While three out of five Americans believe they are in control of their personal finances, the same number of people are not sure of such essential things as how much life, auto, or health care insurance they should carry. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, making personal finance decisions is harder than ever—especially if you’re not fully familiar with your financial options.
Your Financial Action Plan outlines twelve simple steps to improve your level of financial literacy as well as help you forge the financial future you desire.

 

Financial knowledge means financial power, and in Your Financial Action Plan, you’ll be introduced to—and brought up to speed on—important personal financial issues such as insurance, taxes, mortgages, and debt. By becoming more familiar with these and other personal financial issues, you’ll be ready to tailor a financial plan that is right for you—a plan that will allow you to protect and grow your hard-earned money and assets. Your Financial Action Plan also prepares you to confront some of the most basic—but essential—financial issues, such as creating a will, building a savings nest egg, and making and sticking to a monthly budget. In a straightforward and accessible style, this comprehensive resource offers valuable insights that will help you:

- Prepare for financial emergencies ahead of time
- Gain control of your expenditures
- Decipher 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans, IRAs, and pension plans
- Negotiate with your local bank to get the best deals
- Make informed financial decisions when buying or leasing a car
- Maintain a good credit rating
- And much more

Whether you’re dissatisfied with your current financial situation or just want to gain a better understanding of the personal financial issues that affect your life,
Your Financial Action Plan is the best place to go for straight forward answers. Filled with practical guidance and extensive expertise, Your Financial Action Plan will help you avoid costly mistakes by closing the gap between knowing and executing financially sound strategies.
 

In Your Financial Action Plan Bankrate's CEO and President Elisabeth DeMarse offers a 12-step self-analysis guide for readers to determine how financially literate they are, and then provides 12 simple steps to help them forge the financial future they desire.

In Your Financial Action Plan, readers are introduced to important personal financial issues including debt, mortgages, insurance, taxes, and much more. Filled with practical guidance and extensive expertise that only Bankrate could provide, Your Financial Action Plan will help readers avoid costly mistakes by helping them close the gap between knowing and executing financially sound strategies. While three out of five Americans believe they are in control of their personal finances, that same number of people actually haven't a clue how much life, auto, or health care insurance they should carry. According to the Roper Survey on Financial Literacy commissioned by Bankrate last year, people deal with personal finance similarly to the way they deal with dieting. They often know what they should do, yet there is a disconnect when it comes to actually following through, causing every American to lose an estimated $5,000 every year. Your Financial Action Plan compels consumers to confront issues such as creating a will, building a savings nest egg for rainy days, and making and sticking to a monthly budget. Elisabeth DeMarse (New York, NY) is President and CEO of Bankrate, Inc. She turned Bankrate around from a struggling Internet company delisted by NASDAQ, to the Internet's leading consumer banking marketplace. Prior to joining Bankrate, Elisabeth spent 10 years as head of marketing for Bloomberg, LLP, and was an EVP at the Internet Web site Hoovers. com. Elisabeth has a BA from Wellesley and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Committee of 200 and a frequent commentator on CNN, FOX, and Marketwatch.