100% Practical, 100% Specific Financial Advice Everyone Can Use: Exactly What to Do and Exactly How to Do It "Greg Karp makes managing your money as easy as 1-2-3. He offers sensible, time-tested advice to help you make smart decisions and get your finances on track." --Liz Pulliam Weston, "The most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet" (Nielsen//NetRatings), author of Easy Money, Your Credit Score, and Deal with Your Debt "I love this book. Greg's simple strategies push you to be smart with your dough and act right away." --Clark Howard, The Clark Howard Show "Within one hour of picking up The 1-2-3 Money Plan, I already had a list of easy next steps to save on several of our household expenses." --Stephanie Nelson, founder of CouponMom.com "Greg Karp really knows his stuff, and he lays it out in plain language that will help anyone save money and get financially fit." --Jeff Yeager, author of The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches "The money you spend on this book should easily be recouped by the time you're only several pages into it!" --Russell Wild, financial advisor, author of Exchange-Traded Funds for Dummies, Bond Investing for Dummies, and Index Investing for Dummies "Greg Karp is a lifesaver for people worried about stretching their dollars in a tough economy. He's no Scrooge. Rather, he nudges you into sound decisions and smart spending." --Gail MarksJarvis, Chicago Tribune personal finance columnist, author of Saving for Retirement Without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery "Today everyone is looking for a quick answer to their financial problems. In The 1-2-3 Money Plan, Greg Karp has created an excellent resource. It's well organized and full of great ideas. But, most importantly, it's written in a language that the average consumer can understand and apply. Many people will thank Greg for helping them survive financially tough times." --Gary Foreman, editor The DollarStretcher Web site, stretcher.com "Greg Karp tells it like it is, with the specificity and candor busy people need. I am saving money already." --Jean Chatzky, author of The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times, blogging at jeanchatzky.com Today, frugal is the name of the game. But you don't have to take a vow of poverty: You just have to be smarter about how you spend, save, and invest. Sound hard? Not anymore. In The 1-2-3 Money Plan, top personal finance columnist Greg Karp offers 100% practical, 100% specific financial advice everyone can use...organized into simple three-step plans that tell you exactly what to do and how and where to do it! Discover how to save money by putting your bills on autopilot...which specific brand names to buy in everything from index funds to cellphones...how to improve your credit rating...how to get the right insurance, without wasting money on unnecessary coverage...easier ways to save for college and plan for retirement...and a whole lot more. Finally: simple, reliable financial advice you can act on, from an award-winning expert you can trust! Don't be paralyzed by perfection: Be good enough Better a good decision now than a perfect decision someday Just set it and forget it Make the financial decisions you only need to make once and can then ignore for years Stop wasting money on things you don't care about Plug wasteful spending leaks, so you can redirect cash to things you truly care about Easy step-by-step techniques and specific recommendations What to buy, in everything from mutual funds to cellphone service

Author Biography

Gregory Karp is an author and journalist of 20 years. His national newspaper column, "Spending Smart," is published in papers that together have millions of readers. The weekly column appears in the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, Allentown Morning Call, and others. The column has three times won a Best Column Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He is also author of Living Rich by Spending Smart: How to Get More of What You Really Want. Greg's advice on spending money smarter has appeared in national magazines, such as Newsweek and SmartMoney; television broadcasts, such as WCBS in New York, WSB in Atlanta, and WPVI in Philadelphia, and literally dozens of newspapers nationwide, from the Los Angeles Times to Newsday in New York. He maintains a Web site at www.gregkarp.com and blog at SpendingSmart.net. Greg lives near Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.