The ABC's of Credit: Too Much Information--Not Enough Time to Read the Small Print

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource.
Review: Excellent information for people of all ages. Very easy to read and understand with helpful examples in a variety of credit situations. I would especially recommend this book to high school students and new college freshmen where bad credit starts all too often.

Rating:
Summary: read the small print and pay attention
Review: I learned to read all the small print and to pay close attention, this means in all service aggreements, credit applications, and contracts. The glossary in this book gives the consumer a heads up on the terms used by vendors and lenders. Watch those percentage points.The first section, Closing the Gap offers insights into weighing your needs against your wants and knowing what you need and howto evaluate some of the services you don't use but pay big bucks for. The Authors aren't preachy. You won't find advice for dummies or idiots here, but then this book is written to provide consumer information as well as personal finace ideas

Rating:
Summary: Great for College bound students!
Review: I read this book looking for a simple way of getting my college-bound son some information to help him get his credit history started on his own. I found great information on basics on establishing checking accounts and credit card accounts, as well as an added bonus on college financial help. My son was willing to read the book because it was a short book and in an easy to read format, listing different areas and cross referencing them. Now he's more prepared for going out on his own, and I feel better about his handling of his finances.

Rating:
Summary: Tips that save you money immediately
Review: This is a great book. It is not about fixing your credit, instead it is about getting the most out of the money you spend on goods and services. Be careful about late fees, forgetting to mail a payment not only costs a fee up front but you pay interest on that fee. The authors don't claim to be experts but they do advise to get the advice of experts when you are buying a home, or refinancing. Less than perfect credit is ok, is the cry of many store front refinance companies, don't fall for that. Make sure the percentage points they give you in the first conversation are what ends up in the contract. We like to do things on our own but never sign a contract involving your home without having a third party look at it, they might see things in the small print that you did not. The budgeting ideas are great and really offer some good information. This book is not insulting and does not assume that we don't know any thing like the idiot and dummy books. The first chapter, Closing the Gap presents useful information regardless of where you are in your personal finances.