Synopses & Reviews
Jean Chatzky has been working with viewers of NBC's Today show for ayearlong series on how to get out of debt once and for all. Her method, both on TV and in this book, is simple yet powerful: the key is saving just $10 a day that you currently waste. It doesn't sound like much a movie ticket or lunch for two at McDonald's but $10 really can take you from debt to wealth in just a few years. And because it doesn't feel like an impossible goal, people are more likely to stick with Chatzky's plan than an extreme regimen of spending cutbacks.
Chatzky is focusing on debt because it's the single biggest threat to our financial health. The average American family has sixteen credit cards and high-rate debt of more than $8000, not even counting car loans and mortgages. They pay more than $1000 a year in interest alone. Debt makes people feel depressed and overwhelmed, leaving them without enough money for the truly important things in life education, retirement, owning a home, feeling secure.
Chatzky, one of America's most popular personal finance experts, writes in down- to-earth, woman-next-door language about how to get started right away, without giving up the things that truly give you pleasure. She offers practical, accessible strategies to help readers find the money to pay off their bills, lower their interest rates, and improve their credit scores. Featuring real-life examples of people featured on her Today show series, Pay It Down can transform debtors into future millionaires.
Review
"Jean Chatzky helps you change the way you think about your money and shows that getting out of debt is not as hard as it seems." David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire
Synopsis
This companion book to a yearlong "Today" show series tackles the number one personal finance challenge: getting out of debt.
About the Author
Jean Chatzky is the financial editor for NBC's Today show, has monthly column in Money magazine, and is a featured columnist for USA Weekend and Time.
Table of Contents
Contents the promise ix
Introduction: Getting Ahead and Staying Ahead xv
step 1
Assess the Problem 1
step 2
Break Your Challenge into Manageable Steps 15
step 3
Know and Manage Your Credit Score 21
step 4
Track Your Spending 43
step 5
Find the Money 61
step 6
Find the Money: Consolidating Your Debts 91
step 7
Find the Money: Spending Less 107
step 8
Find the Money: Making Hard Choices, Selling Assets, Earning More 141
step 9
Pay It DownIntelligently 159
step 10
How to Deal When Things Go Wrong 171
step 11
Staying Ahead of the Game 189
Afterword: Congratulations 211
Acknowledgments 213
Index 215