Financial Basics: A Money-Management Guide for Students

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Summary: Practical solutions to common money problems
Review: Also available in a hardcover edition (0814290785, $39.95), Financial Basics: A Money-Management Guide For Students by certified public account, financial planner, and former university administrator and teacher Susan Knox shares hard-learned lessons about managing money when in college. Practical solutions to common money problems faced by students and family, as well as flexible money-management tips, tricks, and techniques for readers accustomed to handling their money in any of a variety of styles fill this solid, information-packed resource. An absolute must-have for any young adult entering the complex world of financial matters, especially when attending school far away from home.


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Summary: Excellent Primer for Students
Review: I am a professional financial advisor and have had the opportunity to work with many clients in their 40's and beyond who haven't mastered the basics presented here by Knox. How I wish they had this book 20 years earlier to get them started on the right path - the time lost really hurts. The money management lessons are timeless, straightforward and essential for everyone, especially young adults striking out on their own. The writing is special - stories that help students relate (and make them want to keep reading). The lessons are doled out gently and casually, not more preaching. All-in-all, an excellent resource. I plan to give it to my clients' kids as they hit high school.

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Summary: Your Credit Rating Counts
Review: I sent Financial Basics with my nephew to college. It's a very practical money-management guide for students that generously uses student stories to illustrate the author's points. Most impressive to me is the section that reminds students that their credit rating, good or bad, will follow them after college graduation. She provides contact information for credit rating companies so students can view their own credit history.

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Summary: I wish I would have had this book about 10 years ago!
Review: I'm a graduate student, and I got "Financial Basics" as a resource for a project I did last quarter. My project centered around measuring college students' financial awareness and proactiveness.

Book was an easy, non-threatening read. I started and finished "Financial Basics" during a 2.5 hour plane ride.

Great thing about the book is that you don't necessarily have to be a student (or former student) to benefit from the advice Knox presents. Everyone interviewed for the book had differing financial situations and education--from the financially clueless to the overly stingy and everywhere in between. Instead of trying to fit everyone into one black-and-white financial solution, she gave easy-to-follow, general tips on money management, credit card responsibility, and savings.