New Book From Morningstar's Christine Benz, 30-Minute Money Solutions, Offers Personal Finance Advice for Time-Crunched Househol
January 11 2010 - 5:39PM
PR Newswire (US)
CHICAGO, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Now that the New Year's
celebrations are behind us, many American families are entering
2010 with a financial hangover. But a new book from Morningstar's
personal finance expert Christine Benz aims to help people put
their financial houses in order--without sacrificing all of their
valuable free time. 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide
to Managing Your Finances, published by Wiley and written by Benz,
director of personal finance for Morningstar, Inc., provides
readers with the tools for tackling household money challenges.
Benz breaks down the process into short, manageable steps, perfect
for time-squeezed everyday investors. She also shows users how to
put together simple, streamlined portfolios harnessing
Morningstar's mutual fund research. The book serves as an
indispensable resource by helping readers attack three dozen
separate financial planning tasks in 30 minutes or less, including:
-- Laying out the tools to get organized, including setting up a
system to track their money and important financial documents,
setting financial goals, and developing a budget and financial
plan. -- Showing readers how to match the right investments to
their goals using time-tested strategies and Morningstar insights,
whether they are making their first investment or if they already
have an established portfolio of securities. -- Coaching readers on
taking care of other important financial tasks, such as estate
planning, managing taxes, and more. "Crafting a powerful financial
plan should be extraordinarily simple and needn't take scads of
time and attention--in fact, cutting through the clutter is half
the battle," Benz said. "Over the years my friends and family
members have asked me for advice, and I thought I would write a
book to help people just like them--busy people who don't
necessarily have time to wade through all of the ins and outs of
money and finance, but still could use a clear, concise financial
road map." In her friendly and conversational style, Benz helps
readers meet the demands of their financial goals--housing, college
savings, retirement, etc.--without spending all of their spare time
on them. The book can be read in its entirety for a comprehensive
money plan, or can be implemented chapter-by-chapter to address
individual challenges, such as managing debt, deciding when to
convert an IRA, or determining strategy for a 401(k). Readers can
track their progress, download worksheets, and access financial
calculators through a special, exclusive section of
Morningstar.com, the popular investment Web site. Benz's book is
now available nationwide in bookstores and through major online
retailers. For more information about 30-Minute Money Solutions,
(ISBN: 9780470481578; $24.95; Hardcover), please visit:
http://www.morningstar.com/goto/30MinuteSolutions. Additional
information is also available on Benz's Twitter feed
(http://www.twitter.com/christine_benz) and the book's Facebook
page. About Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. is a leading
provider of independent investment research in North America,
Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line
of Internet, software, and print-based products and services for
individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar
provides data on more than 325,000 investment offerings, including
stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time
global market data on more than 4 million equities, indexes,
futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to
foreign exchange and Treasury markets. The company has operations
in 20 countries and minority ownership positions in companies based
in two other countries. ©2010 Morningstar, Inc. All rights
reserved. MORN - P Media Contact: Shawn Malayter, 312.696.6050,
DATASOURCE: Morningstar, Inc. CONTACT: Shawn Malayter of
Morningstar, Inc., +1-312-696-6050, Web Site:
http://www.morningstar.com/
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