Rating: 
Summary: Practical advice for couples starting their financial future
Review: Bach has written a nine-step plan for couples that should not be overlooked by any couple doing financial planning. The book is written on two premises: (1) that the issue of finances cause couples the most stress of any issue in a relationship; and (2) everyone can become wealthy, no matter how much you currently make. The nine steps walk you through what you need to do to set up emergency reserves, and start investing, so that you can retire a millionaire. His plan is not revolutionary - it is essentially the same mantra of dollar cost averaging, invest in mutual funds, and invest at least something on a regular basis. But Bach adds a new spin by gearing his book to couples, and encouraging people to do financial planning with their partner, rather than independently. This is not a hard book to read or understand, and it is a relatively quick read. People who have read other books in this genre will recognize the theories and themes, but I think you will find that Bach adds enough new information and new slant on old ideas that you will learn from and enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Risky
Review: Generally speaking I find this book to be a tad misleading. Many financial "gurus" have taunted people with the vision of financial freedom and eternal happiness for years. They are not honest about the fact that by the time you have the "riches" you have so painstakingly saved for, you are physically, emotionally and mentally spent. Both the husband and wife look physically repulsive, you are sick to death of each other after years of psychological game playing and have no emotional strength left to "enjoy" basically anything. I think it's important to realize that every relationship is a gamble and no human is perfect. Beauty fades as the body grows old and our hearts become torn by the torrents and storms of marriage and life events. Family members from both sides pry and fight over any money you have and impose guilt trips on you for any success - considering only a small percentage of people actually acheive this type of wealth before getting a terminal illness or dying tragically. It is much wiser to build a life on the wealth and richness of good friends and great experiences and not roll your dice for a perfect "someday." My advice would be to save your money, which is basic common sense, and not buy this book. Use the money now, in your life, for something that will make you truly happy.
Rating: 
Summary: CPA or not, this is THE financial book for couples
Review: I am a CPA and my wife is a full-time education student. I enjoy reading about accounting and finance. She does not. I like to pay the bills and do the household bookkeeping. She does not. However, my point is, we BOTH agree that this book is the one to have if you want to learn about saving and investing, building a nest egg for retirement, and having the financial independence to realize dreams, AS A COUPLE. I found this book very easy-to-read and informative, and I know I will use it often for future reference. As a CPA, I am accustomed to reading finance books and articles that are loaded with technical finance jargon. However, David Bach presents this information in a much more refreshing manner, and in a way that is easy for those unfamiliar with financial terminology, to understand. It gives you a wealth of information about 401(k)s, life insurance, trusts, wills, mutual funds, DRIPs, and much more. Most importantly, Smart Couples Finish Rich emphasizes personal financial planning and management as practically a lifestyle, not just an exercise or process. It shows you how to determine, as individuals and as a couple, what values you hold dear and how your view of money, investing, consumption, etc., should be aligned with your values. It really helps the reader to see that everything that one does in his or her life is a reflection of their values, including how one plans and manages his/her financial future. I highly recommend this book to those couples who are looking for an effective tool to learn more about personal finance and how to provide for their rich future together.
Rating:
Summary: STRONG, SOUND ADVICE!
Review: Investing for your future is sound, strong advice at any age. As a teacher of business management and having counselled an overwhelming number of people in the area of finance, I believe investing is particularly critical for young people today. I am so happy to read that previous reviewers, in their twenties, have learned from this book and are planning for their future. If you are starting your career and in your twenties, now is the time for financial planning, even though you might not be able to put a lot of money aside, "every penny saved, is a penny earned."There are many books on the market today on investing and financial planning. Some I would highly recommend, others are not worth the time it takes to read the book - save the money you would spend on those "guaranteed get rich quick books" and invest the money where it will guarantee a return. "Smart Couples Finish Rich" is filled with a wealth of information on money management, retirement accounts, living trusts, types of insurance and investing in general. After reading it, you will be better equiped to manage your money and save for the future. That not only makes "smart cents," it makes smart sense. Hopefully, with some financial peace of mind and stability, couples will not only finish rich, they will finish rich... together!
Rating:
Summary: Like dew in the morning
Review: There are myriads of finance books promising that they contain the key to discovering financial shortcut techniques. In reality many of the tools that can help couples reach their financial goals are those that are within easy reach of most couples. When you look at any book on investing you will see that the main principles are diligence, persistence, and patience. These are also the traits exhibited by most millionaires as demonstrated in the Millionaire Mind and in the Millionaire Brain. This further proof does support the notions presented in Smart Couples Finish Rich.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful; much of it timeless advice
Review: There were three things I especially liked about this book. The first was the way the author presented the fact that small things do add up. In the beginning of the book, he states that most people overestimate (financially) what they can accomplish in a year and underestimate what they can accomplish over many years. He includes graphs that illustrate this dramatically. The second was the chapter on values. This chapter had a number of exercises for each partner to complete independently. Then, together, they can begin to draft a plan for their finances that embraces the values they each hold most closely. If the financial plan is customized to fit the values of the particular couple, taken together, it makes all the sense in the world that it will be easier and more satisfying to LIVE with that plan and carry it out over time (without either of the partners sabotaging the plan). The third is somewhat tied into the first point I mentioned. It is a chapter called "The Couples Latte Factor." This chapter discusses "small," daily expenses and how, if a couple decides to eliminate or reduce even one or two of these daily expenses and invest that money instead, it can result in a lot of money, over time. This and most of the other chapters include real-life examples of couples whose experiences illustrate the principles being discussed. I recognized the value of all of this advice right away as I was reading it, but initially felt a bit overwhelmed, thinking: "This is great, but how am I going to do it ALL?" Because I imagine that other people may have the same feelings, I will share the answer we ended up coming up with. A little at a time. I still haven't gotten up to investing 10% of my income in my company's 401(k), but as a couple, we ARE very near to reaching our goal of setting aside a year's worth of expenses in an emergency account and we HAVE adjusted the amount of life insurance we carry and had estate documents drafted by an attorney. Once we do have the complete year's worth of expenses set aside, I'll change my 401(k) investment to 10%. Is this the order Mr. Bach or another financial planner would advise us to do things in? I don't know. I DO know that doing things the way we have, gradually following more and more of his advice has GOT to be better than being paralyzed and doing nothing...which is what we would have been in danger of doing if we hadn't taken it a little at a time. A book I would recommend in conjunction with this is The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life by Suze Orman.
Rating:
Summary: Can't believe this is a financial book!
Review: This book is amazingly entertaining considering it is a financial book. The stories scattered throughout each chapter are interesting and relevent. The 9 steps are simple and easy to achieve. I'd recommend this to anyone, in fact, I bought an extra copy for my parents.
Rating:
Summary: Generic Advice for the Risk Averse
Review: This is an excellent book for all couples who love each other and want to progress together towards a happy and prosperous future. I would also recommend the following works for couples who want to be bonded together with the stronest possible bonds: the dvd "Life's Ultimate Pleasure" by Clint Arthur, and the video "Goddess Worship".
Rating:
Summary: good, but conservative, advice
Review: This is an excellent book to use when planning your family's finances. Obviously, given the power of compounding, to which the author repeatedly refers, the earlier in your life you start planning for your financial future, the better off you will be. I recommend the book to anyone with the understanding that it follows a conservative, fairly conventional path toward financial security. If you are a finance whiz, you will find parts of the book too conservative and too plain. If you try to magnify your investment returns by trading options, for example, or you invest in real estate, or any other kind of investment other than 'plain vanilla stocks and bonds' you will find the book limiting. That said, the book provides an excellent organizational structure for any one trying to get a hold on his financial picture.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice, especially for young couples.
Review: This is one of the only financial planning books I've ever purchased and actually read. It was an easy read, and I would say that Bach's plan is easy to follow. It's nothing incredibly unique, but it's a good message to youger people like me (I'm 30) who seem to these days not have good financial basics or the ability to save. I am somewhat in this category and have plenty of friends who are as well. The lessons are simple. Find where to save, save a little each month, invest it wisely (preferably in your companies 401K or a mutual fund), and pay down your debt before racking up more. However, Bach seems to put it in a manner where he does show how this can pay off, and even gets you half-way motivated to do it yourself. Ultimately though, it will be up to the reader to buckle down and prepare for their financial future. I have recommended this book to my friends. ...
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