Money mistakes you can't afford to make : how to solve common problems and improve your personal finances

An easy-to-follow map for successfully navigating the perils of personal financial planning When it comes to their own finances, most people don't know what to do--or what not to do--until it's too late. Money Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make is an easy-to-follow rule book for recognizing and avoiding the ordinary, often-overlooked financial missteps that can ruin the best-laid financial plans, and haunt investors for years. Written by popular U.S. News & World Report editor and columnist Paul Lim, this book covers the most common money management traps. From "mortgaging" your 401(k) to not getting life insurance, it shows readers how to sidestep blunders, or even turn them into positives, by: Planning for specific life events and future needs Implementing necessary strategies for spending Determining when to follow fads or stay the course

Commonsense Strategies for Keeping More of Your Hard-Earned Money—And Making It Work Even Harder for You

If you're like most Americans, you shoulder a heavy load in planning your finances. Problem is, you often don't know what to do—or more important, what not to do—until it's too late.

Paul J. Lim—personal finance writer for U.S. News & World Report and one of today's most popular and respected financial journalists—knows your tale inside and out. In Money Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make, Lim provides a step-by-step course for eliminating common money mistakes, regardless of whether you are spending, saving, or investing. Let this concise yet comprehensive guide to money matters that matter provide you with:

• Ways to get and stay out of debt—because you can't realistically save and invest money until you free up the money you have
• Proven investment techniques—for protecting your portfolio through asset allocation and diversification
• Strategies for taking full advantage of your retirement accounts—and improving the long-term performance of your 401(k)s or other retirement plans

From not planning for retirement to chasing hot stock tips, everyone makes small financial mistakes. Before they add up to huge losses, let Money Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make show you how to get your arms around your money and keep more of it for yourself—by spending less, saving more, and making your investments work harder.

Presents step-by-step instructions to help people take charge of their finances, avoid common money mistakes, and start saving money, no matter what their income We Americans are an optimistic lot, except when it comes to one thing-our ability to save money.