How to Ruin Your Financial Life

From Publishers Weekly
Stein delivers a practical message in his own brand of wry, dry humor. Maybe money can’t buy happiness, he writes, "but it sure gives a good impression of a long-term lease." And so, by pointing out the myriad ways too many people wreck their financial status, he illustrates how to attain a life in which—even if you’re not a billionaire—money doesn’t keep you up at night. Running through a series of 55 "tips" (such as "as soon as you’ve succeeded in maxing out your credit cards… get new ones!" and "put all your eggs in one basket—that is, your company’s 401(k)—‘cause only sissies diversify"), Stein backs into explanations for why these oft-practiced habits are so damaging, and stupid. This probably isn’t the only financial planning book one should read, but it is entertaining—and it’s a surefire shot of reality for anyone heading down the well-worn path to financial ruin. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Anyone can write a book about how to get rich. The bookstores are full of them. They rarely work, though, which isn’t surprising since the people who write them rarely know much about money. But it takes Ben Stein, economist, finance expert for Barron’s, commentator on finance for Fox News, and (fairly) successful investor to write a book called How to Ruin Your Financial Life. Written with the same tongue-in-cheek cheekiness as his bestselling How to Ruin Your Life, this book is a humorous road map showing you how to make something useful of the money that comes in and out of your life. Follow the rules—in reverse gear—and you’re bound to be a lot better off than you are now. Follow the rules as they’re written—and you’re highly likely to wind up in bankruptcy court—as millions do every decade. Here are some of the rules, just to whet your appetite: Collect as Many Credit Cards as You Can and Use Them Frequently; Compete with Your Friends to See Who Can Own the Most Expensive and High-Status Possessions; Know in Your Gut That Only Suckers Work Hard for Money and That Smarties Like You Only Have to Find an Angle; Remember That Retirement Is a L-ooo-nnn-g Way Off, and Don’t Even Think about It Right Now; Bear in Mind That Only "Little People" Pay Their Bills or Taxes; Don’t Bother to Own Your Own Home Because Home Ownership Is a Hassle...and many more. This book is a laugh-out-loud way to educate yourself, your children, and your friends about how money really works...and a way to smile while you’re straightening out that mess you call your financial life.


About the Author
Ben Stein, a nationally renowned "Renaissance man," was host of the long-running quiz show Win Ben Stein’s Money and is currently a judge on Star Search. He is a former White House speechwriter, Wall Street Journal columnist, trial lawyer, law school professor, scriptwriter, and novelist—and author of several self-help books; including How to Ruin Your Life; ISBN: 1-56170-974-3; and How to Ruin Your Love Life, ISBN: 1-4019-0240-5. He has seen the biggest (Richard Nixon) and the most famous (many Hollywood stars) ruin their lives. He has also seen how some seemingly ordinary people made something great of their lives—by doing the opposite of what he sees as ruinous acts and modes of thought. He resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and son.


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