Personal Finance and Investing All-in-One For Dummies

Faith Glasgow is a personal finance and property journalist who regularly contributes to the national broadsheets and fi nance publications including Money Observer, Investors Chronicle, and Moneywise magazine.

"…caters for the absolute novice in a one-step-at-a-time way..." (Good Book Guide, August 2007) "...an excellent one stop reference...If you're looking for a handy guide to sort out your finances, this is for you." (Pensions World, November 2007)

• Introduction 1Book I: Organising Your Finances and Dealing with Debt 7Chapter 1: Figuring Out Financial Goals, Financial Budgets, and Financial Advisers 9Chapter 2: Choosing the Best Current Account for You 27Chapter 3: Covering Yourself with Insurance 37Chapter 4: Tackling Your Overdraft and Other Credit Nasties 51Chapter 5: Choosing a Credit Card 71Chapter 6: Weighing Up Personal Loans 83Book II: Paying Less Tax 95Chapter 1: Understanding Tax Basics 97Chapter 2: Dealing with Self Assessment 111Chapter 3: Taxing Family Situations 125Chapter 4: Understanding Tax When You Work for Someone Else 145Chapter 5: Working for Yourself Can Be Less Taxing 171Chapter 6: Taxing Your Savings and Investments 187Book III: Building Up Savings and Investments 217Chapter 1: Squaring Risk and Return 219Chapter 2: Saving for a Rainy Day 233Chapter 3: Choosing a Mortgage 243Chapter 4: Making the Most of Tax-Free Savings and Investments 263Chapter 5: Delving Into Collective Investments 275Chapter 6: Scrutinising Shares and Bonds 299Chapter 7: Investing in Bricks and Mortar 329Chapter 8: Making Exotic Investments 343Book IV: Retiring Wealthy 355Chapter 1: Planning for a Wealthy Retirement 357Chapter 2: Making the Most of State and Workplace Pensions 369Chapter 3: Picking Through Personal Pensions 395Chapter 4: Taking Control with a Sipp 409Chapter 5: Working with Your Pension 419Chapter 6: Using Property for Retirement 439Book V: Protecting Your Wealth for the Next Generation 449Chapter 1: Working Out Why to Write a Will 451Chapter 2: Deciding Who Gets What 467Chapter 3: Choosing the Right People to Follow Your Wishes 485Chapter 4: Dealing with Inheritance Tax 501Chapter 5: Understanding Trusts 527Chapter 6: Grasping the Basics of the Probate Process 553Index 563