A financial guide aimed squarely at "Generation Debt"-and their anxious parents-from the country's most trusted and dynamic source on money matters.

You've got student-loan debt that is a multiple of your entry-level salary. An obscene amount of your take-home pay goes out the window every month for rent on a dinky apartment in a cool neighborhood. Lucky you have that credit card with the ever-increasing charge limit! How else could you afford those fabulous shoes? "Hey, guys, the next round's on me!" What difference does it make? Your goals are totally unattainable and the idea that you'll ever get control of your money is ludicrous, so why even try? Okay. It's scary. Suze Orman knows you better than you know yourself. And now, the world's most trusted expert on personal finance, the #1 New York Times-bestselling author, is going to break it down for you.

Whether you're twenty-five and single, a thirty-year-old newlywed, or married with kids and a mortgage at thirty-five; whether you're broke or making ends meet; whether you're financially aware or financially clueless, Start Smart was written with you in mind.

Beginning with a quick diagnostic section that tells you where you are (vs. where you think you are) and outlines your priorities (1, 2, 3...) for getting out of the red and into the black, Start Smart acts as a sort of "route planner," identifying the easy money moves to get you on the road to recovery and within reach of your dreams.

If you've never cracked a financial book in your life, if you can't deal with the unwieldy, impenetrable tomes currently on offer, if you've zoned out every time a parent has tried to share some wisdom about money-Start Smart is the book you need. You will learn:

- how to get a grip on credit card debt
- why student-loan debt is not the worst thing in the world
- how your credit score plays into nearly every financial move you will ever make
- how to make the most of the benefits that come with your first real job
- how to buy your first home
- what you need to know before you move in together
- what kind of insurance-auto, home, renter's, health-you need and what you don't
- what to do if you're self-employed

If you are tired of struggling to make ends meet but don't know a 401(k) from Special K, this book is for you. Aimed specifically at "Generation Broke"--those in their twenties and thirties who are working yet buried in credit card debt and student loans--this user-friendly guide offers a clear introduction to practical investing and money management techniques that can turn even a dismal financial situation around. Bestselling author Suze Orman has a knack for taking the fear out of money matters, and in The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous &: Broke, she shows readers how to set priorities and achieve goals, whether it is to buy a house or save for retirement or pay for a child's education. She also offers inspiration to readers to face their financial problems and get started on a solution. After all, there is good news: young people still have the time to correct problems so that they will never be broke again. Readers who find terms such as diversification and IRA rollover scary--or worse, unimportant--will learn much from this book.

In these pages, Orman clearly and succinctly explains what a FICO score is and why it's so important, offers the lowdown on stocks and mutual funds, provides career advice, and offers lots of tips on dealing with student loan debt, saving money even when times are tight, debt consolidation strategies, and the safest way for newlyweds to merge their finances. She also offers information on credit cards, including why canceling cards is not a good idea, when it makes sense to use them, and the best strategies for paying them off. It may not be the only money book you'll ever need, but it's an excellent place to start. --Shawn Carkonen

All About Suze Orman

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke is financial expert Suze Orman's answer to a generation's cry for help. An Emmy-award winner, Orman is the author of four consecutive New York Times® bestsellers, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, The Courage to Be Rich, The Road to Wealth, and The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life. The Money Book was written to address the specific financial reality that young people face today, and it offers a set of real, not impossible, solutions to the problems at hand and the problems ahead.

• Listen to a special message from Suze Orman.
• Visit the Suze Orman Store

Suze Orman: The Bestsellers

The Laws of Money	The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom	You've Earned It, Don't Lose It
Money Cards: Words That Lead to Wealth	Suze Orman's Financial Guidebook	Suze Orman's Will And Trust Kit

The Courage to Be Rich, CD	The Road to Wealth, CD	The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life, CD
The Courage to Be Rich, Cassette	The Road to Wealth, Cassette	The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life, Cassette

The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life, 2003	The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, 2004	The Road to Wealth, 2004
The Suze Orman Collection, 2003	The Courage to Be Rich	The Best of the Suze Orman Collection, 2004

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.