A debut manual offers wide-ranging advice on all kinds of financial matters.
“Don’t be a victim any longer,” Remsen writes in his bracing book. “Learn the habits of being competent financially.” In a
series of densely detailed chapters, the author takes readers through the widest possible spectrum of the financial world,
touching on everything from taxes and inheritances to 401(k) programs, retirement entitlement benefits, and the creation of
a personal budget. He looks at an array of ways to build personal savings and a variety of obstacles to that goal. He
devotes large amounts of time to giving advice to groups that are typically financially vulnerable: the young, retirees, and
particularly people who’ve had serious financial setbacks and want to recover from them. His pointers are always granular
and practical, and he prevents this from being overwhelming by frequently shifting to an anecdotal storyteller mode (at
which he’s thankfully very good). For example, a discussion of the money matters surrounding car ownership and care
(“Cycling through cars is an expensive habit,” he writes) is colored by the author’s own stories of the favorite autos in his
life. He discusses rentals, the purchase of a home, travel, retirement accounts, credit scores, and a large number of other
financial issues, frequently including photographs and charts to illustrate his points. He also includes website URLs for
readers to take advantage of online resources. Everything from credit issues to the financing of pet care is addressed.

Despite the clarity with which Remsen consistently reminds his readers how important good financial practices are to all
aspects of life’s comforts and ambitions, the best part of his book is his infectious high spirits. If you want to have a
successful financial life, he insists, you must have a positive attitude—it’s his strongest suggestion. Develop a healthy plan
for dealing with the inevitable hurdles in life, the author advises. “It’s difficult, but you will have to reduce the negative
emotions,” he writes. “You can build resilience. Have a little grit. I know you can do it!” This personal, inspirational
undertone raises the book above most of its counterparts in the financial advice market; the stamp of Remsen’s own
personality makes his pragmatic tips feel both more immediate and more trustworthy. The characteristics he ascribes to
the monetarily successful—that they’re reliable, honest, resilient, and good with numbers—are presented in a steady,
inclusive tone that assures readers they can become financially triumphant regardless of any money mistakes they may
have made. The key is change: The financially successful set, he insists, believes in self-education about money—no
matter how bad some people are at managing their funds, they can always learn ways to improve. His strongest note is
one of self-empowerment; he’s constantly warning his readers not to be victims. Financial competence is a skill that can be
learned—and it is in any case not the be-all and end-all of existence. “Life is not money,” he writes. “It is authentic
relationships.” This healthy perspective infuses every aspect of Remsen’s extensive counsel.
A compassionate and richly empowering guide to renovating your finances.

This is a great book, especially in the times that we are living in now. There is much love and understanding that needs to be introduced into the world that we are missing, which is stopping us from achieving our goals and pushing through this problem.I certainly think that this will be helpful to whoever gets a chance to read it. I left a few comments about some small improvements that could be made, but other than that I think this is a lovely book that will touch people and provide valuable emotional and mental health help.At the moment, it reads like a lovely inspirational piece and I am looking forward to seeing it published! Great work!