Orman - The money book for the young, fabulous & broke

What your credit report says about you How your credit score runs your financial life Smart moves for boosting your score

Surviving on a too-small paycheck Paying your dues Dealing with office politics Effective job hunting

Qualifying for the best credit card deals Balance transfers Fee traps Protecting a low interest rate The best way to pay down your balances

Consolidation strategies Payback options

Squeezing more out of what you make Paying off debt vs. saving CDs, money markets, money funds

Why you cant afford to pass up a 401(k) company match How a Roth IRA trumps your 401(k) The right way to do an IRA rollover

The best funds for your 401(k) and Roth IRA Diversifying your risk Dollar cost averaging

The lease trap Financing tips Cash back v. zero-percent loan Auto insurance

Making the move from renter to homeowner Running the mortgage maze Private mortgage insurance Protecting your home

Merging finances when you merge lives Life insurance Wills Trusts Power of attorney Borrowing from friends and family

Listen, I know dealing with the responsibility of money, especially a lack of money, may not necessarily be high on your list of priorities. But something motivated you and brought you to this page, so in some way you are telling yourself its time to start dealing with your financial life. Its time to make some changes.

Most likely, you are young; I hope you feel you are fabulous; and chances are, you are also broke. Ive talked to thousands of young people like you over the years, and, for what its worth, youve got plenty of company.

But you also have a great way out of your current situation. You have time. Because you are young, you have the time to right any missteps, and the time to build a solid financial life. I also know that you have the bandwidth to take the advice in this book and put it into action. You may be intent on feeling beaten up these days, but Im not going to play along. I admire you for your grit in coping with a lousy job market, skyrocketing real estate values, and hefty student loans. But what I also hear when I talk to you is that you have what it takes to manage the hand youve been dealt.

Now, having said all that, I wouldnt be surprised if youre wondering if this book can really deliver the goods or if its going to be yet another personal finance book by someone who has no clue about the issues youre dealing with. I guarantee you that this is definitely not your parents money book. I get your situation. The advice in this book is customized to fit your life today. How do I know what youre going through? Because you told me. You were quite blunt about what you want from me, as well as what you dont want.

You want advice that deals with your realitya set of solutions for the problems you have. You want to be told what to tackle first, and you want clear advice on how to get the job done. And thats what you are going to get here, delivered as concisely as possible. I only dive into details that are absolutely crucial to your success. And you dont need an iota of prior knowledge. I know youve been too busy or uninspired to figure out how a Roth IRA works, what a FICO score is, and why you should even care. No worries. I have written every section of this book so you can quickly and easily comprehend exactly what actions you need to take and why.

What you dont want is yet another personal finance book spewing the same old advice that doesnt work for you. I completely agree. You wont catch me telling you to cut back on the lattes and simply save $10 a day. As if saving $3,650 a year when you are broke could ever be simple. Nor will I tell you that credit cards are the devil in plastic (on the contrary, I think they can be good for you) or that you must have eight months of living expenses saved up as your emergency reserve fund before you are allowed past go. Un-uh. I know thats not realistic or reasonable for the majority of you at this point in your lives.

Besides, if you didnt have credit card debt and you already had an eight-month emergency cash fund, why would you have picked up this book? You sure wouldnt fit my definition of broke.

BROKE IS relying on a cash advance on your credit card to pay the rent or mortgage, and praying that you have enough left on your credit line to do so.

BROKE IS having a ton of student loans that make you nauseated when you think about how long it is going to take you to pay them off.

BROKE IS not opening your credit card bills because youre terrified to see what you owe and have no way of paying. So instead, you get hit with the late fee and finance charges.

BROKE IS wanting to buy a home but having no clue where you can come up with the down payment. So you are stuck renting a small place.