and mortgages. As she explains each topic in simple terms, she occasionally mentions her own experience with each and shares the way she prefers to do things and why. She also explains the pros and cons of having credit cards and why many people believe that having a credit score is important.

Snowden doesn’t just talk about how to manage and build a financial plan but discusses approaches to paying off debt, as well. She cites two well-known methods: the avalanche approach and the snowball approach. She expertly and succinctly discusses the benefits of each and why one may be preferred over the other from person to person.

When it comes to the home-buying portion of the book, Snowden takes her time introducing the reader process. She goes into detail about the different kinds of mortgage loans available and the steps that one has to go through when buying a house. Without going into lengthy detail about costs, she gives the reader a clear picture, including information about property taxes and closing fees.

Finally, Snowden shares her financial expertise on the topics of savings, investing, and retirement. She covers mainstream investment options—IRAs, 401ks, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, and so on. However, she claims not to be an expert on crypto investing, so she only briefly mentions cryptocurrency as a way to invest.

Again, Snowden understands that harsh and practical financial advice is not always helpful, as everyone’s situation and finances are different. So, when it comes to savings, she encourages a “do your best” approach, as it’s not realistic for many to save up a 6-month emergency fund, for example.

Though there are parts of the book designed to be helpful for couples, singles could certainly benefit from much of what Snowden puts forth. The book could have been edited just slightly better to make certain sentences flow more smoothly, but for the most part, the author does a good job of explaining herself.

Overall, Money Made Easy! How You (And Your Partner) Can Get a Grip On Your Finances, is a truly useful financial guide. Snowden has done a good job of creating a solid, well-rounded overview that could be helpful to anyone, no matter where they are in their financial journey. After reading, readers will be armed with knowledge and a clear roadmap, ready to turn their financial aspirations into tangible, achievable goals.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.