Mastering Money: How to Beat Debt, Build Wealth, and Be Prepared for any Financial Crisis

Book excerpt: Overcome debt, make smart money decisions, and build a financially secure future Do you support your family, pay your taxes, get the bills done on time—and yet still struggle to achieve financial security? If so, you’re not alone. About one-third of all Americans have not saved for retirement, another third have no savings at all, and more than half have no budget. How did we get here? Two words: financial illiteracy. As money and finance have become more complex over the decades, the average American has not been able to keep up—in essence, leaving our personal financial decisions up to banks, bureaucrats, policymakers, and even fraudsters. Norm Champ, a former director at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), provides an in-depth primer on how money works, designed just for you—the non-finance reader. Champ shows how to: • Pay off your loans and stay out of debt for the long run • Build savings that will see you through thick and thin • Avoid financial disaster—from bad credit deals to outright scams • Start building a safe, smart investing portfolio Our financial system is easier to grasp than you think—and armed with this new knowledge and insight, you’ll finally take control of your financial future. When you know how money works, you make better financial decisions. It’s that simple. Mastering Money demystifies finance and provides plainspoken, straightforward advice for building a solid financial foundation you can count on in good times and bad.