I just finished Starting Early: The 10 Steps to Financial Freedom by Pierre Lever, thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC, and I have some mixed feelings. I'd probably give it a 3 out of 5 stars. It was a decent, quick read, but there was one piece of advice that really rubbed me the wrong way.

The book is basically aimed at people who are just starting out on their financial journey and want to build wealth for the long term. It lays out 10 steps to help you get there.

I liked that the language was mostly straightforward and easy to understand. It didn't feel overly complicated or jargon-y, which is good for beginners. I also appreciated the comparisons the author made between different saving habits and how much of a difference they can make by retirement. That was a good way to illustrate the importance of saving early and consistently.

I already do some of the things the book recommends, like contributing to my employer's 401k match, budgeting, and living within my means. So, some of it was review for me. However, I'm not super knowledgeable about investing, especially index funds. The book touched on them, but I wish there had been a bit more of an explanation. I felt a little lost there.

My biggest issue with the book, though, was the advice to "ditch credit cards." I totally disagree with this. I think credit cards get a bad rap when they can actually be really useful tools. Obviously, credit card debt is a huge problem, and misusing them is a bad idea. But telling people to avoid them altogether is just wrong in my opinion. When used responsibly, credit cards offer rewards like travel points, cashback, and other perks that you just can't get with cash or a debit card. Plus, they help you build your credit score, which is important for things like getting a mortgage or a loan. I just think it's misleading to make people think credit cards are the enemy when the real problem is mismanaging them.

Aside from the credit card thing, it was a pretty good starting point for young investors. It touches on some safer investment options, which I was glad to see. So, while I wouldn't say it's a must-read, I'd still recommend it with reservations, especially if you're new to personal finance and want a quick overview. Just take the credit card advice with a grain of salt.

I wanted to love this book but I didn’t love all the advice. Yes it was a good quick read however I hate how it advises you to “ditch credit cards” I feel as credit cards have such a bad rep when in fact they’re great. Credit card debt is horrible & not using a credit card correctly is also horrible, but scaring people into thinking they should ditch credit cards is just wrong. When used correctly credit cards offer so many rewards that a debit card/ cash never could eg. (Travel, hotels, cash back, groceries etc) I think it’s wrong to scare people into thinking credit cards are the problem when the real problem is misuse of credit cards resulting in debt. When used properly they’re fabulous & they build up your credit score. Other than that, it was a nice quick read.

At first I wondered why this book is so short and then through the introdction, understood that its supposed to change your life in less than an hour. Simple ways of achieving financial freedom with investing early and keeping your expenses/ego in check. You will probably find atleast one tip that you can use right away.

Starting Early is primarily for individuals early on in their financial journey who may be looking for ways to build long-term wealth. These 10 steps will aid you in your financial freedom journey.

Pierre Lever uses fairly straightforward language for the most part, but I felt lost on some things that could have been explained better. I already utilize a few of the strategies already (e.g., employer 401k match, budgeting, and living within my means). However, I'm not someone who understands index funds and investing in general, so it would have been helpful to have a little more explanation in this area on what it is. I appreciated the comparisons between individuals who saved certain amounts or percentages and how much more one would have at retirement age than the other who may not have saved their money as efficiently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.