Your Money_ The Missing Manual - J. D. Roth [174]
Money-Making Hobbies
Do what you love
Be creative
Don't expect too much
Don't underestimate yourself
Market yourself
Hone your skills
Choose carefully
Other Ways to Make Money
Selling Stuff
Selling on eBay
Holding a yard sale
Posting items on Craigslist
Donating to Charity
Earning Extra Cash in Your Spare Time
Research studies
Tutoring
Mystery shopping
Renting out a spare room
Unclaimed property
Blogging
Other ideas
A Pep Talk
7. Banking for Fun and Profit
Choosing a Bank
Types of Banks
Traditional banks
Credit unions
Online banks
The Right Bank for You
Finding Accounts That Meet Your Needs
Types of Accounts
Checking accounts
Savings accounts
Money market accounts
Certificates of Deposit
Choosing Accounts
Making the Most of Your Accounts
Finding the Best Rates
Keeping Your Accounts Optimized
Getting Fees Waived
Switching Banks
Avoiding Overdraft Fees
Targeted Savings Accounts
Building a CD Ladder
Protecting Yourself with Parallel CDs
Get in the game
8. Using Credit Wisely
Credit Cards
Why Use a Credit Card?
Choosing a Card
Using Credit Without Getting Burned
Disputing Charges
How and When to Cancel a Card
Your Credit Report
Getting a Free Credit Report
Your Credit Score
The Anatomy of a Credit Score
How to Get Your Credit Score
Boosting Your Score
Final Thoughts on Credit
9. Sweating the Big Stuff
Counting the Dollars
Buying a Car
The Wrong Way to Buy a Car
The Right Way to Buy a Car
Buying New
Money matters
Do your homework
Take your time
Go for a test drive
Research prices
Make a deal
Close the deal
Take delivery
Sell your old car separately
Buying Used
Selling a Car
Reducing Your Cost of Ownership
Lowering maintenance costs
Saving on gas
Car-Free Living
Finding Deals on Vacation and Travel
Travel for the Adventurous
Hospitality exchanges
Volunteer tourism
Travel Tools
Hometown Vacations
Cash Is King
10. House and Home
The Eternal Question: Rent or Buy?
Tips for Renters
Buying a Home
How Much House Can You Afford?
Choosing a Home
Getting pre-approved
Making a list
Shopping smart
Picking a Mortgage
Closing the Deal
Owning a Home
Saving Money through Regular Maintenance
Making Mortgage Payments
Private Mortgage Insurance
Should you prepay your mortgage?
Strategies for prepaying your mortgage
11. Death and Taxes
An Introduction to Insurance
General Insurance Tips
Car Insurance
Homeowners Insurance
Life Insurance
How much life insurance do you need?
What You Need to Know About Taxes
How Income Tax Works
Tax-Trimming Tips
Know what you owe
Shift income and expenses
Hire a pro
Don't cheat
Other moves
What To Do If You Can't Pay Uncle Sam
The Pros and Cons of Refunds
Where to Get More Tax Info
A Brief Overview of Estate Planning
Drawing up a Will
III. Building a Rich Life
12. An Intro to Personal Investing
Why Invest?
How Much Do Stocks Actually Earn?
Average is not normal
The future is not the past
The Tools of Investing
Stocks and Bonds
Mutual Funds
Index funds
Being on Your Best Behavior
Know Your Goals
Think Long Term
Keep Costs Low
Keep It Simple
Don't Follow the Herd
Ignore the Financial News
Common-Sense Investing
Lazy Portfolios
The Couch Potato Portfolio by Scott Burns
The Second-Grader Portfolio by Allan Roth
The No-Brainer Portfolio by William Bernstein
The Coffeehouse Portfolio by Bill Schultheis
Other lazy portfolios
Single-Fund Portfolios
Lifecycle funds