Personal Finance
Looking for ways to make the most out of your money? Check out the staff-curated money management resources below.
The library also offers other money-related resources on topics including taxes, jobs and careers and businesses and nonprofits.
Personal Finance Resources
Your Money
Your Money
University of Illinois Extension provides information about personal finance topics.
How Money Smart Are You? is a series of games from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to help you learn about everyday financial topics.
Consumer Help
Consumer Help
Citizens Utility Board offers tips to lower utility bills and avoid scams.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers information on topics like auto loans, bank accounts, credit cards, credit reports, mortgages and more.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) maintains stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) protects investors and safeguards the integrity of capital markets to ensure that everyone can invest with confidence.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides information on avoiding foreclosure, housing resources and finding shelter.
Illinois Attorney General offers information about student loan debt assistance, consumer and health care complaints, crime victims compensation and more.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provides information about product recalls. There is also the option to report or search for unsafe products.
Investing
Investing
There are several online resources from government and regulatory agencies that can help you learn about investing. The library subscribes to two online resources, Morningstar Investment Research Center and Value Line Research Center, that have investment education sections with courses, videos and quizzes.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- FINRA for Investors
- FINRA Learn to Invest
- FINRA Personal Finance can help with making financial goals before you start investing.
- FINRA BrokerCheck is a free tool to research the background of financial brokers, advisers and firms.
- Tools and Calculators
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers a free tool to check the backgrounds of investment professionals.
Investor.gov provides information from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about investment products, crypto assets, fraud, and more.
Financial Planning
Financial Planning
Guides for Financial Decisions including buying a house, paying for college and answers to commonly asked financial questions.
Illinois Secure Choice is a state-facilitated retirement program that makes it easy to save for retirement.
Teaching Children About Money
Teaching Children About Money
Money as You Grow offers activities to help you teach your children about money.
Money Genius Activity Kit by Beth Kobliner
Consumer.gov provides consumer information for teens.
Personal Finance Resources
Business skills. Money Management, Accounting, and Communication for Small Businesses
This is a 2-book combo, which has the following titles: Book 1: Running a business can be a joy and a pain. It all depends on how you handle it. Other factors that contribute to your success or failure may be the demand, the market, the numbers, accounting, and the nature of your brand or product. However, there are certain skills everyone should have. These are the basics for running a business. And you may think that everyone possesses these general abilities, but you might be surprised by how many people have no clue what they are doing, and they never stand a chance of making it work because they missed the essentials for doing business in the first place. We're talking about money management, marketing, and finances. If you get those things wrong, your business has a higher risk of flopping. Book 2: Today, we'll tackle several skills and abilities you should master before you start or run a business. These are: Communication tools and skills that are typically used in the workplace. Too many problems exist in businesses because of miscommunication, delays, and faulty reasoning. Presentation skills. These will come in handy when selling, getting partners, negotiating, or marketing a product or service. We will go over some tips that can boost your presentation skills. Management styles. It may come as a shock when you realize how many different ways there are to manage a business, and that one person will do it more effectively than another. Management lies at the heart of keeping things organized and staff employed, happy, and productive. This is an important skill to learn, and it is worth looking into the various styles that managers use. Solving problems is the last topic in this book. After all, solving problems is all a business does. They have a product or service that is supposed to make life better. Learn more about effective problem-solving skills you may need as a business owner
As We Believe How Your Beliefs Influence Every Area Of Your Life
AS WE BELIEVE How Your Beliefs Influence Every Area Of Your Life: What if the life you are living today is being shaped by beliefs you never consciously chose? From childhood experiences and family traditions to cultural expectations and personal disappointments, many of the beliefs that guide our decisions were formed long before we were old enough to question them. Over time, those beliefs become the invisible framework through which we interpret ourselves, our relationships, our health, our finances, and our future. In As We Believe: How Your Beliefs Influence Every Area of Your Life, transformational mindset coach and bestselling author SaBrina Tillman shares powerful personal stories, life changing lessons, and practical insights that reveal how deeply our beliefs influence the direction of our lives. Through raw and honest reflections on abandonment, depression, self worth, entrepreneurship, healing, family trauma, personal growth, and overcoming fear, SaBrina demonstrates how even a single belief can alter the course of an entire life. More importantly, she shows that beliefs are not permanent. They can be examined, challenged, and replaced. This book will help you: - Identify limiting beliefs that may be holding you back - Understand how beliefs are formed and reinforced - Recognize inherited thought patterns that no longer serve you - Develop a mindset that supports growth, healing, and success - Learn practical tools to consciously reshape your thinking Whether you are seeking emotional healing, greater confidence, stronger relationships, financial growth, or a deeper sense of purpose, this book will inspire you to take a closer look at the stories you have accepted as truth. Because the life you create tomorrow begins with what you choose to believe today. As we believe, so we live
Stay Wealthy
In the 4th, completely revised edition of this groundbreaking guide, published by an award-winning publisher, renowned experts (overview in the book preview) combine their knowledge with interactive AI. This unique combination of decades of experience and state-of-the-art technology enables you to master challenges on a whole new level. Thanks to the innovative transfer of information, complemented by personal experiences of success, you can realize your goals and reach your full potential. Because to have more money and secure its prosperity on a long-term basis, who would not like that? The way to achieve this is called financial education: it means acquiring background knowledge about financial and stock markets and making the right financial decisions based on it. Then passive income, which sounds like a nice dream to many, can become a reality. After all, only those who make their money work for them can secure their prosperity and become financially free. But unfortunately, very few people are really familiar with the subject of investing money, and opinions about proper financial planning are as many as there are experts. It is therefore necessary not to lose the overview in the jungle of financial products. Therefore it is meaningful to concern oneself more extensively with the own fortune planning, finally savings and thus the age precaution important for the pension are only destroyed by the inflation. Good luck and have fun reading. For its concept "Information as Desired," the publisher won the Global Business Award as Publisher of the Year and received government funding. It is also a partner of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany. The goal to give you the best possible content on topics such as career, finance, management, recruiting, or psychology goes far beyond the static nature of traditional books: The interactive AI Extended Books not only provide AI-optimized content in several languages based on data analysis but also allow you to ask individual questions and receive advice tailored to your personal interests. Each book contains detailed information and examples for your successful use of AI. You can utilize AI software for free, download e-courses, collaborate with workbooks, or engage with an active community. So you gain valuable resources that enhance your knowledge, stimulate creativity, and make your personal and professional goals achievable and tangible. Expertise and technical innovation go hand in hand, as we take the responsibility to deliver well-researched and informed content seriously, honoring the trust you place in us. Due to the unique combination of human expertise and innovation, we can publish works that meet your requirements in every aspect. And furthermore, we want to offer you the opportunity to make your journey towards personal growth and success even more unforgettable. We understand that true change occurs not just in the mind but primarily through personal experiences and application. Therefore, we've conceptualized special success journey experiences tailored to each book for you. Be inspired to elevate your life to an entirely new level. By purchasing the books, you can also do good: The publisher dedicates about 5 percent of book sales revenue to socially relevant or sustainable projects. We provide scholarships, support innovative ideas, and contribute to climate protection initiatives. Publisher Simone Janson is also a bestselling author and one of the top 10 influential German bloggers according to the Blogger Relevance Index. Additionally, she has been a columnist and author for renowned media outlets such as WELT, Wirtschaftswoche, or ZEIT - more about her can be found, among other places, on Wikipedia
Cracking the Code Understanding Business Structures, Business Credit and More!
Cracking the Code: Vol 2 is a comprehensive guide to understanding and building strong business credit while establishing the right legal and financial foundation for a successful company. The book explains different business structures such as sole proprietorships, LLCs, and corporations, and breaks down how business credit differs from personal credit. It walks readers through the step-by-step process of building business credit, working with credit bureaus, using vendor accounts, and progressing toward business credit cards, lines of credit, and loans. It also explores advanced strategies like aged corporations, shelf corporations, and alternative financing options. Overall, it serves as a practical roadmap for entrepreneurs aiming to build financially strong, scalable, and independent businesses
Getting to the Brain and Then to the Bag: Changing your Brain to Change your Money
What if success isn't about chasing the money-but changing the mind that's chasing it? In Getting to the Brain and Then to the Bag, Joe Johnson flips the script on traditional success talk and delivers a game-changing truth: you are the bag. This bold, no-fluff guide dives deep into the mindset shifts that separate dreamers from doers. Through real-life examples, practical exercises, and transformative techniques, Johnson shows you how to rewire your inner dialogue, raise your standards, and activate the subconscious patterns that lead to real results-financially, emotionally, and spiritually. You'll learn how to: See perfection in both success and failureUse your words, posture, and thoughts as tools to shape realityWrite down your goals to make them manifestSet boundaries that protect your peace and energyTurn time management into a money mindsetReprogram your subconscious using your own voice This book is your permission slip to stop surviving and start thriving. Whether you're building a business, leveling up your life, or rediscovering your purpose, Getting to the Brain and Then to the Bag will show you how to become the kind of person success naturally happens to. You're not waiting on the bag-the bag is waiting on you. Scroll up and grab your copy today
Coming for money: a novel of international finance
How much money is too much? And how fast is too fast in life? Investment star Paris Smith steps onto the top rungs of the corporate ladder, only to discover he is caught between his need for fulfillment and his need for understanding, between his drive for power and his inability to cope with his growing emptiness where there was once love. When his wife disappears from the core of his life, Smith's loneliness and sense of disconnection threaten to overwhelm him. When he tries to compensate by losing himself in his work, he stumbles off the treadmill of his own success, and is entangled in the web of a fraudulent bond deal that threatens to derail his career and his life. Forced to put his personal life on hold while he travels non-stop between Toronto, Singapore, and Bangkok to salvage his career, the embattled financier is deprived of the time and space he needs to mourn the absence of his wife and to objectively assess his future options. In the heat, turmoil and fast money of Southeast Asia half a world from home and half a life from his last remembered smile Paris Smith finds duplicity, comradeship, and power. He also finds a special woman who might heal his heart. The gripping tale is told by a talented new author, F.W. vom Scheidt, who has confidently crafted a fast-paced, highly readable novel. His details are fascinating. His characters are real and not easily forgotten
Nine Essential Conversations before You Say I Do
In his popular book, 9 Essential Conversations before You Say I Do, author and pastor Gary Thomas, marriage and family therapist Dr. Steve Wilke and Rebecca Wilke, EdD help couples explore: - What marriage means to each individual and whether this is a wise match - How to engage in essential relational pursuits such as healthy conflict, sexual intimacy, and spiritual intimacy - How to discuss in advance crucial aspects of marriage such as childrearing, finances, and marital roles - Why asking hard questions now is better than asking them five years from now With thoughtful questions that encourage couples to examine themselves and their relationships, 9 Essential Conversations before You Say I Do will help couples thrive not only in the early months of their marriage but also in the years to come. Includes Guides and Questions. A workbook for premarital counseling, 9 Essential Conversations before You Say I Do guides couples through the most important conversations to test and grow their relationship. Gary Thomas is writer-in-residence at Second Baptist Church in Houston, a frequent guest on Focus on the Family and FamilyLife Today radio, and a popular speaker around the world. His award-winning books have been translated into fifteen languages and have sold two million copies. Thomas and his wife have three children. Steve D. Wilke, PhD, has been engaged in psychological ministries for over thirty years. Following his doctoral work in clinical psychology with a specialization in marriage and family, he founded the Family Counseling Center, where he serves as clinical director. He cofounded LEADon®, a leadership development firm that equips executives, leaders, and their teams with strategic leadership skill sets. Steve has been married to Rebecca for almost forty years. Together they have authored numerous books, but they feel their greatest legacy is their family, now comprised of adult children and grandchildren. Rebecca Wilke, EdD has served as a teacher, professor, and leadership consultant working with children and adults in both public and private school settings. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she received her doctorate in educational leadership. Rebecca is a cofounder of Sonkist Ministries, a faith-based ministry that supports individuals, couples, and families. She is a principal and cofounder of LEADon®. Contents Authors' Note 7 For Pastors and Mentors 9 For Couples: How to Use This Conversation Guide 13 Session 1: Pre-engagement Punch List 19 Devotional 1: Six Signs He or She Isn't Marriage Material 25 Session 2: The Doubt-Free Wedding Day 31 Devotional 2: Two Are Better Than One 40 Session 3: Your Covenant Marriage 43 Devotional 3: Divorce Divorce 52 Session 4: And the Two Shall Become One 57 Devotional 4: Moving Toward Each Other 64 Session 5: Building a Family 67 Devotional 5: Some Day 74 Session 6: Constructive Conflict 77 Devotional 6: Vacation Vanity 86 Session 7: Developing and Maintaining Sexual Intimacy 91 Devotional 7: The Power of a Pure Passion 100 Session 8: Money, Money, Money 105 Devotional 8: Finances 112 Session 9: Spiritual Intimacy 115 Devotional 9: Power Couples 120 Appendix A: The Marriage Mentor's Conversational Session Guide 123 Appendix B: Personal History Questionnaire 137 Notes 157 "Gary Thomas debunks the mythical search for a soul mate to help you choose a 'sole-mate'-someone who will lay down their life in faithful love. This biblically based book is for anyone who wants to be wise in their pursuit of a spouse." "Filled with questions to make you think and teaching that will bring 'aha' moments, this book is a must read for everyone considering marriage. I highly recommend it to you-I wish I'd had it when I was single!" "Gary Thomas dismantles contemporary philosophies on love, sexuality, and marital union by offeri
CitiLife : Tales of a London City Banker
CitiLife: Tales of a London City Banker is a captivating memoir by Hiren Singharay, chronicling his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in India to the high-stakes world of international finance at Citibank in London. Beginning with a chance phone call in 1984 that led to his unexpected entry into Citi, Singharay recounts fifteen exhilarating years navigating the transformative 1990s-a decade of monumental global shifts, from the fall of the Iron Curtain to the opening of emerging markets across Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Through vivid anecdotes and heartfelt reflections, Singharay paints a lively portrait of life inside one of the world's premier banks. Readers are transported to bustling boardrooms, exotic signing ceremonies in castles and breweries, and whirlwind travels spanning four continents in as many weeks. He shares tales of forging deals in post-communist Poland, syndicating landmark loans in newly democratic South Africa, and negotiating with Japanese conglomerates in London pubs. Amid the thrill of closing multimillion-dollar transactions, he reveals the human side of banking: the camaraderie among colleagues, the cultural clashes, the triumphs over adversity, and the occasional misadventures-like mistaking Tonbridge for Tunbridge Wells on his first interview day. Dedicated to his grandchildren, this book is more than a career retrospective; it's a testament to resilience, opportunity, and the joy of a life well-lived. Singharay's warm, witty prose brings to life the era's financial innovations-syndicated loans, bonds, swaps-and the personal growth that came with them. From learning German on the fly in Frankfurt to mastering the art of public speaking at Citi's training centers, his story inspires anyone dreaming of breaking barriers in a global arena
Tools for the trenches
What happens when a master of personal transformation suffers unspeakable loss? After thirty years of battling obesity and struggling with her finances, Elizabeth Benton transformed herself. She lost 150 pounds, eliminated $130,000 of debt, and committed herself to guiding other women through their own transformations. Her inspiring story and methodologies have touched millions of lives. Then, in 2020, her daughter died. Lost and grieving, Elizabeth searched in vain for anything that might help. But the advice she found felt too out of reach. Too hard to put into practice. Instead of giving up, she wrote the book she couldn't find. No matter what you're trying to handle-from the most difficult loss to the small, day-to-day grievances that keep us from living our best lives-Tools for the Trenches provides the tools and perspectives you need to transform yourself from the inside out. Full of exercises you can do immediately, with questions at the end of each chapter to help you apply every tool in your own life, Elizabeth Benton's Tools for the Trenches is the self-help book that can actually change your life-starting now
Meeting your match online the complete guide to Internet dating and dating services--including true life dating stories
Recent studies show that more than 20 million people will visit at least one online dating service a month. Internet dating has several advantages, among them the ability to discover everything about a potential partner before ever meeting them. You can learn their age, religious affiliations, education, expectations, interests, hobbies, and so on. Internet dating allows you to chat online and get to know someone before meeting them. There is also the ability to meet people on a varied schedule; you do not have to meet them face-to-face right away. Other advantages include protection of your personal identity, the exchange of photos, the ability to be yourself, less cost, and the ability to search by sexual or ethnic preference, all of which will increase the chances of finding that special someone. Aside from the many advantages, online dating has disadvantages as well. For example, you could be starting an online relationship with someone who, in actuality, does not look like they do in their photos or their personality is not as they described, it might have to be a long distance relationship, or they have a hidden criminal agenda. This is why you need the assistance of this groundbreaking new book that covers it all, allowing you to find the right partner and make your online dates safe and secure. The book features many available online dating services, such as PerfectMatch, which employs a scientific method to locate matches. eHarmony has a compatibility system that only pairs you with compatible singles. Yahoo Personals helps you choose from thousands of members to find singles in your area. True. com is likely the only dating site that checks new members for criminal activity and marriage history. Match. com guarantees you will meet someone special within six months or they will extend your membership by six months at no cost to you. Also detailed are AmericanSingles. com, FriendFinder. com, Metrodate. com, Lavalife. com, Date. com, JDate. com, Great Expectations at GE-Dating. com and Chemistry. com. Also included are true stories from couples and singles who have been through the online dating process and have found it either worked or didn't work for them. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed. This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. The print version of this book is 288 pages and you receive exactly the same content. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version
