Credit Ratings & Repair Books

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

Dave Ramsey

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 84 new & used starting at $12.05

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 367 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

changed my life 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

dave ramsey's book was my first financial book. I was about to get married and I need fianncial help. His book helped me in my marriage. Most couple fight because of money but since following Dave's book - i never got into debt. We are on our way to financial freedom because of Dave's great book

Editorial Review:

The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.

Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"

The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.

Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About

Kevin Trudeau

Amazon Price: $17.13 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Equity Press Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $16.38

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 65 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Are you getting deeper and deeper into debt while they make bigger and bigger profits? Not after you read...Debt Cure$ "They" Don't Want You To Know About!

In this new book, Kevin Trudeau blows the lid off the banking and credit card industries, exposing the greatest rip off of our citizens in this nation's history. The credit card industry is one of the most profitable industries in this country, but they don't want you to know it. You can fight back! You can apply Kevin's solutions to your debt problems, and keep more money in your pocket today. You can learn how to use credit to build wealth! Read Debt Cure$ and cure your debt forever.

You will learn:
- How the credit lending business is rigged against you!
- How the financial industry wants to keep you in debt!
- How the banks and credit card companies are making obscene profits off of you and how you can change that!
- How to reduce or possible totally eliminate your debt!
- How you could cut your payments in half!
- How to correct your credit with two magic words!
- How to improve your credit virtually overnight!
- How to get free money that you never have to pay back!
- Find out why the financial industry wants to keep you in debt.
- Turn bad debt into good credit.
- Create wealth through financial health.

The Total Money Makeover Workbook

Dave Ramsey

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $9.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this fresh, interactive guide, respected financial expert Dave Ramsey offers a proven, comprehensive plan for getting in shape financially.  The Total Money Makeover Workbook takes you one step closer to getting out of debt and achieving financial health. Against a playful backdrop of fitness terminology, Dave gives solid, hard-hitting advice and the "hope" and the "how-to" needed to turn goals into reality. The Total Money Makeover Workbook includes:

• Useful worksheets and forms
• Readable and informative charts and graphs
• The four factors that keep people from getting in shape financially

The Total Money Makeover Workbook is an essential resource for anyone desiring total financial fitness. Dave's no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach translates into results for those who diligently follow this complete action plan. Tens of thousands of people have already transformed their financial situation with Dave's advice, rooted in "God's and Grandma's common sense." With The Total Money Makeover Workbook, countless others will be on their way to financial fitness.

I.O.U.S.A.: One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.

Addison Wiggin, Kate Incontrera

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Not yet published By: Wiley

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Editorial Review:

The United States has been spending its way deeper and deeper into the red, and saddling future generations with the mess—but who's paying attention?
To answer that question, the companion book to the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A. talks with some of the most revered voices in the nation, including Warren Buffett; former Treasury Secretaries Paul O’Neill and Robert Rubin; Pete Peterson, CEO of The Blackstone Group; Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas); and bestselling Empire of Debt author Bill Bonner.
Armed with these interviews, historical references, and damning statistics, the book takes a lively and entertaining romp through the four deficits the nation faces: the budget deficit, the personal savings deficit, the trade deficit—and what former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, who resigned abruptly in 2008 over Congress’s lack of action, calls the “leadership deficit” in Washington.
Defiantly non-partisan, the empowering solutions outlined in these pages are a must-read for any American who wants to help change “business-as-usual” in Washington as a new administration heads towards the Oval Office. “We the People” can get our politicians to stop spending, promote responsible economic programs, and hand our children and grandchildren the secure future they deserve.

How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously*: *(Based on the Proven Principles and Techniques of Debtors Anonymous)

Jerrold Mundis

Amazon Price: $9.60 List Price: $12.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bantam Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $6.14

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 72 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

best of it's kind 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the best guide to managing money and debt I've read.
A few days after reading the book, I have a whole new grasp of how to get out of debt and stay out. Though I am not in serious debt, the whole money management advice is enlightening. This book should be required reading for all and should be given out in high schools.

Editorial Review:

Millions of consumers have become trapped in a spiral of debt, but there is hope. If you wants to free yourself from the shackles of debt, this book is for you--it can help you "get out of debt, stay out of debt, and live prosperously." Jerrold Mundis writes in a friendly, engaging style, urging readers to stop the cycle of spending. Mundis knows what he's talking about--he, too, was once thousands of dollars in debt and didn't know where to turn. Anecdotes from Debtors Anonymous folks, plus multiple examples from the writer's own life and ledgers, make How to Get Out of Debt an encouraging read, not a condescending one. Once you start your program, you may want to periodically reread some chapters for inspiration--and fun.

You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead

Larry Winget

Amazon Price: $13.60 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gotham Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $10.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

I wrote this book for the average person who has a job, makes a living and still can’t seem to get ahead. I wrote it for the person who dreams of being rich but can’t quite seem to turn his dreams into reality. I wrote this book for the person who is ready to turn his life around and finally have financial freedom. I wrote this book for the person who is covered in debt and can’t seem to stop living paycheck to paycheck. I wrote this for the person who spends more than they make and can’t figure out how to stop doing it.
--Larry Winget

If this describes you, you are not alone. Over 40% of families are feeling the pressure, spending more than they earn, and risking retiring financially dependent on the government, family, or charity. Larry Winget knows—he’s been where you are now. He grew up poor, then made and lost a fortune when a business in which he’d invested went bankrupt. But he worked his way back from rock-bottom to become a multi- millionaire.

Now he gets paid to help people in financial crisis on A&E’s reality series, Big Spender. On the show, he coaches people who have jobs, maybe even high-paying jobs, but are nevertheless in debt or living hand-to-mouth. His blunt take on their situations? They’re broke because they want to be. They all say they want stability, savings, and financial freedom, but their actions too often contradict their words. Larry helps them to see the contradiction, get back on track, and out of debt, step-by-step. He can help you, too.

Whether your aim is to get out of debt, save for a house, or simply stop kidding yourself when it comes to savings (for retirement, for your kids’ college, whatever your goal) this book encourages you, through easy-to-complete worksheets and Larry’s bullying yet wise counsel, to make it happen. Larry’s motivating message: If you want to be rich, you can. But first, you have to stop being broke, and start getting ahead. And he’ll walk you through not only the necessary attitude adjustment, but the practical choices and actions that will get you there.

Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis

William Bonner, Addison Wiggin

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $8.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 114 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Many Americans have resisted the notion that their country is an imperial power. The idea seems to contradict the values of the Republic and its Founding Fathers. But in Empire of Debt, prominent financial analysts Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin argue passionately that not only is the United States an empire, but it is also one whose end is coming soon. Bonner and Wiggin are the brains behind www.dailyreckoning.com, an iconoclastic and irreverent market advisory service that has long raised concerns about American indebtedness and warned of a looming dollar crisis. In Empire of Debt, a sequel to their earlier doom-and-gloom book Financial Reckoning Day, they elaborate on their argument that the U.S. economy is about to implode.

Bonner and Wiggin enumerate a long list of chronic ailments that imperil the American financial system--a massive trade deficit, soaring personal and government debt, a housing bubble, runaway military expenditures. These problems "hardly disturb the sleep of the imperial race," the authors write. "[But] all empires must pass away." Bonner and Wiggin argue that American imperial delusions are similar to the fantasies that fueled the dot-com market mania. They recommend readers buy gold as insurance in the event of a financial crisis. Empire of Debt flounders when discussing how America indebted itself; the authors blame the Federal Reserve Board's low interest rates but gloss over the fact that rates were slashed because the U.S. teetered on the brink of deflation in 2002 and 2003 (a topic they give more attention to in Financial Reckoning Day). As hardcore free-marketeers, Bonner and Wiggin also seem to long for the pre-welfare days of the 1920s but forget how that period's policies led to the Great Depression. That said, Empire of Debt contains many revelations that will open eyes. --Alex Roslin

The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need

Juliet B. Schor

Amazon Price: $10.40 List Price: $13.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 67 new & used starting at $2.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

If getting and spending define our lives, then Juliet Schor now has us covered. Six years ago, her book The Overworked American scrutinized the getting part. It focused public attention on the disappearance of leisure and the harmful effects thereof on families and society. It sparked a debate over whether Americans really work as much as we proudly claim. (If so, how to explain the audience for Monday Night Football?) Nevertheless, Schor can take credit for helping push Congress into passing the Family Leave Act in 1993.

Now she is back with a critique of our spending. Schor notes that, despite rising wealth and incomes, Americans do not feel any better off. In fact, we tell pollsters we do not have enough money to buy everything we need. And we are almost as likely to say so if we make $85,000 a year as we are if we make $35,000. Schor believes that "keeping up with the Joneses" is no longer enough for today's media-savvy office workers. We set our sights on the lifestyles of those higher up the organizational chart. We seek to emulate characters on TV. For teenagers, "enough" is the idle splendor that hardly exists outside of what MTV un-ironically calls The Real World. Schor offers an original and provocative analysis of why many Americans feel driven and unhappy despite our success. As an alternative, she profiles several "downshifters" who've taken up voluntary simplicity in search of a more satisfying way of life. No policy solutions suggest themselves this time, only a change of heart. --Barry Mitzman

Mortgage Ripoffs and Money Savers: An Industry Insider Explains How to Save Thousands on Your Mortgage or Re-Finance

Carolyn Warren

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $8.66

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Survival Guide Like No Other 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

As a retired attorney, I have read my share of how-to books in various areas of expertise. Many have disappointed for lack of follow through and updating techniques such as online access to the author, with up-to-the-minute links to web pages addressing new areas of concern. Carolyn Warren's incredibly thorough, professional and brilliant comprehensible book lacks nothing in this regard. In fact, I would place this book among the various genres as the #1 book I have read in the last year that has made it possible for me to actually understand what was once an almost impossible mess of information for the layman. Having no background whatsoever in banking, financial management, debt, mortgages, credit, equity loans etc., this was a perfect book for me to rely upon for clear and concise knowledge. Oh, and after reading this book along with accessing her free info online, you will be delighted to know that Carolyn Warren does not just leave the reader there. She actually answers your emails! Yes, an author who cares about you -- long after you have purchased and read her book! You just gotta get this one - she is a star who knows what you need to survive like no one else out there.

Editorial Review:

Mortgage Rip-offs and Money Savers reveals how the mortgage industry cheats borrowers out of billions in extra costs every year. Mortgage industry insider Carolyn Warren taps her decade of experience with lenders to expose the tricks, lies, and dirty little secrets they don't want you to know. With her expert guidance, borrowers will save tens of thousands when they avoid the traps so many consumers fall into. Having this inside information is the only way borrowers can truly get the best possible deal. This book presents that knowledge in an interesting and easy format that anyone can understand. Readers won't be victims of the mortgage industry with this invaluable resource in hand. Instead, they'll get the best possible rates, avoid bogus fees, and get the great deal they deserve.

Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future (2nd Edition)

Liz Pulliam Weston

Amazon Price: $12.91 List Price: $18.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: FT Press Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $9.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A demystifying guide to a crucial personal finance issue 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

You literally can't afford to ignore your credit record. Every negative mark or mistake on your credit history can cost you big bucks: Over the course of a lifetime, a person with merely average credit will pay thousands more for a mortgage, car loan or credit cards than one with good credit. However, if you don't know the difference between FICO and FICA, can't understand why you have a 23.5% interest rate on your charge card, and were shocked when your car insurance payments went up even though you weren't in an accident, don't despair. Liz Pulliam Weston explains it all to you. Her book is brimming with accessible, vital information, and getAbstract believes that it will save you money, whether you're just beginning to learn about personal credit or you're an experienced, savvy consumer. And for that she deserves a lot of credit.

Good basic overview 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Gives a good basic overview of credit scores. However, I was hoping to find the answer to my particular problem in this book, and the author just brushed over it. I have a good credit score (760), but too many open credit cards. The author just says that there is nothing you can do about this because closing the accounts would have a negative affect on your credit score. But what if I close one account every 6 months or year? I was really hoping for more feedback than just stating that I'm stuck with the open accounts.