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I want to get a book for father’s day, and figured it’d be about as good a idea as any, specifically because he’s uncertain about diversifying his portfolio.

If it’s about diversifying his portfolio and understanding risk better, then Swensen’s "Unconventional Success" is a very good and readable book. Swensen heads the Yale endowment fund and has a very good reputation and insights into personal investing as well. Check out the summary on Amazon.

I would advise against a bond book, because every one i is either very quantitative or boring or both. The best place to learn about bond basics is actually online. But that’s not much of a father’s day present.

For a popular and exciting book in finance circles that’s very readable as well (kind of rare), check out "Black Swan" by Taleb. It talks about those rare unseen risk events that shocks finance systems.

Check those two out on Amazon. You may find something else within those summaries that will point you to a better book suited to your father’s tastes. Good luck.

If they had learned money management when they were young, they would:

1) See the foolishness of Obama’s "plan"
2) Have money to buy whatever insurance/other promises Obama is making them.

Will liberals wake up before its too late?

*sigh* Just like the Bush supporters thought it was a good idea to spend 3 trillion for a war. You say tomato I say, well you know the rest.

I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal problems and no matter how many times I tell myself that God is on my side and everything happens for a reason I still beat myself up over doubts and hopelessness.

I know in my heart I truly believe that God knows what he’s doing and has a great future planned for me, but how can I stop trying to analyze everything that’s happened and might/might not happen? How can I convince my head what my heart knows?

I struggle with this, too. But, the best way to grow to trust God in these times is to ask yourself: "What has he taken me through, before?" What things have had you stressed out in the past, and yet you’re here today by the grace of God?

How many times have you worried over finances, relationships, health, circumstances and situations, and it all turns out okay? And even when it doesn’t, it usually leads to something better that you never expected? Make a journal of these times (Make a monument like Abraham) and go back and read them whenever your trust is wavering.

Also, go to biblegateway.com and research the term "Trust" and see what God does for those who trust in him all across the bible. (It doesn’t hurt to study the definition of trust at dictionary.com, either.)

But line these things up and study them in your head when things seem hopeless, and remember, above all this one thing:

Trust is going forward with what he last told you, even if you don’t see, feel, or believe the reason. Keep walking in what you know to do. Because that is the ultimate trust. If I put you in a dark room full of landmines and give you the instructions to get out, if you trust me, you’ll do exactly what I say and keep moving, knowing I won’t let you get blown up.

If you don’t trust me, then you’ll stand still in fear, or make your own moves and blow yourself up.

Follow whatever instructions you know to do at the moment, whether it’s just reading the word, praying and going to church, and that IS trusting God. When you do that, he will lead you into bigger and greater things.

If you don’t know specifically for you, just follow the basics in the bible. (Prayer, Praise, Fasting, Scripture and Fellowship.)

Hope that helps.

I don’t really like MS Money. Are there any good alternatives out there, either free or buy? I run a small business and would like business and personal finance in one package, would appreciate some advice please. Many thanks

MS Money is not designed to run a business. There are advantages in separating your personal finances and your business – ask your Accountant.

Yes, you will find cheap/free accounting software, but this is the one area that you should invest in, no matter how small your business.

This link is interesting if you are considering accounting software.
http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/awards/

Sage Instant Accounts is perfect for the small business. Almost all UK Accountants will recommend Sage products. It will set you back £100 on Amazon.co.uk, but will be money well spent. If you think your business may grow, or you want to keep your Accountant happy, then choose Sage.

Quickbooks Simple Start is £24 on Amazon.co.uk – and is popular and another good path to choose. Just make sure you switch to Sage if things take off.

Mamut have a free product with limited functionality, but a clear upgrade path:
http://www.mamut.com/uk/startup/

You may find that software is available for your type of business – and this could possibly be more suitable than a generic accounting package. Try a google search for "<your business> software".

There is so much information available regarding things like 401k programs, IRAs, taxes, mutual funds, etc, that it can seem a bit confusing and overwhelming, especially when young people often make so little money that it hardly seems worth the effort to bother saving at all.

Do you know of any websites or other references that go over these basics in a relatively simple and straightforward manner, so that the average beginner can understand how to manage their finances smartly and responsibly?

What would you tell your child about investment and saving when they begin to enter the workforce?

If you want to learn some sound financial basics, I suggest starting at the public library. Look for books by Suze Orman and David Bach, both of whom give clear introductions to personal finance. I like to check them out as audio books and listen to them on my iPod when possible. For you in particular I would recommend Suze Orman’s book "Young, Fabulous & Broke". It’s a great introduction for finance for someone in the earlier years of their financial life.

You can also look for lots of information in a huge range of styles from the large community of personal finance bloggers out there. I run a blog called HealthyWealthyHappyWise over at http://money.kevingunn.org/ . I link to several others that I enjoy along the right column on my page. Some are pretty technical, some are more personal. Almost all of them link to more blogs in the style liked by that blog’s author. Go find ones that suit you. They’ll keep you inspired to keep moving forward and can be a great source of tips, tricks, and potential pitfalls.

Step one in any sound financial plan is to create a spending plan and STICK TO IT. Everything else hinges on that. If you spend even a tiny amount more than you earn, you’re heading for trouble. I wrote fairly extensively on how to get started on a spending plan here: http://money.kevingunn.org/index.php?/archives/5-The-Weekly-Spending-Plan-Part-1-Why-Weekly.html .

Finally, remember that an early start is the key to finishing well-off. Don’t postpone! Get started now.

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

I have a lot to say about it but at this time I’ll just say WOW.
I find it unbelievable that some of you are questioning the source. IT’S FROM THE WHITE HOUSE’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
Endeavor: You’ll love it even more when they cut off the right to oppose something YOU don’t agree with, right?
"Your question is suspect because as you can see from your copy and paste, it said nothing about abridging your right to oppose anything."

You’re right. It says nothing about silencing opposition. You’ll just get reported to the gov’t. if you oppose.

What world do you live in??
Oh I seenow. This is not an email. I copied it EXACTLY from whitehouse.gov. You are free to check the link.

What a go–totally agree with the White House.*

This pretty much makes the Occupy movement irrelevant in some respects:

Americans are now less likely to see U.S. society as divided into the "haves" and "have nots" than they were in 2008, returning to their views prior to that point. A clear majority, 58%, say they do not think of America in this way, after Americans were divided 49% to 49% in the summer of 2008.

[…]

The shift, documented by a Gallup poll conducted Nov. 28-Dec. 1, is noteworthy in that it came after 3 ½ years of economic turmoil in which more Americans have become unemployed and more have become negative about their personal finances. The current poll was also conducted as the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to focus on the disparities between the wealthiest 1% of Americans and everyone else.

If they had to choose, 58% of Americans would say they are in the "haves," rather than the "have nots" group. This breakdown has held remarkably steady over the past two decades of economic boom and bust, with a record-high 67% of Americans putting themselves in the "haves" category during the strong economic times of the late 1990s.

There are disparities in income in America but the people don’t seem quite as concerned about that as liberals. The vast amount of material goods most Americans can afford allows people the luxury of realizing how good they have it compared to others.We are not generally an envious people so rather than dwell on how much someone else might possess in material wealth, we tend to focus and give thanks for what we have.

It’s why so few show up at OWS demonstrations and why Obama’s class warfare rhetoric is not resonating with anyone outside of his liberal base.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/12/americans_rejecting_class_warfare_-_gallup.html#ixzz1ginsK5Pu

I for one my sick of Obama class-warfare, he need to go

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain e-mails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an e-mail or see something on the Web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

it is a recruiting add for the new Brown shirts, I wonder how many reporting trolls will use this, will they turn in their parents if the check is late or if mom doesn’t bring them beer and pizza? It is about conrtol.
Semper Fi

Teaching children how to manage money is one thing, but do you think it is wise to let children get a "secured" credit card in their name?

No.
If they have been tought good money management skills they are able to live within their means. Only spend a portion of what they make and not more than.

If you see anybody publicly opposing President Obama’s plan to implement a government-centric overhaul of the health care system, the White House wants you to report that person (or persons) ASAP.

From the White House website:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

the term “disinformation” is used by the Obama White House as a catchall to describe any opposition to the President’s push for single-payer, government-run health care — meaning the White House wants to be informed of any forwarded emails or blog posts or any “casual conversations” that could be taken as opposition to their health care overhaul plan.

The White House has, as yet, offered no explanation of what it is they plan to do with the tips on policy opposition they hope to receive from citizen informers.

NO!!! Talk about the Third Reich policies! Talk about Soviet style tactics. Good God Almighty, who does this freak in the White House think he is acting like this? And to those "obama apologists" who say that he probably doesn’t know this is happening, I say WHY wouldn’t he know about this? He is supposed to be the commander-in-chief, the man in charge, the head honcho. He needs to know these things.

"Citizen Informers". The phrase sends a chill down my spine.