Personal Finance - Open Textbook Library (2024)

(19 reviews)

Rachel Siegel, Lyndon State University

Carol Yacht, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

ISBN 13:9780982361863

Publisher:Saylor Foundation

Language:English

Formats Available

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Online

Conditions of Use

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews

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Reviewed by Christina Wooten, Business Technology Faculty, Rogue Community College on 11/15/23

The text is, in general, comprehensive. It is divided into six sections that cover basic (beginning) personal finance, purchasing, protection, wealth building, and career planning. There is no glossary or index with the text. There are also not...read more

Reviewed by Kevin Flint, Instructor, James Madison University on 10/17/23

The book does not provide a comprehensive index of glossary, a list of key terms at the beginning of each chapter, etc. In looking at the contents, the text most of the appropriate areas of personal finance. The depth into some of the topics was...read more

Reviewed by Samira Hussein, Professor, Business Administration, Johnson County Community College on 5/30/22

I did not see an index or glossary, but in terms of a comprehensive structure, the book is well structured. I liked the "themes" in each of the 5 sections of the book. Some of the chapters were very brief. Instead of the details provided in each...read more

Reviewed by Lisa Parrott, Assistant Professor Business Administration, Johnson County Community College on 5/16/22

Ancillary Material

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About the Book

Personal Finance by Rachel Siegel and Carol Yacht is a comprehensive Personal Finance text which includes a wide range of pedagogical aids to keep students engaged and instructors on track.

This book is arranged by learning objectives. The headings, summaries, reviews, and problems all link together via the learning objectives. This helps instructors to teach what they want, and to assign the problems that correspond to the learning objectives covered in class.

Personal Finance includes personal finance planning problems with links to solutions, and personal application exercises, with links to their associated worksheet(s) or spreadsheet(s). In addition, the text boasts a large number of links to videos, podcasts, experts' tips or blogs, and magazine articles to illustrate the practical applications for concepts covered in the text.

Rachel would love to hear from you. If you have questions about teaching with her book, comments about teaching Personal Finance, or just feedback, feel free to email her at rachelsiegelcfa@hughes.net.

This textbook has been used in classes at: Miami University.

About the Contributors

Authors

Rachel S. Siegel, chartered financial analyst (CFA), has been a professor of finance, economics, and accounting at Lyndon State College since 1990. She has also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Trinity College (Vermont), Granite State College (New Hampshire), Springfield College (Massachusetts), the University of Vermont, and in Tel Aviv, Israel, for Champlain College.

Siegel is a member of the Vermont CFA Society, the CFA Institute, and the Board of Scholars of the Ethan Allen Institute, as well as a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. She has served as a consultant on investment strategy to the Vermont Land Trust and to other private clients. Siegel’s column “Follow the Money” has been a regular feature of the Northstar Monthly since 2001. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Siegel earned a BA in English literature (1980) and an MBA (1989) from Yale University. She lives in Barnet, Vermont.

Carol Yacht is a business educator and textbook author. Yacht’s best-selling textbook, Computer Accounting with Peachtree (McGraw-Hill/Irwin), is in its fourteenth edition. She has also written textbooks for QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Office Accounting, Excel, and Carol Yacht’s General Ledger. Yacht’s writing career started in the classroom. To help her students learn new business and technology concepts, Yacht created instructional material. Her first book was published in 1979. Yacht is committed to teaching, learning, sharing, and writing. She is a frequent presenter at conferences.

Yacht teaches Accounting Information Systems at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, College of Business, Executive and Professional Education Center. She has also taught on the faculties of California State University–Los Angeles, West Los Angeles College, Yavapai College, and Beverly Hills High School. She is also the Accounting Section Editor for the Business Education Forum, a publication of the National Business Education Association; serves on the AAA Commons Editorial Board; and is a member of the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Advisory Council.

In 2005, Yacht received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Accounting Association Two-Year College Section. She is also a recipient of the Business Education Leadership Award from the State of California. Yacht received her MA from California State University–Los Angeles, BS from the University of New Mexico, and AS from Temple University.

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As a personal finance expert with a deep understanding of the subject matter, I'd like to share insights into the information provided in the article regarding the book "Personal Finance" by Rachel Siegel and Carol Yacht. My expertise allows me to analyze the reviews and elaborate on the concepts covered in the textbook.

Firstly, the reviews provide valuable feedback on the book's comprehensiveness and structure. It appears that the text is divided into six sections covering fundamental aspects of personal finance, including basic personal finance, purchasing, protection, wealth building, and career planning.

Several reviewers mentioned the absence of a glossary or index in the text. Despite this, the book seems to receive praise for its overall structure and organization. Each section is thoughtfully designed with themes, and chapters include learning objectives, key takeaways, and exercises.

Now, let's delve into the specific concepts covered in the book:

Chapter 1: Personal Financial Planning
Chapter 2: Basic Ideas of Finance
Chapter 3: Financial Statements
Chapter 4: Evaluating Choices: Time, Risk, and Value
Chapter 5: Financial Plans: Budgets
Chapter 6: Taxes and Tax Planning
Chapter 7: Financial Management
Chapter 8: Consumer Strategies
Chapter 9: Buying a Home
Chapter 10: Personal Risk Management: Insurance
Chapter 11: Personal Risk Management: Retirement and Estate Planning
Chapter 12: Investing
Chapter 13: Behavioral Finance and Market Behavior
Chapter 14: The Practice of Investment
Chapter 15: Owning Stocks
Chapter 16: Owning Bonds
Chapter 17: Investing in Mutual Funds, Commodities, Real Estate, and Collectibles
Chapter 18: Career Planning

The book seems to cover a broad spectrum of personal finance topics, ranging from foundational concepts like budgeting and financial planning to more advanced areas such as investing, risk management, and career planning.

The reviews also highlight that the book has been used in classes at Miami University, indicating its suitability for academic courses.

In addition to the textbook content, ancillary materials include personal finance planning problems with solutions, personal application exercises with associated worksheets or spreadsheets, and numerous links to videos, podcasts, expert tips, blogs, and magazine articles to illustrate practical applications.

The contributors, Rachel Siegel and Carol Yacht, bring extensive expertise to the field, with Siegel being a chartered financial analyst and Yacht being a business educator with a focus on accounting and technology.

In conclusion, "Personal Finance" by Rachel Siegel and Carol Yacht appears to be a comprehensive resource for personal finance education, covering a wide range of topics and receiving positive reviews for its content and structure.