How to Be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents

by Zac Bissonnette

Overview

Striking out on your own for the first time is exhilarating. But in a culture full of bad advice, predatory banks, and splurge-now-pay-later temptations, it can also be extremely dangerous—leading you to make financial decisions that could hurt you for years to come. Combine this with a slumped economy, mounds of student loans, and dubious examples from reality TV stars to politicians to your own parents, and it’s no wonder so many twenty-somethings are struggling.

Twenty-three-year-old Zac Bissonnette—the author of Debt-Free U—knows exactly what you’re going through. He demystifies the many traps young people fall victim to in their post-college years. He offers fresh insights on everything from job hunting to buying a car to saving for retirement that will give you a foundation for a secure, stable, and happy life. In the process, he reveals why FICO scores are overrated, online job applications are a waste of time, car loans are for suckers, and credit card rewards are a scam.

With detours to discuss wine connoisseurs, Really Broke Housewives, and Lenny Dykstra, Zac shows you how to make better choices today so you can be richer, smarter (and better-looking!) for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101580455
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	360 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Zac Bissonnette wrote two acclaimed bestsellers before his 24th birthday: Debt-Free U and How to Be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe Magazine, the Daily Beast, and NYTimes.com, among others.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Money, Power, and Really Broke Housewives 1

Chapter 1 Money Can't Buy Happiness If You Spend It 9

Chapter 2 The Financial Services Industry and You (Brought to You by the National Center for Domestic Abuse Prevention) 26

Chapter 3 The Debtonator 62

Chapter 4 Fahrenheit 401(k) 75

Chapter 5 Spend Less, Live More, Be Happier, but Don't Get Asked to Appear on Hoarders Too Often 103

Chapter 6 Here in My (Paid For) Car, I Feel Safest of All 154

Chapter 7 A Place for Your Stuff 166

Chapter 8 Joint Venture Partners: Money and Sex 189

Chapter 9 Careers in Art History (and Other One-Liners) 197

Conclusion Ya Done! 222

Notes 225

Index 233

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Are you there, Zac? It’s me, Chelsea. I loved your book. Plus, I’m only half-Jew so your financial wisdom really balanced out my Mormon side.”
—Chelsea Handler

"Though only a third of 2012 has passed, Zac Bissonnette is already a strong contender for the cheekiest author of the year award."
—The New York Times

“Our four daughters learned ‘Waste not, want not’ before they knew their ABCs, but Zac Bissonnette says it better and more credibly than a mere father could. His enjoyable romp through the basics of debt-free personal finance will be in their next Christmas stockings.”
—Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana

“Zac Bissonnette puts the ‘smart’ in smart-aleck with his irreverent, hilarious, and eminently sensible financial advice. This may be the one personal finance book that actually delivers on its title. Parents, give it to your kids. Kids, leave a copy on the kitchen table—maybe your parents will pick it up and learn something."
—Daniel Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind