Fight For Your Money: How to Stop Getting Ripped Off and Save a Fortune

440 Pages·2009·9.04 MB·English

Praise for Go Green, Live Rich
“Great news: there is no green premium! By demonstrating how going green can fit
any budget, David Bach shows that good environmental and financial decisions go
hand-in-hand. Go Green, Live Rich gives great tips, useful to everyone, about how to
save money and the planet at once.” —Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Go Green, Live Rich is as much about saving money as it is about preserving our world
of natural wonders for future generations. This is the rich-green-book of a promising
tomorrow.” —Matthew Modine, Founder: Bicycle for a Day
Praise for The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner
“[Bach’s] cheery, can-do message . . . cuts through the intimidating challenge of buy-
ing a house for the first-timer . . . for a newcomer, it’s fundamental reading.”
—USA Today
“If you read only one real estate book this year, it should be The Automatic Millionaire
Homeowner . . . This is one of the few real estate books that cannot be recommended
too highly for both beginners and experienced homeowners.”
—Robert J. Bruss, Miami Herald
Praise for Start Late, Finish Rich
“Financial wizard David Bach’s new book, Start Late, Finish Rich, offers solid advice
for getting our finances in order, no matter how old we are.” —AARP
“With feel-good sensibilities, David Bach delivers levelheaded strategies for reaching
financial goals. . . . Bach’s clever approach will make readers feel as if they’re having a
one-on-one conversation with a friendly personal financial counselor. . . . Powerful,
poignant and pleasing, Start Late, Finish Rich can’t be read fast enough.” —Bookpage
Praise for The Automatic Millionaire
“The Automatic Millionaire is an automatic winner. David Bach really cares about you:
on every page you can hear him cheering you on to financial fitness. No matter who
you are or what your income is, you can benefit from this easy-to-apply program. Do
it now. You and your loved ones deserve big bucks!”
—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager®
“The Automatic Millionaire gives you, step by step, everything you need to secure your
financial future. When you do it David Bach’s way, failure is not an option.”
—Jean Chatzky, Financial Editor, NBC’s Today
“The Automatic Millionaire proves that you don’t have to make a lot of money or have
a complicated financial plan to get started—you can literally start toward your finan-
cial dreams today, in a matter of hours, with just one life-changing secret: Pay yourself
first and make it automatic! Equally important, this book shows you how to simplify
and automate your entire financial life.”
—Harry S. Dent, Jr., investment strategist and
author of The Roaring 2000s
Praise for Smart Couples Finish Rich
“Smart Couples Finish Rich teaches women and men to work together as a team when
it comes to money. Bach’s nine steps are powerful, yet easy to understand and fun to
implement. The entire family can benefit from this great book.”
—Robert T. Kiyosaki, author of
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
“I know how hard it is to make a personal-finance book user-friendly. Bach has done
it. Smart Couples Finish Rich picks up where Smart Women Finish Rich left off. . . . This
is an easy, lively read filled with tips that made me smile and at least once made me
laugh.” —USA Weekend
“David Bach offers a prescription both to avoid money conflicts and to plan a harmo-
nious future together. . . . The bottom line is action, and Bach’s chatty writing style
helps motivate you to that end.” —BusinessWeek
Praise for Smart Women Finish Rich
“Inspires women to start planning today for a secure financial future. Every woman
can benefit from this book. . . . Bach is an excellent money coach.”
—John Gray, bestselling author of
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
“David Bach is the one expert to listen to when you’re intimidated by your finances.
His easy-to-understand program will show you how to afford your dreams.”
—Anthony Robbins, author of
Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power
“[David] Bach gets across some complicated stuff: how to organize a portfolio, keep
the taxman at bay, invest in yourself, and earn more, all of which makes this book one
of the best overall.” —Working Woman
Fight
For Your
MoneY
Also by David Bach
Smart Women Finish Rich
Smart Couples Finish Rich
The Finish Rich Workbook
The Finish Rich Dictionary
The Automatic Millionaire
The Automatic Millionaire Workbook
Start Late, Finish Rich
The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner
Go Green, Live Rich
Fight
For Your
MoneY
How to Stop GettinG Ripped off and
SAve A FoRTune
DAviD BAch
BRoADWAy BookS
new york
published by broadway books
Copyright © 2009 by David Bach. All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information, ad-
dress Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner, The Automatic Millionaire, The Latte Factor,
Smart Women Finish Rich, Smart Couples Finish Rich are registered trademarks of
FinishRich, Inc.
Published in the United States by Broadway Books, an imprint of The Doubleday
Broadway Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.broadwaybooks.com
broadway books and its logo, a letter B bisected on the diagonal, are trademarks of
Random House, Inc.
This book is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject of
personal finances. While all of the stories and anecdotes described in the book are based
on true experiences, most of the names are pseudonyms, and some situations have been
changed slightly for educational purposes and to protect each individual’s privacy. It is sold
with the understanding that neither the Author nor the Publisher is engaged in rendering
legal, accounting, or other professional services by publishing this book. As each individual
situation is unique, questions relevant to personal finances and specific to the individual
should be addressed to an appropriate professional to ensure that the situation has been
evaluated carefully and appropriately. The Author and Publisher specifically disclaim any
liability, loss, or risk which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use
and application of any of the contents of this work.
Book design by Ralph Fowler / rlf design
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bach, David.
Fight for your money : how to stop getting ripped off and save a fortune / David Bach.—
1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Finance, Personal. I. Title.
HG179.B2343 2009
332.024—dc22
2008045401
ISBN 978-0-7679-2984-4
printed in the united states of america
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
To my son, Jack Bach—
you are the best thing that ever happened in my life.
I love you more than the “whole world”!
contents
Fight For your Money A–Z ix retirement
Introduction 1
401(k) Plans 241
Automobiles IRAs 255
Pension Plans 264
Buying a new Car 13
Social Security 272
Buying a used Car 24
Annuities 279
Car Leasing 36
Car Rentals 47 shopping
Car Repairs 58
online Shopping and Auctions 289
Banking Appliance Protection Plans/
extended Warranties 296
Bank Accounts 67
Gift Cards 302
Debit Cards 80
Rebate offers 307
credit
taxes
Credit Cards 89
Tax Preparation 313
Credit Scores 104
Refund Anticipation Loans 321
Payday Loans 114
Charitable Giving 324
Identity Theft 119
tv and Phone
Family Matters
Cable and Satellite Tv 331
Divorce 131
Cell Phone Plans 338
Life Insurance 140
Residential Phone Service 353
estate Planning 148
Bundled-Service Plans 363
Saving for College 157
travel
health
Air Travel 367
Health Insurance 167
Hotels 375
Hospital Bills 177
Travel Packages 382
Health Club Memberships 185
Conclusion 387
home
Appendix: Fight for your Money Toolkit 389
Buying a Home 193 Sources 396
Home Mortgages 205 Acknowledgments 411
Home Building and Remodeling 224 Index 414
Home-Based Business
opportunities 234
Fight For Your MoneY A–Z
Air Travel 367 Health Club Memberships 185
Annuities 279 Health Insurance 167
Appliance Protection Plans/extended Home-Based Business opportunities 234
Warranties 296
Home Building and Remodeling 224
Bank Accounts 67
Home Mortgages 205
Bundled-Service Plans 363
Hospital Bills 177
Buying a Home 193
Hotels 375
Buying a new Car 13
Identity Theft 119
Buying a used Car 24
IRAs 255
Cable and Satellite Tv 331
Life Insurance 140
Car Leasing 36
online Shopping and Auctions 289
Car Rentals 47
Payday Loans 114
Car Repairs 58
Pension Plans 264
Cell Phone Plans 338
Rebate offers 307
Charitable Giving 324
Refund Anticipation Loans 321
Credit Cards 89
Residential Phone Service 353
Credit Scores 104
Saving for College 157
Debit Cards 80
Social Security 272
Divorce 131
Tax Preparation 313
estate Planning 148
Travel Packages 382
401(k) Plans 241
Gift Cards 302