Review: The 1-2-3 Money Plan

If you are looking for a way to condense a great deal of personal finance information into a plan of action for your money, The 1-2-3 Money Plan by Gregory Karp will probably be helpful for you. Karp himself admits in the introduction that there really isn’t anything earth-shattering or new in this book; rather, it is meant as a financial tool to aid your planning.

One of the interesting things about The 1-2-3 Money Plan is the way it is organized. As the title implies, Karp has set up the book so that it revolves around the “rule of 3″. He reduces most personal finance principles down into 3 three doable steps that can help you plan . (He does this over and over again throughout the book.) Some of the topics covered in the book include:

• Spending
• Estate planning
• Identity theft
• Banking
• Insurance
• Retirement
• Saving
• Credit cards
• Credit score/report
• Choosing a financial adviser

The subjects are important for those floundering and attempting to make a plan. One of the things that struck me is that Karp sets up the book into three sections, all devoted spending smart: Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow. All of the steps given in The 1-2-3 Money Plan revolve around making a plan for your money that involves preparation and considering what you are doing with your money. The goal, of course, is to learn what you need in order to ensure that you set yourself up for success with money . Tips, examples and reminders throughout the book offer easy to read insights.

For those who are unsure of where to begin, The 1-2-3 Money Plan can be extremely helpful in terms of providing direction and helping you develop a cogent plan for your money. It may not be as useful for those who already have a money plan and their finances under control. But it can serve as a good reminder.

Have you read The 1-2-3 Money Plan ? What did you think of it?