Hello and welcome to March again. It is the height of Tax Season, where most people review last year's finances, and plan for next year's. Today we are covering Finance For the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances.
Finance For the People is the masterwork of Paco De Leon, a financial consultant with PBS. Like many of today's rising stars in financial self-help, De Leon writes from the perspective of a minority (on multiple levels!), and thus is able to share her relative experiences to a modern audience. In addition to PBS, De Leon has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, CNBC, and Business Insider, among others.
Inside, readers will find a personable, highly readable guide on tackling finances. The book is mainly prose, interspersed every few pages with a cute illustration, and when necessary, some number to help illustrate whatever point the author is trying to make. De Leon's writing is quite digestible and easy to consume, leaving readers without the burden of having to memorize formulas or figure out their tax bracket so they can solve a problem. Inside, De Leon also includes post-chapter questions, inviting the reader to review what they read, and apply it to their own life. More impressive, De Leon's book comes across as approachable, lacking the intimidation factor many other books in the genre use to scare their readers into action. Personally, I think both strategies are valid, depending on the reader and their situation; sometimes, you really do need to be scared awake to realize what kind of situation you are in.
The book covers most of the topics worth addressing: budgeting, debt, credit cards, savings, investing, insurance, and more. Like other similar books, Finance For the People is more concerned with opening discussion about these topics with the reader, as opposed to being the definitive guide on any particular issue. That said, the financially experienced might want to find dedicated books on particular subjects (i.e., investing), if they are looking to take their situation to a more advanced level.
If you think you could benefit from this topic, feel free to give Finance For the People a chance.
Looking for something else? As always, the St. Tammany Parish Library offers free use of our online catalog, opens a new window for more information on this and other topics.
Don't forget, the St. Tammany Parish Library is currently stocking Federal and State Tax Forms. The 1040 and 1040 SR are available at all branches, along with instructions, and the basic state forms. You can also visit the computer labs at each branch to retrieve specific forms you may need from IRS.gov, and find out more about local tax preparation help. For more information, visit the Tax Season is Here!, opens a new window article by our Reference Department.
Happy reading!
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