Helpful & Easy to Use: Personal Finance Resources, Books & Programs for You

Posted on February 3, 2022 at 7:00 am

By Crystal Miller & Erin Dodge

For many, personal finances can be an overwhelming topic to tackle.

Analyzing your finances and preparing for your financial future may not be at the top of your to-do list. Maybe it could be something to think about tomorrow, even when you feel like it’s something you probably should be thinking about today.

And for some, keeping on top of finances and planning for the future is enjoyable and invigorating.

Whether you fall into one of these camps or somewhere in between, the start of a new year is the great time to focus in on the topic of finances.

The library has several upcoming programs to aid you in gaining more knowledge on a variety of financial literacy topics and discovering tools to help you take control of your finances.

We also have books, magazine and journal articles, online resources, and on-demand courses that can fit into your schedule to help you take charge of your personal finances.

Print & Digital Books

We have books on our shelves covering the topics of personal finance, Medicare, and estate planning. Here are some that you can check out.

Personal Finance

• Financial Security, by Eric Tyson (more from this author)
• What the Happiest Retirees Know: 10 Habits for a Healthy, Secure, and Joyful Life, by Wes Moss
• 401(k)s & IRAs for Dummies, by Ted Benna with Brenda Newmann
• Smart Money: The Step-by-Step Personal Finance Plan to Crush Debt, by Naseema McElroy
• Broke Not Broken: Personal Finance for the Creative, Confused, Underpaid, and Overwhelmed, by Anna Jo Beck
• Personal Finance for Teens and College Students: The Complete Guide to Financial Literacy for Teens and Young Adults, by Kara Ross
• The Wisest Investment: Teaching Your Kids to Be Responsible, Independent and Money-Smart for Life, by Robin Taub, CPA, CA
• Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole, by Tiffany Aliche, The Budgetnista
• The No B.S. Guide to Military Life: How to Build Wealth, Get Promoted, and Achieve Greatness, by David Pere
• What to Do with Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide, by Michelle Singletary
• Redefining Financial Literacy: Unlocking the Hidden Forces of Your Financial Future, by Cindy Couyoumjian, CFP, with R. F. Georgy
• Personal Finance Quickstart Guide: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide to Eliminating Financial Stress, Building Wealth, and Achieving Financial Freedom, by Morgen Rochard, CFA, CFP, RLP

Estate Planning

• Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won’t Have to, by Melanie Cullen
• Estate Planning Basics, by Denis Clifford
• Plan Your Estate, by Denis Clifford
• The American Bar Association Guide to Wills and Estates, by The America Bar Association
• Estate Planning 101: From Avoiding Probate and Assessing Assets to Establishing Directives and Understanding Taxes, Your Essential Primer to Estate Planning, by Vicki Cook and Amy Blacklock, founders of Women Who Money

Medicare

• Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide, by Abdul El-Sayed and Micah Johnson
• Medicare & You, by United States, Health Care Financing Administration
• Long-Term Care: How to Plan and Pay for It, by Nolo

Audiobooks & eBooks on OverDrive

Whether you’re teaching your kids financial literacy, adulting your finances, estate planning, or learning about Medicare, here’s a digital booklist to help you succeed: All About Money – Yours, Theirs, Ours.

Online Resources & Courses

Our Digital Library has a wide range of financial education and literacy resources that you can access from the library or at home with your in-district library card. Here are some of those resources.

LinkedIn Learning

You can find on-demand video courses for personal finances and financial literacy on LinkedIn Learning. Here are a few you can explore:

• Financial Basics Everyone Should Know
• Managing Your Personal Finances
• Cryptocurrencies
• Financial Adulting
• Financial Wellness: Managing Personal Cash Flow

Gale Courses

You can learn about a wide variety of topics by taking an online class from Gale Courses. These highly interactive, instructor-led courses are entirely online. The courses run for six weeks, and new sessions begin every month. Here are a few of the Personal Finance courses offered by Gale Courses.

• Personal Finance
• Where Does All My Money Go?
• Stocks, Bonds, and Investing: Oh, My!
• Keys to Successful Money Management
• Helping Elderly Parents

Gale In Context: High School

This online resource has thousands of topics across all subjects for high school students, including personal finance. You can explore magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, videos, and critical essays to learn more about personal finance, economics, budgeting, and investing.

Morningstar

With Morningstar, you can deepen your knowledge of investing with comprehensive trainings in the Investing Classroom within the resource. And you can use a suite of portfolio-planning tools and calculators to gain deeper insights into your investments and financial future.

Morningstar also offers you comprehensive financial information on New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ stocks. You can find comprehensive financial information on thousands of mutual funds, including each fund’s Morningstar rating. Also, see financial information on hundreds of exchange-traded funds with up-to-date information on returns, reports, and Morningstar ratings.

Print & Digital Magazine

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine is available in print at our libraries and as a digital magazine on Flipster (from EBSCO).

Podcasts

Podcasts are a fabulous way to blend entertainment and education. If you enjoy listening while you learn, check out these podcasts that Mashable.com featured as “6 personal finance podcasts that won’t bore you to death.”

Websites

These websites are trusted sources of financial information that you can rely on.

Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB)

The CFPB is a federal government agency that provides information and links to reputable resources for those looking for guidance on filing taxes, for tools to help when you can’t pay your bills, and for information on what to do if you lose your income. Check out the Managing Your Finances web page to find help on dealing with debt, protecting your credit, and exploring online banking tips.

Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW)

ALTCEW partners with Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) to answer your Medicare questions, make referrals, and help evaluate and compare health insurance policies so you can make an informed decision to find the best possible coverage that fits within your budget and meets your needs. Get free Medicare help from these local experts.

Money Smart Week

Money Smart Week is an annual event that focuses in on promoting financial literacy for all people of all ages and backgrounds. You can sign up for free, virtual programs offered April 9–16 at the Money Smart Week website. Programs include topics such as budgeting, banking, student loans, saving, and how to talk about money with children, your partner, and aging parents.

My Money from the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC)

The My Money website was created by FLEC, a Congressionally chartered commission made up of more than 20 federal entities, to strengthen financial capability and increase access to financial services for all Americans.

Check out My Money Five to learn about the five principles for managing and growing your money: earn, save & invest, protect, spend, and borrow.

They have content geared towards Life Events that impact your money, such as welcoming a new child into your home, preparing for unplanned events, and owning a business. They also have personal finance learning resources for educators and youth.

Upcoming Library Programs

This spring, the library has a mix of in-person and online programs on the topic of finances.

Perhaps unexpected, this list includes a program on the topic of gardening. During this program presented by a Spokane Master Gardener, you’ll learn about growing your own food, which could help you reduce your grocery bill.

Estate Planning 101
ONLINE
Wednesday, Feb 9, 6–7:30pm | REGISTER

Medicare-Related Cost Savings
ONLINE
Thursday, Feb 10, 12–1pm | REGISTER

NORTH SPOKANE
Wednesday, Feb 23, 12–1pm (Cancelled)

Prepare Your Garden for Spring
ONLINE
Tuesday, Mar 8, 6–7pm | REGISTER

Getting Started with Medicare
SPOKANE VALLEY ONLINE
Tuesday, Mar 22, 6–7:30pm | REGISTER

ONLINE
Monday, Mar 28, 6–7:30pm | REGISTER

Medicare Bingo
Thursday, Apr 28, 1–2pm | REGISTER

SHIBA & Senior Medicare Patrol: Help Stop Fraud
ONLINE
Tuesday, May 17, 12–1pm | REGISTER

ARGONNE
Monday, May 23, 12–1pm | REGISTER

Money Smart for Older Adults
ONLINE
Tuesday, Apr 12, 6–7:30pm | REGISTER

Book a Librarian

With so many library resources on offer, we hope you’ve found a program to attend, a course to take, a podcast or audiobook to listen to, or some books and articles to read that can help you with your financial journey.

If you have further questions about a library resource or financial literacy topic, you can schedule a Book-a-Librarian session to get one-on-one help.

Crystal Miller is a Business and Career Development Librarian and has been working in libraries for 15 years. She has a master’s degree in library science from Simmons College and has worked at the Harvard Development Office Library, MIT Libraries, and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. When she’s not at the library, she can be found at the dog park with her three fur babies or with a cookbook in hand, flipping through the pages, looking for the next recipe to try out.

Tags: adults, booklists, books, digital library, digital resources, finances, financial, Gale, high school, learning, LinkedIn Learning, Medicare, Money Smart Week, personal finance, teens