The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money ― Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs

Why do even the smartest among us make dumb mistakes with our money? Pinpoint your biggest money blind spots and take control of your finances with these tools from CBS News business analyst and host of the nationally syndicated radio show Jill on Money, Jill Schlesinger.

Do you have a “friend” who is super smart, has a great career, holds a graduate degree, has even saved a chunk of money for retirement, but who keeps making the same dumb mistakes when it comes to money? Is this “friend” you?

After decades working as a Wall Street trader, investment adviser, and money expert for CBS, Jill Schlesinger reveals thirteen costly mistakes you’re probably making right now with your money without even knowing it. Drawing on heartfelt personal stories (yes, money experts screw up, too), Schlesinger argues that it’s not lack of smarts that causes even the brightest, most accomplished people among us to behave like financial dumb-asses, but simple emotional blind spots. When it comes to big important financial decisions, it’s so easy to let your heart lead instead of your brain. So if you’ve made well-intentioned mistakes like saving for college for your kids before your own retirement, or taken on too much risk when you invest, you’ve come to the right place. And if you’ve avoided uncomfortable moments such as sitting down to make a will or planning long-term care for an aging parent, this is the book for you. Jill also points out signs that you may be saddling your kids with your own money issues and shows you how to end the cycle.

By breaking bad habits and following Jill’s pragmatic and accessible rules for financial management, you can save tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention avoid countless sleepless nights.

Practical, no-nonsense, and often counterintuitive, The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money tells you what you really need to hear about retirement planning, college financing, insurance, real estate, how to save money, and more. It might just be the smartest investment you make all year.

Jill Schlesinger is an Emmy-nominated and Gracie Award-winning business analyst for CBS News, a weekly guest on NPR’s Here and Now, and a Certified Financial Planner. She writes a weekly syndicated column, Jill on Money, and serves as the host of the Better Off podcast and the nationally syndicated radio show Jill on Money.