Sorting Out Your Finances For Dummies, 2nd Edition
by Melanie Bien
Sorting Out Your Finances For Dummies, 2nd Edition
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-470-69515-9
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Author
Melanie Bien is director (head of media relations) at Savills Private Finance, the independent mortgage broker. She was personal finance editor of the Independent on Sunday for five years and writes freelance property features for national newspapers, magazines, and websites. She has written several books and pamphlets to accompany television programmes on property makeovers and design, and on buying, renovating, and selling property.
Her other books include Buying a Home On a Budget For Dummies, Buying and Selling Property For Dummies, and Renting Out Your Property For Dummies. She lives in North London with her husband.
Dedication
To my husband, brother and parents, for all your support, enthusiasm, and endless encouragement.
Authors Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Jason Dunne at John Wiley & Sons for having the faith in me to write yet another book for the company! I also acknowledge a depth of gratitude to Rachael Chilvers, my editor, and Kathleen Dobie, my development editor, for their help, direction, feedback, and constructive criticism during the process. Also, many thanks to Sam Spickernell for dealing with my queries patiently and quickly, and to everyone who works behind the scenes at Wiley for their efforts in making this book possible.
Thanks also to my family for their untiring support and encouragement.
Publishers Acknowledgements
Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Steve Edwards
(Previous Edition: Rachael Chilvers and Kathleen Dobie)
Content Editor: Nicole Burnett
Commissioning Editor: Wejdan Ismail
Proofreader: Helen Heyes
Publisher: Jason Dunne
Executive Editor: Samantha Spickernell
Executive Project Editor: Daniel Mersey
Cover Photos: Thinkstock/Corbis
Cartoons: Ed McLachlan
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Erin Smith
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis, Alissa D. Ellet, Melissa K. Jester, Ronald Terry, Christine Williams
Proofreader: Caitie Kelly
Indexer: Estalita Slivoskey
Introduction
W elcome to the second edition of Sorting Out Your Finances For Dummies. If youre struggling to clear your debts and build up your savings and investments for the future, you need some sensible tips to help you realise your goals. This book provides all the help you need to enable you to get your debt under control and start saving for the future.
About This Book
Although these pages are overflowing with useful advice and information, I present it in a light, easy-to-access format. This book helps you decide where your priorities lie when it comes to your finances. I cover debt and how to clear it, and give tips on finding the best savings account so that when youve got some cash you can ensure it works as hard as possible for you. I offer some hints on picking the best investments for building up a nest egg or for a specific outlay, such as buying a car or paying for a holiday. Just as important, this book helps you maintain your sense of humour as well as your sanity as you deal with financial challenges.