Rating: 
Summary: Not a Great Book, but a start.
Review: I am going to make this simple, but let me start by saying that I have a Business Degree in Management, and I have an extensive knowledge in Money management.
IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDING: Read Below.
If you have NO knowledge of money management, and it seems that you are always living paycheck to paycheck. PLEASE read this book or any personal finance book. Also if you haven't already, purchase "Microsoft Money" it will help identify where you're money is going each money, and assist you in planning for your future.
IF YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PERSONAL FINANCE: Read Below.
Now if you have a base knowledge of financial management, and/or you are already using MS Money or another finance program, you are already on the right track. DON'T waste your time on this book; read something else, anything else.
Hope this helps everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Phew. A finance book for the financially humble.
Review: I don't watch television, and I don't read financial magazines. I bought Chatzky's book on a friend's recommendation and was immediately impressed that someone had written a book for those of us who don't need to be rich. The questionnaires and charts and graphs are easy to digest, and the overall tone of the book is comforting. A great mix of economics, psychology, and common sense.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I found the surveys very interesting, how people feel about money and happiness. More importantly, what habits happy people have regarding money. This book has some very practical advice. I liked this book so much, I'm giving it to each of my three adult children for Christmas.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, but keep the intended audience in mind -
Review: I had an opportunity to obtain this book at a function before it was available to the public. Ms. Chatzky also provided some very nice supplemental commentary to the delegates of this convention. I appreciate her approach; however, there is one point to keep in mind as you read this book: this book is for consumption by a populace that for the most part is financially illiterate. If you're a detail oriented person with some financial acumen, some of the suggestions made in this book will drive you crazy (i.e. paying your bills the day they come in). However, if money is controlling you instead of you controlling it, if you find yourself confused or bewildered by a myriad of options and not enough explanation, or you feel your financial life is simply out of control, then this is an excellent starting point to bringing some order to chaos.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: Is Jean Chatzky everywhere? I read her articles in magazines, I watch her on the Today Show, and last week I listened to her give a speech in upstate New York. Her advice is always dependable and well-researched, and this book is no exception. Knowing I am such a Jean fan, my roommate bought me the book (as a joke, I think!) for my birthday. I love it! And she has gorgeous hair! I am so jealous!
Rating:
Summary: Book Summary
Review: Jean Chatzky believes that the economic bust of the late 1990s caused many investors to question their previously held beliefs. People questioned the role money played in their lives and what exactly constitutes happiness. To investigate these questions Chatzky hired RoperASW to conduct research into the habits, attitudes, and behaviors of people who are happy and unhappy. The working definition of happiness that the author uses belongs to psychology researcher Ed Diener who defined happiness as "the process of enjoying what you're doing" (22).RoperASW found that money was only one of several factors that affected overall happiness. In addition to your genetic disposition toward happiness, the most crucial factors listed in order of importance include relationships, self-esteem, job satisfaction, health, and money. According to Chatzky these distinctions are important, "...when we chase money, we lose the opportunity to focus on the [other factors] that could reward us with a huge upward swing in happiness" (20). Money seems to have a much higher potential downside than upside relative to happiness. The research shows that an individual's overall happiness is significantly affected by money only when that individual's income jumps from $25,000 to $50,000 per year. There exists little improvement in overall happiness when comparing different income groups who make $50,000 per year or more. Chatzky downplays the role that money plays in achieving happiness by relating the law of diminishing returns, "Once you've achieved life's basic comforts and necessities, more money doesn't necessarily buy more happiness" (15). The rest of the book studies the financial habits of happy people in regards to financial organization, bill paying, record keeping, saving, spending, and setting goals. Communication and organization serve as the key toward achieving overall happiness. Chatzky recommends investing in mutual funds, and protecting yourself and your family with adequate insurance coverage. She prefers you invest in either index funds or exchange-traded funds (EFTs), such as the "SPY" (S&P 500) and "VPI" (Wilshire 5000) that trade on the American Stock Exchange, depending on how much money you have to invest. Finally, concerning insurance, Chatzky believes that if you have a family you must have life insurance, and if you are single you must purchase "own-occupation" disability insurance.
Rating:
Summary: Life is better!
Review: Jean Chatzky's new book on personal finance is unlike any that has come before. I know becaue I've read dozens of books on personal finance and getting rich. Chatzky's book includes an abundance of valuable advice and information necessary to manage your money in today's economy but what makes this book unique is the 'bigger picture' approach Ms. Chatzky takes on money's relevance to the whole of your life. After reading the book and doing the exercises I have a new awarness of my perceptions about money, its value and place in my life and I'm taking steps to do more of what brings me satisfaction instead of obsessing about how much money I have, what my investments are doing and so on. As if all that is ever going to make me happy. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and enjoying life more. And my money is doing just fine.
Rating: 
Summary: Very basic, but something for even the financially clever
Review: Ms. Chatzky has done a lot of research, not only on the financial habits of Americans, but on what truly makes us happy, consulting with many leading happiness experts. No surprise -- beyond a certain income level that provides the basics, money doesn't really make us happy. In fact, stress over money -- even if we have more than enough -- can make us miserable.
She encourages us to take control of our money, which will help us take control of our lives. Many of her suggestions are simple, but practical: organize your papers, pay your bills when they come in, don't buy things you don't need, track your spending... But she frames them all in the discussion of finding happiness in your life, melding the practical with the philosophical.
It's true; this book will be more useful to people whose finances are way out of control. But I still learned a couple of things: some guidelines for portfolio composition, that I could probably track my spending more closely, and that I should do some estate planning.
If you're not sure you need this book, live one of Ms. Chatzky's mottoes and don't buy it: check it out of the library instead!
Rating:
Summary: She's right...
Review: Once again, Jean provides practical advice that we can all use. I have watched her on the Today Show for years and am struck by her uncanny ability to keep it simple. Here, Jean offers a path to happiness that everyone can follow. Her suggestions make sense, and the anecdotal examples make this a fast read that's well worth the investment. The only problem for me is that the Roper research is based on a national survey. For those of us living in New York City, it's hard to swallow that $50,000 is the threshold amount that a person might need to be happy, unless she means "after taxes." I have friends who pay that much in yearly rent. Still, if you can imagine the audience for this book is wider than those of us stuck in the most expensive city in the world, her points all make sense. Her thoughts about controlling spending by examining your real needs could have come from a psychologist, not an expert on money. The step-by-step advice is applicable to everyone, no matter how much you have in the bank. It's a far reaching book that can help anyone become happier with what they have.
Rating:
Summary: What Do You REALLY Want?
Review: There are dozens of books which address many of the same topics and issues and this is one of the best because it was written primarily for non-experts such as I who seek "comfort, happiness, and financial security on [our] terms," of course, and need guidance to make appropriate decisions. Answers to questions such as these are more difficult to formulate now than at any prior time that I recall: • What are the significant differences between standard of living and quality of life?
• Are they mutually exclusive?
• How can -- and should -- "wealth" be measured?
• To what extent (if any) is there a correlation between personal happiness and net worth?
• What do the happiest people seem to share in common?
• What are the most damaging misconceptions many people have when formulating a financial plan?
• Which strategies and tactics are most effective to achieve financial security? Why?
• What are "The Ten Commandments of Financial Happiness"? Chatzky address these and countless other questions which many of us may have but feel embarrassed to ask. Of course, we can retain highly reputable financial planners whose services are worth every dollar they cost. However, my own experience suggests that a financial planner's best client is a well-informed client. More specifically, financial planners are most valuable once a client has carefully completed exercises such as those which Chatzky includes in her book. Invoking direct address, what do you REALLY want in life? Being rich and being happy are NOT mutually-exclusive. Many people are unhappy because they are essentially insolvent, if not destitute. No savings, credit unworthy, deeply in debt, in danger of foreclosure or eviction, etc. Many others are just as unhappy because of their affluence. They yearn to possess what money can't buy: physical health, peace of mind, friendship worthy of the name, etc. Caveat: Do NOT purchase this book or any other such book unless and until you are wholeheartedly committed to doing the "homework" required and then to following through on whatever decisions you make. I think that Chapter 6 (all by itself) is worth far more than the cost of the book. However, do you REALLY understand the requirements as well as the benefits of living within your means? Tough decisions may need to be made. (I mean TOUGH.) Do you have what it takes to make them? More importantly, do you have what it takes to stick with those decisions no matter what? Years ago, the actor Rod Steiger was asked if young people ever requested career advice. "Oh yeah, sure, all the time. I look them right in the eye and ask 'Do you want to be an actor or do you HAVE to be an actor?' The longer it takes them to answer, the less likely they'll ever make it." If you HAVE to have financial security, Jean Chatzky can help you to achieve it. Otherwise....
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