Secure the Bag: Being Better with Money

Hey Guys, I’m back!

I felt like a YouTuber with that introduction but I am actually here to talk serious business. I’ve been pushing forward that this is the year of securing the bag and I have decided to follow up with some of my earlier posts. I recommended 3 personal finance books on Twitter last month and now I have decided to follow up the tweet with some brief guidance and overview.

Being Better with Money

Now I decided to start with the most introductory book, ‘What’s Your Excuse for not Being Better With Money?‘.

Benefits

This is a great book for beginners on their personal finance journey, ideal for who those may have never even considered looking at their finances or do not have a real understanding about money management. It is very simple to read, there are no extreme complex words and acronyms to understand. There is clear advice with a full breadth of issues covered, the books has good coverage on the below:

– Everyday budgeting
– Pension planning
– Mortgage choices

The section on mortgages is really quite impressive as there is guidance on fixed rate vs. variable rate mortgages and further exploration on the impact of monthly mortgage over payments on your overall mortgage interest. The book’s end section also gives good guidance for further research if you’re interested in learning more.

Failings

It is ideal for a beginner as it covers a range of topics, however if you’re someone who is looking for deeper understanding or direction on how to choose the right investment fund, or possibly build a monthly money planner. It’s not quite the best option.

The book lacks depth in certain topic areas, and given the simplicity of the advice, it will not be tailored to your individual situation. Therefore, if you’re looking for extreme advice on maybe, a ‘Help to Buy’ property or a specific investment fund, you will not find it in the book.

Overall: 7/10

The book serves less as a manual and more as a guide, which is perfect for anyone new to this. You can refer back to the book on its different topics to grasp a rough understanding and then research further if you require more information.

Hopefully this review helps you on your secure the bag journey, stay following (@CapitalMoments) & myself (@LekzLDN) for more personal finance insight and advice.