Synopses & Reviews
You're the one working hard to make a living, but once you've made your money, who controls it?
Do you speak money? You should. It is the world's most important language. It's spoken everywhere. Speakingor at least understandingthis language allows you to follow the real conversations in politics, business, and at work. Understanding money and speaking the language fluently is critical to preparingfor a comfortable retirement, building a small business, and planning for college and a career for your children. Everyone speaks it differently, with different dialects. Some are riskier than others. Some want to save their money; others want to see it grow. There is no one accent, but understanding the differences will make couples, business partners, and coworkers happierand wealthier. Authors and CNN financial experts Ali Velshi and Christine Romans speak the global language of money and translate it every day for hundreds of thousands of viewers. And they are here to teach you, too. It's easier to learn than you might think.
Speaking money affects every area of your life. It's more than simply your savings or the investments you may have. It involves the way you think about money, the way you teach your children about it, and the way you were taught about it yourself. It's about the way you spend it, save it, invest it, use it, need it, and want it. This book will:
Shed light on why men and women spend and invest differently
Discuss emerging international economies
Weigh the financial hurdle of student debt culminating in a successful job
Explain how to budget wisely and build wealth
Show how to plan appropriately for retirement
How to Speak Money is an easy-to-read, practical book that helps readers become fluent in the world's most universal language.
Review
“How To Speak Money by Ali Velshi and Christine Romans is a tutorial for the last taboo subject... our money. Ali and Christine remove the mystery and help us understand smart strategies for financial independence, growth, and security. The book fascinates as it teaches. Ali, the dare devil who takes risks and Christine the fiscal conservative who lives consciously. This book should be required education for everyone. People communicate more openly about sex than money. Each person in a relationship, whether business or personal, needs to understand and resolve, different points of view about debt, saving, investing and spending. If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, most of us live on the confused planet of Pluto, when it comes to dollars and sense. How to Speak Money, is the new gift for loved ones, colleagues, non-profits and friends. This Christmas, because of this great new book, the people in my life will finally be speaking the same language in matters of finance. Thank you, Ali and Christine.”—Kathy Ireland, CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide.
Synopsis
A hard look at financial pros and cons with two of the best-known experts on TVIt's your money ... isn't it? When you take a good, hard look at who (or what) is controlling your biggest investments, you may just find it's not you. In some cases, it may be that no one is getting the job done and, in other instances, you may find that outside forces are in control: your employer or the government. Who is contributing and managing your retirement account? Who is handling your mortgage? Veteran financial journalists Ali Velshi and Christine Romans tackle every major money issue, from homes and debt to education and employment, and along the way they place the ownership back in our own hands, empowering the reader with prescriptive, how-to information to come out on top. Taking complex financial concepts and turning them into kitchen table economics, You Did What With My Money? is an entertaining read from two respected experts.
- Should you rent a house for the next few years until you repair your finances or jump on this once-in-a-generation buyers' market and low interest rates and buy a home?
- Is a college degree still worth it, or are so-called "ladder" careers that can help you become a successful small business owner without a college degree more worthwhile?
Providing advice from opposite ends of the spectrum, the authors clearly present the pros and cons of the financial worries plaguing us all, allowing the reader to make a decision that best suits his or her lifestyle.
Synopsis
PRAISE FOR HOW TO SPEAK MONEY"If you've never had money . . .and now you have money . . .and you want to keep your money . . .and have your money bring you more money . . .then you need a book like this to change your history with money—Ali Velshi and Christine Romans' How to Speak Money. This book will give you the knowledge to help change your financial future."
—will.i.am
"When it comes to keeping track of your hard-earned money, Christine and Aliwill set you straight. Listen y'all, I was a late bloomer when it came to beinga success. It wasn't always easy but with patience and hard work my family and I made it. If you want to get an edge in life, read this book. Learn what you can from the folks who will guide you on the right path."
—Paula Deen, Celebrity Cook and Entrepreneur
"Ali Velshi and Christine Romans have written a book you need to keep by your bedside. Read it every night. It will show you how foolish and lax you've beenwith your finances, and how to maximize your financial potential and makemore money."
—Gene Simmons, CoFounder, KISS; Star of A&E's Gene Simmons Family Jewels
"This must-read book, coauthored by my good friend Ali Velshi, is for everyone who is interested in finance, investment strategies, and planning for their financial future."
—Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA basketball player
Synopsis
Do you speak money? You should. It is the world’s most important language. It’s spoken everywhere. Speaking—or at least understanding—this language allows you to follow the real conversations in politics, business, and at work. Understanding money and speaking the language fluently is critical to preparing for a comfortable retirement, building a small business, planning for college and a career for your children. Everyone speaks it differently, with different dialects. Some are riskier than others. Some want to save their money; others want to see it grow. There is no one accent, but understanding the differences will make couples, business partners, and coworkers happier—and wealthier. Authors and CNN financial experts Ali Velshi and Christine Romans speak the global language of money and translate it every day for hundreds of thousands of viewers. And they are here to teach you, too. It’s easier to learn than you might think.
Speaking money affects every area of your life. It’s more than simply your savings or the investments you may have. It involves the way you think about money, the way you teach your children about it, and the way you were taught about it yourself. It’s about the way you spend it, save it, invest it, use it, need it and want it. The book will:
- Shed light on the male and female spending and investing disparity
- Discuss emerging international economies
- Weigh the financial hurdle of student debt culminating in a successful job
- Explain how to budget wisely and build wealth
- Show how to plan appropriately for retirement
How to Speak Money is an easy-to-read, practical book that helps readers become fluent in the world’s most universal language.
About the Author
Ali Velshi is CNN's Chief Business Correspondent and host of Your Money. His in-depth reporting on the auto industry was honored with a National Headliner Award for Business & Consumer reporting in 2010. He anchored CNN's coverage of the attempted terror attack on a flight into Detroit, for which CNN was nominated for a 2010 Emmy. He is the author of
Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis.
Christine Romans is the host of Your Bottom Line, CNN's Saturday morningpersonal finance and lifestyle program and the money reporter for CNN's AmericanMorning. Her reports are carried on CNN's platforms worldwide. Among her awards is an Emmy for her reporting on outsourcing American jobs. From Timothy Geithner and Venus Williams to Tony Hawk and Russell Simmons, Romans interviews a diverse range of public personalities on financialissues facing Americans. She is the author of Smart Is the New Rich (Wiley), based on her experience covering the financial crisis.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Chapter 1 The Big Picture 1
Money Is Everywhere 2
Understanding Money 4
Where Are You? 5
Getting to Where You Want to Go 6
Getting Started 7
The Key to Wealth: Live Below Your Means 9
Change with the Times 10
It’s Up to You 11
Different Strokes, Different Folks 12
Making Your Plan 12
Chapter 2 We Fight About Money, Too 15
A Failure to Communicate 17
How Do You Have a Difficult Conversation? 18
Chapter 3 Gendernomics 27
Shifting Roles 29
Are You Sure We’re Talking about the Same Thing? 30
Why Do Smart People Buy Stupid Things? 32
Women and Investing 33
Gendernomics in the Workplace 35
Chapter 4 Speaking Money around the World 39
A Brief History 40
Climbing Up the Ladder 42
A Fish Story 44
Globalization: Good or Bad? 45
What Goes Around Comes Around 48
Who’s Zooming Who? 49
Chapter 5 Speaking Money at Work 53
Speak STEM 55
Dirty Jobs 57
Green Jobs 58
Women and Work 60
Getting a Job 61
The Long-Term Unemployed 65
You Wanna Start Something? 67
Not-So-Happy Campers 68
Chapter 6 Speaking Money on Campus 71
High School Then, College Today 72
A College Degree Never Hurt Anyone 74
The Future Starts in Grade School 75
Education for Life 76
How Should You Look at College? 77
Thinking of Changing Fields? 81
Chapter 7 Speaking Money in the Market 87
Cash Equivalents 89
Let’s Speak Bonds 91
Price versus Yield 92
The World of Stocks 94
International Investing 95
Stepping into the Market 97
Mutual Funds 98
Index Funds 99
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) 102
Do Your Homework! 102
Chapter 8 Speaking Money to Investment Principles 107
Principle 1: There Is a Direct Relationship between Risk and Return 107
Principle 2: Time Is Your Friend 114
Principle 3: Diversification Lowers Your Risk and Improves Your Return 114
Asset Allocation: The Key to Results 116
Chapter 9 Speaking Money in Your Own Portfolio 119
Your Investment Questionnaire 120
Your Model Portfolios 125
The Importance of Rebalancing 128
Financial Advisors—Yes or No? 129
Chapter 10 Speaking Money on the Home Front 135
Buying a Home 138
Rent versus Buy: One Man’s Story 145
What If You’re Selling? 146
When Is the Best Time to Buy? 149
Chapter 11 Speaking Money on Budget 153
Software Makes Budgeting Easier 155
Here Comes the Rain 156
What Does It Cost to Live? 157
Getting Out of Debt 160
Chapter 12 Speaking Money in Retirement 163
The Historical Perspective 164
Retirement Is Expensive 166
Programs to Fund Your Retirement 168
Play a Waiting Game 171
Social Security: The Nation’s Safety Net 173
Summing It Up 174
Living Your Golden Years 175
Afterword 177
Bibliography 179
About the Authors 181
Index 185