 Great book! |
| Review Date: April 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Bird, |
| In "Get Financially Naked" Manisha and Sharon have written another great book designed to help women and men in relationships talk about money and get their finances in order. The book is written in such a straightforward, concise way that it is a pleasure to read and is also empowering and easy to understand. It also poses some great questions that can help relationship partners learn more about each other and their attitudes and experiences around money in a fun, nonjudgmental way. I highly recommend this book and "On My Own Two Feet" to women who want to get their finances in order and are looking for a simple, straightforward way to start. After reading this book and "On My Own Two Feet" I already feel more knowledgeable about finance and have a better understanding of how to set and achieve my financial goals by myself and with my partner. Great book! |
Wish I'd read this first!
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| Review Date: March 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: N. Lisa, |
| I wish I had read Get Financially Naked before I got married! A lot of us are married to our financial opposites, and Thakor and Kedar's compatibility quiz is a great place to start conversations about finances on neutral ground. Plus they provide answers to the major questions couples face and often don't know how to tackle. It's a quick, chatty read with lots of steps you can take right away as well as more long-term suggestions. The questions in the last chapter for staying on track are especially helpful. This book is on the must-read list for everyone seriously involved or thinking about it. |
Great for new couples and newlyweds!
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| Review Date: January 31, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Cherise Kachelmuss, IL |
One topic that is the source of many arguments in my household is money, and I am sure I am not alone on that one. For some reason it just season like money is a foreign language between my husband and me. It is not that either of us are bad with money, but that we both want the control. Luckily, since I was a banker, my husband lets me have control and manage our money and he is pretty easy going about it.
I do want him to be involved though in how we spend and save our money so I do like to give him updates and there are times where we need to sit down and talk about our financial situation. I am also open to new ideas and thoughts to make life a little easier.
With all the financial books out there I was skeptical about this one, but I was pleasantly surprise. Other than the typical financial chapters throughout the book, there are also questions with a spot for you to answer them, tables, and lots of bullet points with tips and suggestions. I thought the book was an easy read and it had excellent ideas and ways for couples to start and work through their financial discussions.
The book is broken down into three major parts: Interpreting your current financial situation, Breaking down the costs you have together, and how to move forward together to achieve financial success. I really liked the chapter on "Investing" because that is what my husband and I are focusing on right now. For example, my favorite excerpt from the book deals with at 30 years old, would you rather save all your money to retire in your 50's or live life now and happily work into your 70's.
Overall, I think "Get Financially Naked" is a helpful book for all women. It is geared towards mainly couples and newlyweds, but even as a married woman, I got some great ideas from it. I do have a lot of friends who are not married yet and I remember what it was like when I was dating my husband and living together before we were married. It was hard to figure who paid for what and even when we got married, merging and planning for our financial future was tough as we had to merge our goals. Finally, I loved how this book was not just all writing but included visuals and a great way of organizing its ideas.
I was given this book to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.
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Divorce Mediator Recommends this book
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| Review Date: January 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Laury A. Adams, Houston, TX |
This book is about two of the most important relationships you will have in your life--your relationship with money and the one with a partner. Don't let your financial incompatibility destroy your sexual compatibility. Learn how to keep the financial aspects of your partnership on track.
When we accompany Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar on their personal "financial journeys" and use the exercises they provide, we gain valuable insight into our own relationship with money. They help us realize how our history with money impacts our past and present behaviors. Getting clear with ourselves about how we function with money prepares us to do this with another person.
We are encouraged to identify our needs and clarify our goals. Their process promotes communication and empowers us to be stronger in our relationships.
You don't have to have a "honey" to benefit from this book. Everyone can use the practical tips for making wise financial decisions and keeping one's finances on track.
As an independent financial resource consultant and divorce mediator, I whole heartedly recommend this book to my clients knowing it could reduce the number of divorce cases I have in the future. Finding ways to live harmoniously with others is a goal to which we all must aspire! Thank you, Manisha and Sharon!
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Great book with guidance for everyone
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| Review Date: January 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Crocker, Los Angeles, CA United States |
Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar's book is a great, simple way to get your hands dirty with your personal financial philosophy and then use your newfound knowledge to open up a mature, intelligent discussion about finances with your partner. There are short workbook sections that help you brainstorm and include great examples from other women and the authors themselves. The first section of the book is great- it helps you figure out your own personal financial philosophies and understand how and why you feel the way you do about money; very interesting. This leads to a section on talking all things money "with your honey." The section on investing hows and whys is really fantastic and almost worth the cost of the book itself, more so for people that don't have a lot, if any, experience making long-term investments. I can't recommend this book highly enough for couples.
This book is DEFINITELY for everyone, young, old, male, female, so I guess I was a little disappointed when it was aimed at "all women." The disappointment comes mostly from the fact that I got a lot out of this book and found it incredibly helpful and a great investment (no pun intended, though maybe a little bit), and I am a late 20s working career-minded man in a great long-term relationship, looking to make our relationship even stronger. I guess it felt a little unbalanced, especially in the first half of the book, which is heavy on cautionary tales (all from women). My point is that Thakor and Kedar have written an excellent guide to bring you into the world of personal finance management and I hate to see it so biased to one side (they do acknowledge this fact, and mention in that first section that they chose to embrace it).
Most importantly, regardless of who you are and what type of relationship you are in, it's important and helpful that this book exists. Don't hesitate to drop it in your cart, as its well worth the price of admission. |
Highly recommend this book! For single men and women too.
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| Review Date: December 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: S. Grossman, Brooklyn, NY |
As someone who is looking to create a healthy, loving relationship in 2010, I was so pleased to read Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar's latest book. It's chock full of concrete tools for walking into a relationship from a position of financial strength rather than fear. Let's face it - so many of us do NOT know how to have these conversations, myself included. After reading this book, I feel so much more prepared to face head on issues related to money that I would normally run away from. I'm excited about the possibilities this opens up.
One of my favorite aspects of Get Financially Naked is how much Manisha and Sharon share of their personal journeys with money before their relationships (their money stories) as well as during them. They show that it's not about striving for perfectionism but more about open communication with your partner. I felt like if they could do it, I could too! This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone looking to successfully navigate relationships and money. |
Practical Guide for Couples
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| Review Date: December 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: L. Flix, |
| Good, practical advice in an easy to read guide book. The book is perfect for couples- nice engagement gift. Also helpful for those who are not in a relationship so they know what to talk about when they get into one. The text is easy to read and can be finished in under two hours. The authors make the information accessible,demistify "financial" concepts and provide tools to help couples communicate. |
Everyone should read this book
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| Review Date: December 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Elizabeth Freid, |
| This book is very informative and an easy read. You will also learn more about yourself and become more realistic about your feelings about money. It takes a serious topic like $$ and simplifies solutions for you. A must read!! |
Financial Advice for Everyone
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| Review Date: November 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Julie Baeder, Berkeley, CA |
I wish I had read this before my first marriage. Now that I am in a healthier financial relationship with my current husband I was excited about taking the steps in the book to become "Financially Naked" with him. Over this past weekend we got through most of it and we both feel so much more informed. It's not just about what we have financially, which we have already gone over with a fine toothed comb, but how we FEEL financially. Thakor and Kedar have brilliantly devised, in a completely non-judmental way, a system for complete financial honesty in a relationship. One thing that I really appreciated was how they included the possibility that our "Honey" might actually be another woman. There was none of the usual "men do this, therefore women do that", no gender bias, just good solid advice.
I'm looking forward to the teen edition, which I will gladly read aloud to my 14 year old daughter. |
A prescription for relationship harmony
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| Review Date: November 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Dina, New England |
| They say that money problems are one of the top causes of strife for couples. One remedy is this book. A quick, engaging read, it will help to open the channels of communication for stronger relationships. I highly recommend it. |
Just might change your life
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| Review Date: November 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: D. Alder, |
This is a truly unique personal finance book because it delves into something that financial professionals avoid like the plague - feelings and attitudes toward money and how they affect our relationships. Finance gurus generally play the role of a doctor writing prescriptions - save 15% of your income, avoid credit card debt, have a 6-month "rainy day" fund, and call me in the morning.
This book is completely different; it actually treats you like a human being and challenges you to explore your deeper feelings toward money. Then it goes one step further and outlines how to have a discussion about money with your partner in a non-threatening way. Most fights over money are about the symptoms of deeper attitudes. This book asks you to dig to the core. You may not be truly happy in your relationship until you do. Well done.
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For singles too!!!
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| Review Date: November 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Whitney Oliver, Dallas, Texas |
| Manisha and Sharon's new book has great ideas for everyone who desires to live from a position of financial strength (and who doesn't???) This book really breaks down the future value and importance of saving today, along with the encouragement to make it happen. If you have ever needed a third party (or for singles, a second opinion!) on how best to plan for the future, this is the book for you. |
Helpful, clear guide to a subject that's not much fun to think about.
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| Review Date: November 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Gretchen C. Rubin, New York, NY USA |
| I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the book. Why is it so hard to talk about money with your significant other? This book guides you through ways to think about it, and talk about it, so you keep yourself out of trouble. Lots of very specific advice and exercises to make it easy to take concrete steps, little by little. |
A must for all women!
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| Review Date: November 15, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michelle Goodman, |
I've been a fan of Thakor and Kedar since they wrote and published ON MY OWN TWO FEET, the book I'm sure would have saved me from years of debt and financial cluelessness if it had been around when I was in my 20s. Now that I'm over 35 and have bootstrapped my way into self-employment, home ownership, and a spotless credit record, I face a new financial challenge: How to merge my financial life with that of my (soon to be live-in) significant other. Thankfully GET FINANCIALLY NAKED has walked me through the process.
Before reading this book, I was a deer in the headlights about the financial ramifications of cohabitation. Now I feel like I now know what questions to ask, how to bring them up, and how to deal with any discrepancies in how my partner and I view money. I'm honestly not sure what I love most about the book: The get-real-with-yourself quizzes and charts designed to show how financially literate you and your partner are, the advice on how much home the two of you can *really* afford, the tips on dealing with the financial needs of stepkids and in-laws, the suggestions for how to word those tough-to-bring-up money questions, and the juicy investment guidance made simple all resonated with me in a big way. I want to personally thank Thakor and Kedar in advance for saving me from what I sure would have been a number of uncomfortable, tense conversations about money with my sweetie.
But this book isn't just for those in a romantic relationship. Sadly, I've known far too many young women whose financial plan for the future has been Get Married To A Guy With A Fat Paycheck. (Yes, even in 2009.) If you have yet to get real with yourself about the fact that a man (or a woman, or a parent) is not a financial plan, time to get there. In this economic climate especially, you never know when you're going to find yourself in the role of main or sole breadwinner (that is, if you haven't proudly joined our ranks already). This book will tell you how to make smart financial choices with the money you earn and the romantic company you keep. It will teach you how to look out for number one first and foremost so that if and when you do decide to entangle your financial life with a significant other, you'll be in a financially sound position to do right by yourself, your partner, and any kids, in-laws, or step-family that come with the package.
--Michelle Goodman, author of My So-Called Freelance Life and The Anti 9-to-5 Guide |
A book that will transform relationships!
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| Review Date: November 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Marci Alboher, New York, NY |
| I gobbled up "On My Own Two Feet" and now Thakor and Kedar have done it again, by providing smart, solid advice about a subject too few couples are talking about. I read "Get Financially Naked" in a single sitting; and I know I'll be turning to it often every time I have one of those dreaded money talks with my honey. I'll also be giving it as a gift to anyone who's in a relationship that should endure. |
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Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money with Your Honey by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar is a practical look into the state of our personal finances
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