Synopses & Reviews
As a young professional today, you are part of a generation with greater earning power and more advanced degrees than preceding ones—along with a fresh, holistic outlook on financial success. Yes, you might have taken out more debt than previous generations, but that doesn’t mean you’re a slacker living off credit cards and takeout as media pundits would have people believe. Kimberly Palmer, the Alpha Consumer columnist for
US News & World Report, frequently receives questions from twenty-, thirty-, and forty-something readers like you about making smart, sustainable life choices, including:
What should I be doing with my savings? • Should I take on freelance jobs? • Where should I invest my money? • Should I buy a house or keep renting? • Does it make sense to share a mortgage with my significant other? • Can I afford a baby? • How can I support the causes I believe in? • Should I start a nonprofit?
In Generation Earn, Palmer answers these questions—and many more—in three parts. Part one centers on the self, covering professional goals, personal spending, debt management, and investing. Part two focuses on creating a home, including renting, mortgages, marriage, and saving for baby. Part three addresses the world at large, including green spending, sustainable donating, and supporting nonprofits. Add it all up and you have a plan for every major decision you’ll have to make to create a successful life.
Synopsis
US News & World Report personal finance columnist Kimberly Palmer gives up-and-coming young professionals, who are tiredof being referred to as “generation debt,” advice that bolsters their financial goals for themselves, their budding families, and the global community.
When young professionals walk into a bookstore looking for financial advice, they find tips for getting out of credit card debt, becoming a millionaire, and avoiding stupid mistakes. No books speak directly to their chief money concerns, which revolve around a holistic approach to career ambition, family, and enjoying what they have while giving back to the global community. Generation Earn fills the gap by offering smart and realistic advice on all aspects of life, from “Self” (spending, saving, career, freelancing), to “Family” (cohabitation, cooking, renting, mortgage, baby), and “World” (the most effective ways to give back). Written by an author who is herself a young professional starting a family, this all-in-one resource is the only financial planning book that up-and-comers will need as they navigate personal and professional financial decisions.
Synopsis
"U.S. News & World Report" personal finance columnist Palmer gives up-and-coming young professionals, who are tired of being referred to as "generation debt," advice that bolsters their financial goals for themselves, their budding families, and the global community.
About the Author
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor and personal finance columnist for US News & World Report, writes the magazine column and daily blog, Alpha Consumer. She has appeared on NBC’s Today show, CNBC, and CNN, and written for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. She and her husband just welcomed their first baby and bought a townhouse in the Washington, DC, area.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Meet the New Young Professional 1
Part 1 Building Your Life
1 The Joy of Spending 9
2 Job Juggling 29
3 The Upside of Debt 47
4 Investing for Smarties 61
5 Not Your Parents’ Retirement 75
Part 2 Creating a Home
6 When Parents Are Landlords (or Tenants) 91
7 Lessons in Modern Frugality 105
8 Love, Rings, and Mortgages 119
9 Babies and Bank Accounts 139
Part 3 Changing the World
10 Green Spending 165
11 The New Rules of Philanthropy 181
12 Nonprofit Dreamin’ 195
Epilogue: Redefining Rich 209
Endnotes 216
About the Author 224
Index 225