Financial Planning & Investing Basics
WEBSITES
Smart About Money
smartaboutmoney.org
From the National Endowment for Financial Education, this site offers practical articles, financial calculators, quizzes, worksheets, money-saving tips, and other resources for people at all stages of life.
Money Skills for Life
practicalmoneyskills.com
Information-intensive site offering educational tools on investing basics, credit and debt, savings and spending, and planning for major life events.
Kahn Academy
kahnacademy.org
A free online resource with classes on everything from astronomy to microeconomics. Their robust section on finance and capital markets covers a wide range of financial products and concepts for all levels.
smartaboutmoney.org
From the National Endowment for Financial Education, this site offers practical articles, financial calculators, quizzes, worksheets, money-saving tips, and other resources for people at all stages of life.
Money Skills for Life
practicalmoneyskills.com
Information-intensive site offering educational tools on investing basics, credit and debt, savings and spending, and planning for major life events.
Kahn Academy
kahnacademy.org
A free online resource with classes on everything from astronomy to microeconomics. Their robust section on finance and capital markets covers a wide range of financial products and concepts for all levels.
Books
The Truth About Money, 4th Edition By Ric Edelman, HarperBusiness
2010 This comprehensive resource covers a broad swath of personal finance issues and offers plain-English explanations. Topics include investments, insurance, taxes, mortgages, leasing cars, getting out of debt and estate planning
The Elements of Investing: Easy Lessons for Every Investor By Burton Malkiel and Charles Ellis, Wiley 2013
A straight-talking book about investing and saving, accessible to the beginning investor. The book emphasizes low-cost investing methods and teaches readers how to focus on the long term, rather than following market fluctuations.
2010 This comprehensive resource covers a broad swath of personal finance issues and offers plain-English explanations. Topics include investments, insurance, taxes, mortgages, leasing cars, getting out of debt and estate planning
The Elements of Investing: Easy Lessons for Every Investor By Burton Malkiel and Charles Ellis, Wiley 2013
A straight-talking book about investing and saving, accessible to the beginning investor. The book emphasizes low-cost investing methods and teaches readers how to focus on the long term, rather than following market fluctuations.
Podcasts
The Disciplined Investor Hosted by Andrew Horowitz
Applicable for investors of all ages and levels of experience, Horowitz tackles a wide range of issues that touch on investing and finance.
Freakonomics Radio Hosted by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
A spin-off from the book of the same name and from the same authors, the podcast touches on behavioral finance and economics.
Money for the Rest of Us Hosted by David Stein
Stein discusses the basics around finance, investing and the economy in an easy-to-understand manner.
So Money Hosted by Farnoosh Torabi
Torabi digs into topics from retirement to student loans and distills them in a way that is approachable and applicable.
Applicable for investors of all ages and levels of experience, Horowitz tackles a wide range of issues that touch on investing and finance.
Freakonomics Radio Hosted by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
A spin-off from the book of the same name and from the same authors, the podcast touches on behavioral finance and economics.
Money for the Rest of Us Hosted by David Stein
Stein discusses the basics around finance, investing and the economy in an easy-to-understand manner.
So Money Hosted by Farnoosh Torabi
Torabi digs into topics from retirement to student loans and distills them in a way that is approachable and applicable.
Retirement Planning
Websites
Morningstar Personal Finance
morningstar.com
The site offers insights on how to best select and allocate investments for retirement, including tips on IRAs, 401(k)s and other vehicles. Also provides guidance on savings targets and ensuring that retirement savings will last.
AARP Retirement Essentials
aarp.org
The website of the association for older Americans has a wide array of retirement-oriented information, including budget planners, financial calculators, and investment advice.
morningstar.com
The site offers insights on how to best select and allocate investments for retirement, including tips on IRAs, 401(k)s and other vehicles. Also provides guidance on savings targets and ensuring that retirement savings will last.
AARP Retirement Essentials
aarp.org
The website of the association for older Americans has a wide array of retirement-oriented information, including budget planners, financial calculators, and investment advice.
Books
Twenty Retirement Decisions You Need to Make Right Now By Ray E. LeVitre, Sphinx Publishing , 2010
Addresses the most significant financial decisions people must make as they make the transition from the workforce into retirement. Each chapter deals with a specific decision people must make at retirement.
How to Retire Happy, Fourth Edition By Stan Hinden, McGraw-Hill Education, 2013
People can make all the right choices, but still have trouble securing their dream retirements. The author’s plans for his retirement years were undone when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He shares that experience, and other lessons, in this book.
Addresses the most significant financial decisions people must make as they make the transition from the workforce into retirement. Each chapter deals with a specific decision people must make at retirement.
How to Retire Happy, Fourth Edition By Stan Hinden, McGraw-Hill Education, 2013
People can make all the right choices, but still have trouble securing their dream retirements. The author’s plans for his retirement years were undone when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He shares that experience, and other lessons, in this book.
Estate Planning
Websites
360 Degrees of Financial Literacy, Estate Planning
360financialliteracy.org
Part of an educational site from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the estate planning section has articles, tips and techniques for individuals of all ages and wealth levels.
Kiplinger Estate Planning
kiplinger.com
User-friendly site containing a variety of estate planning articles and tools. Real-life examples are used to illustrate topics such as inherited IRA rules and key end-of-life documents required to avoid family crises.
360financialliteracy.org
Part of an educational site from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the estate planning section has articles, tips and techniques for individuals of all ages and wealth levels.
Kiplinger Estate Planning
kiplinger.com
User-friendly site containing a variety of estate planning articles and tools. Real-life examples are used to illustrate topics such as inherited IRA rules and key end-of-life documents required to avoid family crises.
Books
Beyond the Grave, Revised and Updated Edition: The Right Way and the Wrong Way of Leaving Money to Your Children (and Others) By Jeffrey L. Condon, HarperBusiness, 2014
Covers not only technical information about estate planning problems, but also uses real-life examples, including cautionary tales of inheritance planning gone wrong.
The Wall Street Journal Complete Estate Planning Guidebook By Rachel Emma Silverman, Crown Business, 2011
Takes readers through the estate-planning process, step-bystep, from figuring out planning goals (eg., benefiting children, minimizing estate taxes) to strategies for dividing up the estate so that heirs don’t fight over it.
Covers not only technical information about estate planning problems, but also uses real-life examples, including cautionary tales of inheritance planning gone wrong.
The Wall Street Journal Complete Estate Planning Guidebook By Rachel Emma Silverman, Crown Business, 2011
Takes readers through the estate-planning process, step-bystep, from figuring out planning goals (eg., benefiting children, minimizing estate taxes) to strategies for dividing up the estate so that heirs don’t fight over it.
Raising Financially Intelligent Children
Websites
Money as You Grow
consumerfinance.gov/money-as-you-grow
An initiative of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, the site offers age-appropriate financial lessons, with corresponding activities, that kids need to know as they grow. Written in down-to-earth language for children and their families.
Jump$tart Clearinghouse
clearinghouse.jumpstart.org
From the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, this site is a clearinghouse for a wide selection of youth-oriented financial education materials that can be browsed by age or topic.
The Centsables
centsables.com
Multimedia (including video, comic books, and workbooks) for children of varying ages to learn financial basics. Includes quizzes and lessons that children can do on their own, or with guidance from parents.
consumerfinance.gov/money-as-you-grow
An initiative of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, the site offers age-appropriate financial lessons, with corresponding activities, that kids need to know as they grow. Written in down-to-earth language for children and their families.
Jump$tart Clearinghouse
clearinghouse.jumpstart.org
From the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, this site is a clearinghouse for a wide selection of youth-oriented financial education materials that can be browsed by age or topic.
The Centsables
centsables.com
Multimedia (including video, comic books, and workbooks) for children of varying ages to learn financial basics. Includes quizzes and lessons that children can do on their own, or with guidance from parents.
Books
Blue Chip Kids: What Every Child (and Parent) Should Know About Money, Investing, and the Stock Market By David W. Bianchi, Wiley, 2015
An easy-to-understand introduction to the world of money and investing for kids and parents. This hands-on resource demystifies the basic principles about money matters and shows what it takes to spend, save, and invest wisely.
Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School? 99 Personal Money Management Lessons to Live By By Cary Siegel, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013
Initially developed by the author to pass on to his five children as they entered adulthood, the book includes eight important lessons focusing on 99 principles that will enhance the money management acumen of teenagers and young adults.
An easy-to-understand introduction to the world of money and investing for kids and parents. This hands-on resource demystifies the basic principles about money matters and shows what it takes to spend, save, and invest wisely.
Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School? 99 Personal Money Management Lessons to Live By By Cary Siegel, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013
Initially developed by the author to pass on to his five children as they entered adulthood, the book includes eight important lessons focusing on 99 principles that will enhance the money management acumen of teenagers and young adults.
