I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is about managing your finances for the future starting now for after the covid19 pandemic to help secure your future.

This book had interesting points but when your a single parent with limited capacity to work and earn over a certain amount this is not really a book that help you. I would love to read a book more along the lines of that scenario which so many people would benefit from.

This is quite timely in some ways, and a quick read. There's nothing new here, but generally good advice, though not with any depth. The "charts" don't work at all in the Kindle version, but I'm sure they're fine in print or PDF. I'm sure this will re-assure some readers. But I'm not sure it will help most very much.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Not Terribly Helpful – or Reassuring

I hate to start a review – any review – on such a negative note, BUT. Let me just say that it’s incredibly difficult to take someone seriously when they spout dumbfuck shit like this.

“I am pleased to see that governments are stepping up in this crisis to protect workers as well as business owners.”

“The last thing anyone wants is to have families become homeless.”

And, my personal favorite:

“This pandemic is not being taken lightly by anyone.”

https://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-MuAmuj8fnmk4rMJ8e9

I’m pretty sure that Ibbotson is Canadian, which – let’s be honest – makes her lumping the Canadian, UK, and US governments together all the worse. Trudeau might be taking this pandemic seriously, but you don’t exactly have to be a news junkie to see that the same can’t be said of 45, who has continued to ignore, minimize, and deny the threat of COVID-19; held ventilators and PPE hostage in a petty vendetta against the Democratic governors of blue states; and used this global tragedy to enrich himself and his cronies.

Just three days ago he was bragging about smashing models at a coronavirus briefing.

https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1246210382085185539

So, yeah. I understand that you’re trying to stay upbeat and positive so as to not further stoke the flames, but could we just dispense with the niceties for the foreseeable future? Pretending like politicians or bankers give a flying fuck about the homeless or working poor does nothing for your credibility, okay.

With that out of the way, I wish I could say that the advice offered in DON’T PANIC!: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FINANCES – AND FINANCIAL ANXIETIES – DURING AND AFTER CORONAVIRUS proved helpful – especially given the foul mood it put me in – but alas, it’s kind of a mixed bag.

My meager investments, inherited from my late husband*, have taken a beating in the last six weeks, and I was hoping for some advice on protecting (and growing) what I have left in a volatile market. While there are a few general suggestions for managing your portfolio (Ibbotson seems partial to real estate, and there’s a solid emphasis on reorganizing your debt while interest rates are low), very little seems specially tailored to the current situation.

Rather than focusing exclusively on the unique situation unfolding even now, there’s a lot of general advice: on budgeting and saving money; planning for your retirement; and estate planning. It feels like she’s trying to cover way too much in so few pages – really, what amounts to a booklet – and so she doesn’t really do justice to any of the topics she addresses.

For example, the section on reducing costs is laughably brief; Ibbotson suggests cutting back on what we spend on our pets by not buying them expensive toys. Idk about you, but one of my biggest – and most unpredictable – monthly expenditures is vet bills. An easy way to save some money is by purchasing medications online (Chewy is my favorite, but Allivet is good too) or at human pharmacies; the markup at a veterinarian’s office is mind-boggling. Additionally, you can often – but not always! – save a ton by opting for the human versions of OTC supplements. The Costco brand glucosamine/chondroitin costs me about $25 for a one-year supply – a fraction of what just one bag of glucosamine/chondroitin dog chews will run you. (Always have your vet review the ingredients, and double check that they haven’t changed when replenishing your supply!)

Returning to an earlier point, it’s probably unfair to expect a book to adequately address a crisis that’s still developing. By their very nature, books are usually static and not easily updated. To that end, I’d recommend finding one or two reliable investment sites and following them religiously. (You can find Ibbotson at Ask the Money Lady, askthemoneylady.ca.) DON’T PANIC! just isn’t worth the $4.95 investment.

* Yeah, you read that right: inherited. When he set up the accounts, he neglected to add my name as a joint owner or even a beneficiary, so the assets had to go through his estate before I could claim them. Minus the 6% MO state law mandated I pay the lawyer that I was legally required to hire. Fun, right! Pro tip: always list a beneficiary (TOD) on your accounts, if possible.

Short and to the point. This book repeats a lot of basic financial information you can get in a lot of other books. It is presented in an easy to read and very quick style.

Not really related to Chovid 19 and really not realistic for what people are going through now. I'm not worrying about my investment portfolio or buying a second property for retirement, I'm worried about if I can pay my mortgage next month and how I'm going to keep up my car repayments.

Not a helpful book for right now and just cashing in on people's worries about Coronavirus.

I had high hopes for this book, and started reading the second it downloaded. It’s a short book, so I finished it in one go. I still wish I could give it more stars. I only gave 3 stars because it has several strategies for investing, earning or reaching financial goals. All of them are solid, and following them will bring the desired outcome. Unfortunately, none were new, or original.
But what bothered me the most, is that the author is clearly not from Alberta. If you had already been affected by lay-offs, the Fort Mac fire and inability to find work in your field, then none of the strategies suggested are possible.
The author stresses the importance of having a will, investing, and getting professional consultation. Maybe getting a will properly written and notarized “only” costs about $600, but when you are still trying to pay your rent by midmonth, because you can only find part time minimum wage employment, you have a dozen other things that $600 are needed for. And if that was your reality pre-covid 19, it is even more worrisome today.
I had hoped the book included some advice, some glimmer of hope to hold onto, to help guide me through this and what to do once things are old-normal again.
If you have investments, if you have money to make investments, then the book is for you.
If you’re panicked because your finances are in shambles, then this book won’t help you manage your finances or anxieties, neither during or after covid 19.
Save your money, buy some food instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eBook. The opinions stated here are my own based on reading the book.

Short, basic advice. Not tied to the current crisis financially. Better to go straight to sources you already know and trust to give specific advice. This is very broad and general. Doesn’t deal at all with Covid relief programs or legislation but would be outdated anyway by publication.