The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

Author: Dave Ramsey
Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9781595550781
Label: Thomas Nelson
Dimension: 0.3 x 9.3 x 0.24 inches
ISBN: 159555078X
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Number of items: 1
Number of pages: 288
Publication date: December 29, 2009
Studio: Thomas Nelson

Features and Descriptions

• ISBN13: 9781595550781
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Product Description

The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.

Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. 'Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses,' Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. 'They're broke!'

The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.

Published under: Recommended Financial Books

Tags: how-to, proven, plan, makeover, money, financial, debt, cash, advance, consolidation, american, dream, works

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Comments & Ratings (Average Rating : )

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I enjoy discussions about my finances about as much as I enjoy talking about my weight. I certainly need to work on both, but I'd prefer to avoid the topics if at all possible, thank you very much. Can I get an "amen"?

Dave Ramsey, radio talk show host, author and all-around financial guru, is no stranger to this ostrich routine. After his own bankruptcy he came to the conclusion that the key to financial (and physical) fitness isn't knowing all the tricks of the money trade; it's being honest with yourself. "If I can control the guy in the mirror, I can be skinny and rich," he says in his new book THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER.

In other words, you have to get your head out of the sand. Okay, I have to get my head out of the sand.

Leaving the skinny to other books, Ramsey is a prophet to those who want to be rich but would settle for being financially stable. It's clear that this is a large group, given the popularity of Ramsey's radio show and books. After reading THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, I can see why they flock to him for advice.

Ramsey's principles are simple and straightforward. Pay cash. Pay off debts from smallest to largest. Create an emergency fund. He provides easy-to-understand answers to many seemingly complex questions about budgeting, retirement funds, saving for college education, and more.

Large pullout quotes scattered throughout the book offer bite-sized financial advice and factoids in Ramsey's typically direct manner:

"A new $28,000 car will lose about $17,000 of value in the first four years you own it. To get the same result, you could toss a $100 bill out the window once a week during your commute."

"Looking to spend $100 per month on life insurance? You could pay $7 a month toward term insurance and invest the remaining $93. But go with a cash-value policy if you'd rather have someone else earn interest on your investments."

"49% of Americans could cover less than one months' expenses if they lost their income."

"If your mortgage payment is $900 and the interest portion is $830, you will pay that year around $10,000 in interest. What a great tax deduction! Right? Otherwise, you'd pay $3,000 in taxes on that $10,000. But who in their right mind would chose to trade $10,000 for $3,000?"

All of this advice is helpful and eye opening, but what Ramsey really excels at is presenting inspirational tales of those who were once, but are no longer, in financial disarray. Their stories make up at least a third of the book, and the cumulative effect is that of a published pep rally designed to get people pumped up about saving money. And it works.

This is a must-read book for anyone whose looking for a little basic financial information and a whole lot of courage to finally put away the ostrich suit.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel

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If you're thinking about passing on this latest book from financial guru Dave Ramsey because you've already read his first New York Times bestseller Financial Peace, think again. Financial Peace is "what to do." Total Money Makeover is a step-by-step, nuts and bolts "how to do" kind of book. Dave takes the seven key principles of a healthy financial plan from Financial Peave and gives them a shot of adrenaline and a ton of muscle! He walks with you through each of the seven "baby steps" and shows you exactly how to accomplish each one. Along the way Dave shares dozens of stories from people who are working on or have completed their own Total Money Makeover. The result is a book that could replace all others on personal finance. Reader beware: If you're looking for the next "get rich quick" book from a guy with a calculator and no experience, this is not the book for you. But if you want an uplifting and encouraging book that will show you exactly how to build true wealth and will give you loads of stories from people who have done just that, pick this book up today! Dave knocks it out of the park with Total Money Makeover, and your personal finances could be doing the same very soon.

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Finally, a book that speaks to everyone, from those who are complete financial disasters to those who pay their bills on time, but overpend and need to reduce their debt load. Too many books about debt focus only on paying your bills on time and reducing your interest rates, while ignoring the people who have too much debt and are too smart about it, never paying a late fee and keeping it all at low interest.

I have never heard Ramsey's radio show, but this book was a huge wake-up call for me. It is motivational and it will get you pumped to get intense about reducing your debt load and living only with the cash you have today. The strategies are excellent, the advice is solid, and people have turned their lives around under Ramsey's guidance. There are a lot of testimonials in this book, perhaps a few too many, but I enjoyed seeing the success stories and seeing the different kinds of people who turned to Ramsey's method.

This book has wide appeal and everyone should check it out once to give their finances a good sanity check.

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Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover took me 2 days to read it. It was an easy read and he really opened my eyes to the pitfalls of credit and debt. I, like millions of others, have been taught that credit card debt is normal and good. People with no credit cards are looked down on and made fun of.

Luckily, I have been credit card free for years but I was thinking about getting a secured card to rebuild my credit so that I can get a REAL credit card again. Thanks to Dave Ramsey's sage advice, I have nixed that idea in favor of paying off my husband's outstanding student loans, tackling my own student loans when they come due, building a fully-funded emergency fund, buying a house with 100% cash, investing, and giving.

It is impossible to be debt free with credit cards. I refuse to get back into that snake pit ever again.

Dave's ideas are common sense with a dash of financial genius. You don't need a college degree or a high IQ to understand and live the 7 steps that make up his plan.

As far as investing is concerned, there are some naysayers that say his plan lacks sense in that area. I am below novice status in the world of investments so I will leave that up to the professionals to bicker over. In the meantime, his plan seems to have helped thousands of people so I will stick to his advice unless I see with my own eyes that it is not working for me.

As with any financial plan, you need to tailor it to your particular situation and Dave does an amazing job at that in his book. The anecdotes really helped me believe his plan can and will work in my situation.

I will never have to borrow money from friends and family for emergencies. I will never have to worry about my FICO score to buy a house. Best of all, I will never have to toss and turn every night worrying about my future because I know I will be okay.

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I read this book and felt motivated to start right away! I started my emergency fund, paid off all of my credit cards, and closed all but one account. I'm scared to close that last one because I feel like I won't be able to get a mortgage if I don't have some kind of credit. As much as I would love to pay cash for a house that option is not feasible for me at this time. I will probably end up closing my last credit card once I get confirmation that I can still buy a house without a FICO score. I am still working on my debt and snowballing my student loans; I feel so much lighter each time I make a big payment! This system is simple enough for anyone to do and I appreciate that. I am still new to this but so far so good! A++