No comments about Mastering Depreciation (Professional Bookkeeping Certification).

No comments about Mastering Inventory (Professional Bookkeeping Certification).

3 comments about Why Wills Won't Work (If You Want to Protect Your Assets): Safeguard Your Estate for the Ones You Really Love.

1. Most people probably believe that a will is sufficient to avoid major inheritance and probate problems. Budish asserts the contrary, offering an example in which a mother willed assets to her daughter, and these ended up being split with the daughter's husband upon their divorce. Budish estimates that his approach (SAFE Trust) would cost about $3,000 and prevent such problems. HOWEVER, the reader later learns that this is only true for assets that remain in the trust and have not yet been spent, and thus is left to wonder what value a SAFE Trust has for those planning to use the money.
   
   Budish states that wills are filed with the local probate court and anyone can challenge the will. The executor must make a list of everything owned at death and every expenditure must be approved by the court (eg. insurance, taxes, utilities) - something that won't happen for free. Budish cites a 1990 AARP study that found probate of estates less than $100,000 took at least a year, and fees can deplete assets by up to 10%, even in uncomplicated cases.



2. This book will give you some new thoughts on the old Will...now you can
   leave the money to your children and it will go to them, and will not
   be subject to any other legal action. A Safe Will...about time we had
   something like this.



3. I am not quite finished reading this book, however, I am a bit disappointed in the focus of the beginning chapters on the 'extended/blended' family situations. I have been married to the same guy for almost 50 years and there are none of those side stories to deal with. I realize a lot of modern society does have these problems, but I don't want to hear about them. The portions of the subject I do want to absorb I need to re-read. It is a complicated matter.

No comments about Mastering Adjusting Entries (Professional Bookkeeping Certification).

3 comments about Bookkeeping Made Simple.

1. I got this book to learn the basics of bookkeeping for my job. It has short chapters that are step by step lessons in learning the bookkeeping cycle. It is easy to read and understand, even studying on your own.



2. I am an accountant and an instructor for our local college and adult education consortium. I use this book in my Basic Bookkeeping course. I find it to be very good in teaching the students the basics of bookkeeping and helping them understand what is happening in the background of an integrated accounting software program such as Accpac's Simply Accounting! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to learn the basics of bookkeeping.



3. I was just beginning my accounting principles class when I ordered this book, hoping to get a basic overview of bookkeeping. I have to say, I got more than I bargained for: the book explained everything I needed to know about bookkeeping, plus included exercise sheets to practice on, and it made everything simple for me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn bookkeeping. I would definitely purchase more books in the Made Simple series because this book was a convincer.

5 comments about QuickBooks 2004 The Official Guide.

1. I bought this book to learn how to use QuickBooks properly after my accountant noticed a few major issues with how I tracked things in my company file. I found this book worthless for a beginner trying to learn how to use the product. Also, it doesn't seem to provide significantly more detail than QuickBooks online help. The only thing I've used it for so far is learning a good account naming scheme...



2. I agree with the guy who said it's not a guide. Don't buy if you are confused by Quickbooks interface and plan to learn how to use it properly from financial point of view. To get the guide, simply print out the help pages.



3. Ms. Ivens writes clearly, properly, and intelligently on QuickBooks software. The screen shots are legible, unlike those in some other computer books. The index is detailed, and thus useful. I counted only two typos in the 572 pages.
   
   My company, Transpower Corporation (a commercial and custom software manufacturing and systems engineering company in metropolitan Philadelphia), did its first QuickBooks installation in 1999. I purchased Kathy's book QuickBooks 6.0--The Offical Guide; this helped to make the installation go smoothly. It's been five years since, and QuickBooks has changed considerably. So I purchased both of Kathy's current titles, QuickBooks 2004--The Offical Guide, and Running QuickBooks 2004 Premier Editions. Both are excellent and I recommend them to all computer consultants operating in the small business space, which QuickBooks has taken over by storm. (Unfortunately, QuickBooks is not so applicable to medium or larger businesses because 1) there is a five user limit for Pro/Premiere editions and a ten user limit for the Enterprise edition, 2) it does not work with Windows Terminal Server, and 3) it allows only seven custom fields). After reading both books, I've come to the conclusion that for most small businesses the Premiere editions (with their specialization) make more sense than the less expensive Pro edition.
   
   Kathy provides many useful tips in her books. They go way beyond what is supplied in the manuals shipped with the software.



4. I decided that January 1, 2005 was a good time to start using Quickbooks Pro for my small business. I'd been using MYOB FirstEdge, but found it was rather limited in some areas. Whenever I think about starting to use new software, I browse around on Amazon for a good book on the package in question. This book stood out as probably a good resource and I was not far wrong. However, I have a couple of complaints. Firstly, the author's instructions on how to enter beginning balances is vague at best. Secondly, her discussion of complex issues such as how to set up Quickbooks for sales tax recording and reporting, is somewhat lacking. The book that came with the software actually does a better job at explaining Quickbooks' rather quirky method of sales tax accounting.
   
   By all means buy this book. It has some really helpful material and is worth the purchase price. But don't pre-suppose that this book is ALL you will need in order to start using Quickbooks efficiently.



5. I find this book helpful just when I'm about to tear my hair out! It's usually at that point when I remember that I have it. Sometimes I feel the author assumes you know a little more than you do, so you have to go back and track down the subtle steps that take you to the end goal, but overall it has been very informative. Instructions are clear, and I love the "tips" and "warnings" in the margins - they have helped me avoid what could have been some pretty hairy un-fixable mistakes.

5 comments about The Money Making Guide to Bonds: Straightforward Strategies for Picking the Right Bonds and Bond Funds.

1. While The Money Making Guide to Bonds is well written, it is designed for the novice. For example, the book has a very general discussion of duration with no mathematics. Moreover, convexity is not discussed at all. The authors are enthusiastic about bonds but do not give enough attention to the inflation risk of owning bonds.



2. While The Money Making Guide to Bonds is well written, it is designed for the novice. For example, the book has a very general discussion of duration with no mathematics. Moreover, convexity is not discussed at all. The authors are enthusiastic about bonds but do not give enough attention to the inflation risk of owning bonds.



3. Stocks, stocks, stocks, IPOs, stocks. Like too many people, I paid too much attention to equities and too little to other investments. I read over and over about creating a balanced portfolio and did - but only to a degree and without paying much attention to the less glamorous parts of my investments. I paid a price when the bubble burst. This book is very helpful to helping understand bonds of various types and how to use them. The authors are clear and unafraid to be be opinionated. I recommend this highly.



4. Co-written by recognized bond adviser and financial author Hildy Richelson and fee-only financial planner, attorney and coach Stan Richelson, The Money-Making Guide To Bonds: Straightforward Strategies For Picking The Right Bonds And Bond Funds is a useful and practical guide to an informed investment in the bond market. Presented in a direct, no-nonsense tone which is thoroughly accessible to readers of all financial backgrounds, the individual chapters discuss over 35 different types of bonds in detail, complete with their specific advantages and disadvantages, as well as tax issues, ways to protect oneself from risks, how to make the best use of online resources, and more. Though The Money-Making Guide To Bonds cannot replace professional advice or judgement, it is a "must-read" for non-specialist general readers seeking familiarize themselves with the complex bond market before seeing a financial expert who bills by the hour.



5. I had always read about the importance of including bonds in your portfolio--in both bear and bull markets--but I could never get a handle on all the different types available. Thank goodness for this book. I now know the difference between muni bonds and U.S. savings bonds, and why bond funds may not be the best route to diversification. I strongly recommend this to anyone looking to safeguard their portfolio and profit!

2 comments about How To Lie With Charts: Second Edition.

1. "How to Lie with Charts" is a must read for presenters, students and decision makers. Many tricks of the data display trade are revealed. Both how to lie with charts, and how to spot lying charts are demonstrated. This book rewards readers with clearly described methods applicable to the next presentation. Avoiding complex mathematical arguments, readers become chart literate. Fun to read and well-illustrated, "How to Lie with Charts", can save you from being misled and allow you to make your points tellingly.



2. Business, technology, and web development expert Gerald Everett Jones presents an updated second edition of How to Lie with Charts, a must-read for everyone in the information age. How to Lie with Charts is a folksy-toned, fun-to-read guide to how graphs, charts, tables, and other means of presenting statistical data can be effectively used to mislead. How to Lie with Charts is therefore inordinately valuable to anyone trying to make sense of news stories, business presentations, research data, or any other gathering of information presented in visual form, as it opens the reader's eyes to tips, tricks, and techniques commonly used to give false impressions. An utterly invaluable educational and self-teaching tool that is absolutely vital to staying abreast of the information age.

3 comments about Money Matters for Kids (Burkett, Larry. Money Matters for Kids.).

1. We bought this book to help teach our 7 year old how to manage her money. Where the book met expectations were the areas of values and healthy ways to think of money : Money isn't ours. We're stewards of God's money and therefore, we should spend it wisely, etc.

   Where it didn't meet expectations, is that it didn't really provide a sample plan for how to allocate resources. While certainly, the greatest issue in dealing with money is mental -- getting your head around the idea that you have to live within your means and that you don't have to have everything NOW or just because someone else has it -- there is also a need for concrete examples....Given the above problem, I would still recommend this book as something to work through with a child because those psychological issues about spending are significant enough that they can make the difference between a someday adult with healthy attitudes about money and someone who is in debt, unhappy yet still wanting MORE! In that respect, this book is aces.




2. This book has very little to do with money a very much to do with sending money to the church. I bought a copy for each of my girls, 16 and 18 years old, each of them very spiritual, and they were both very turned off by the "preachy" context of the book. In fact, the 18-year-old told me she felt like she learned nothing about money, and as for the spiritual side, there are better books for that as well. She was especially turned off by one passage that recommended one way of making more money is giving more to the church.



3. My husband and I were looking for a book to help our children, ages 8 and 5, understand the concept and value of money. We had started an allowance but felt like they were more eager to spend the money than to care what it was spent on and when it was lost they didn't really care. We have since stopped the allowance and decided to go through this book first.
   
   We feel that this book is a wonderful resource to teach Christian principles to children, such as stewardship (what we own is a gift from God and we need to take care of it), giving, being content, and spending wisely. I don't believe the book is geared toward teenagers, but instead toward the younger child. It is written in an engaging way, using a cat named Larry to tell stories and impress principles. Each chapter ends with a short Bible study as well. Both of my children have enjoyed and benefited from the content so far. I'd recommend it to anyone wanted to teach Biblical principles to their children regarding money.

5 comments about The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System.

1. As a professional in the childcare industry, it was quite refreshing for me to see such a valuable resource being made available to childcare providers. I have researched all of the various recordkeeping products that are available on the market , and I found that the The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is hands down the best resource currently available! The author of this book has obviously taken alot of time to explain practices and procedures in a manor that is professional as well as educational.

   In my professional opinion, The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is a must have reference book for all childcare providers!




2. When you're in business, you don't have time to think about high level concepts -- you just want to know how to get things done. Thompson does an excellent job of giving you the information you need in a format that's easy to follow. I'd recommend this book to anyone who owns a daycare business -- Thompson is thorough in her examples and showed me several areas where I was missing potential deductions. This is a great book for daycare business owners!



3. I love this book. It's very detailed and doesn't let you forget a thing about the business of childcare. Keep every dime you earn!! I don't think you will regret the investment.
   Try it!



4. The Home Daycare Complete Recordkeeping System is chocked full of detailed information (w/examples!) and is a reference tool I continue to use. Every business needs a recordkeeping system and if you are in the DAYCARE business-this book is a must-have for your reference library.



5. This is a must have for anyone in the Home Daycare business. It is easy to follow and has saved me thousands of dollars over the past three tax years.