Essential Personal Finance

<p>Young people face unprecedented financial challenges: rising student debt stiff competition for jobs barriers to home ownership dwindling state benefits and prospects of a longer working life. <i>Essential Personal Finance</i> is a guide to all the key areas of personal finance: budgeting managing debt savings and investments insurance securing a home and laying the foundations for retirement.</p><p>It provides an introduction to some of the essential foundations of a modern undergraduate finance qualification including:</p><ul> <li>the nature of financial institutions markets and economic policy that shape the opportunities and decisions individuals face</li> <li>the range of financial assets available to households risk-return trade-off basics of portfolio construction and impact of tax</li> <li>the importance of the efficient market hypothesis and modern portfolio theory in shaping investment strategies and the limitations of these approaches</li> <li>behavioural finance as a key to understanding factors influencing individual and market perceptions and actions</li> <li>using financial data to inform investment selection and create financial management tools that can aid decision-making</li> </ul><p>The second edition has been fully updated and includes: more information on the cost of living crisis; Fintech climate change sustainable finance and cryptocurrencies; financial skills and calculations; tax trust planning and wills; pensions; regulation and fraud; and additional case studies.</p><p>Written by authors who contribute experience as financial advisers practitioners and academics <i>Essential Personal Finance</i> is a compelling combination of a textbook aimed at students on personal finance and financial services courses and a practical guide for young people in building their own financial strength and capability.</p>