The Finish Rich Dictionary

Book excerpt: Do you know what a balloon payment or a credit score is? A Sharpe ratio? A market-timer? Unfortunately, most people do not know these and many other important financial terms--until it is too late. In The Finish Rich Dictionary, best-selling author David Bach defines and demystifies the language of finance, giving readers the power to understand their finances, manage their money more effectively, and plan for their future. This compact volume provides clear definitions (with frequent sample sentences and occasional usage notes) for terms such as "adjustable rate mortgage," "consumer price index," "Fannie Mae," "keiretsu," "Latte factor," "monetarism," "narrow money," "no-load," "Patriot bond," "rack rent," "Roth IRA," "Sallie Mae," "stagflation," "tiger economy," "value stock," "white goods," and "zaibatsu." In addition to the essential 1001 words, the book also includes many explanatory essays about important (and often confusing) topics. Readers can learn if they have a credit card problem and, if so, how to solve it. Other essays shed light on how to buy a home, the top ten money mistakes people make, understanding your credit score, how to hire a financial advisor, and how to plan for retirement. Finally, the book includes a list of common financial equations, an interest rate calculator table, and an extensive listing of books for further reading, making The Finish Rich Dictionary a truly practical all-around financial guide and reference book. Whether you are a business school student or a homeowner taking out a mortgage, The Finish Rich Dictionary is the ideal companion to the complex world of money and finance.