More Smart Gift Ideas from WISER

WISER's most recent quarterly newsletter, "Understanding Your Money and the Financial Markets," also includes reviews of our favorite financial books. Keep these in mind for the holidays. If you are like many Americans, your New Years' resolution (along with losing weight) is to save more money, and these books have some great advice on how to succeed.


Divorce & Money: How to Make the Best Financial Decisions During Divorce
Violet Woodhouse with Dale Fetherling
In a divorce, money is one of those unavoidable and scary topics, often complicated by emotions. This guide from the legal experts at Nolo can be a level-headed friend when confronting the unfamiliar territory of divorce. Although lawyers themselves, its authors assume their readers want to know as much as they can before approaching an attorney, and presents the facts in a straightforward, practical manner. For trustworthy advice on “the house,” joint accounts, tax issues, alimony, dividing debts, and managing—not ignoring—your emotions, check out Divorce & Money first.

Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People
Jane Bryant Quinn
Jane Bryant Quinn’s success as the informative and charming Newsweek contributor continues with her latest book. She covers all the bases, but perhaps most helpful is her advice on “Putting Your Whole Financial Life on Cruise Control”— the idea being that money saved automatically is less likely to be spent frivolously (on decorating your basement with the latest exercise equipment, for example). Shifting to “automatic” can save time and money. Quinn’s personal stories of struggling with debt make this an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
Andrew Tobias
Tobias’s guide is (still) packed with sound advice for the new or average investor, and for most people, the book should live up to its name. His suggestions—from buying in bulk to avoiding corporate bonds—are sensible and honest, and as personal finance books go, this one’s a page-turner (you will actually read it). Newly revised, each chapter offers specific, up-to-date answers to almost all finance and investment questions, and where Tobias doesn’t go into depth—he points to the Web page or other resource that does.

Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties
Beth Kobliner
This book is a smart choice for any young person managing her finances for the first time—or for the first time responsibly. Get a Financial Life is exceptionally thorough but never dull or overwhelming. For the busiest readers, chapters include “Financial Cramming” sections that summarize the most important ideas from each. Chapter three, “Debt and the Material World,” is crucial reading for anyone struggling to get out of debt, and alone worth the price of the book. Look out for the new edition next year.

Protecting Your Pension For Dummies
Robert D. Gary and Jori Bloom Naegele
The technical and ever-changing nature of pension law can confuse even the savviest employees, but choosing to stay uninformed could lead to a loss in retirement income. This how-to from the “Dummies” series contains comprehensive information on pensions and, more importantly, how to protect yours. The chapters are thoughtfully organized, so it is easy to skip around without feeling lost. Includes an index and glossary of terms.

The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life
Lee Eisenberg
The Number is less a retirement guide than a reflection on issues facing an aging population. Eisenberg is a journalist, not a financial planner, but his experience writing on the topic is evident. According to Eisenberg, everyone should be thinking about his or her “Number”—the amount of money required to meet an individual’s expectations for life in retirement—and everyone’s Number is different.