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Jonathan D. Pond's pioneering work in educating the public on financial matters and bringing low-cost, personalized money guidance to Americans has been far-reaching and widely recognized. His prime-time public television specials have been critically acclaimed, including winning an Emmy Award, and his books have sold more than 1 million copies. He lives near Boston with his family.

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Money manager Jonathan D. Pond has taught countless Americans in his series of bestselling books and PBS specials how to do the seemingly impossible: grow their money while still living the life they'd like to have.

Whether planning for children, trying to afford the ones you've already got, buying a house, investing for retirement, or just learning not to live from paycheck to paycheck, Jonathan's energetic, warm, and no-nonsense financial advice has made him a regular on The Today Show and CNN as well as on PBS. In Grow Your Money, Jonathan unpacks the best of his decades of financial advice to create a cornerstone compendium. Includes:

• Using debt to your advantage
• Why collecting Social Security early is (usually) a mistake
• Dual-income homes: does that second paycheck help as much as you think?
• Getting rich slowly
• Give Uncle Sam his due at tax time—but not one penny more

Whether you're working on your third million—or your third year out of college—take advantage of this all-time best collection of financial tools and tips from one of America's most-loved money managers and advisers.

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Grow Your Money!

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Chapter One

Achieving Your Financial Dreams

It's time to get serious about growing your money and achieving your financial dreams. It isn't very complicated, despite the relentless efforts by the financial ser­vices industry to make it appear that you're a money dummy. But the road to financial security does require taking small steps in the direction of improving your finances, no matter what your age or money situation is. You first need to think about what you want your money to do for you now and, more important, in the future. This requires careful thought and decisions, including making the inevitable tradeoffs between satisfying immediate needs and indulgences and preparing for longer-term and inevitably more costly financial needs. Having more time to accomplish your financial goals is a real advantage, thanks to the miracle of compound investment growth. But what­ever your age, if you devote some attention to your financial life and make sensible decisions along the way, your financial dreams will become a reality.

Idea 1

Program Your Financial Navigation System

Before delving into the nitty-gritty of your financial planning, you should spend a moment dreaming about what you want your money to do for you. Accumulating enough money to be able to retire comfortably is certainly a goal for all working-age people. Everyone should be concerned with retirement, even if you are young and retirement is a long way off. But your financial aspirations are probably not limited to retirement. You may yearn for something more immediate, such as buying a car or taking a vacation. A house or college for the kids are other common objectives. If you're retired, you are undoubtedly concerned about having enough income to live comfortably and keep up with inflation. You may also want to have enough to pass on an inheritance, although I would encourage you to consider otherwise. After all, if you're retired, why have ground chuck when you deserve tenderloin? Your heirs will concur.

Excerpted from Grow Your Money!by Jonathan Pond Copyright © 2007 by Jonathan Pond. Excerpted by permission.
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