Audio Book Review: Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan

After listening to Suze Orman’s latest audio book I feel like an 11 year old that took the blame for a friend’s prank gone awry.

That is I listened to four hours of scolding coupled with a healthy dose of “I told you so” rhetoric. Worse,  like the boy that didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t learn a lesson; at least nothing of substance outside the normal advice of today’s well intentioned financial pundits.

It seemed that the 4 cd set could be summed up in three bullets:

• Save, save, save – keep 8 months of cash on hand
• Maintain  a high FICO score – or work on getting it higher
• Keep contributing to your 401k plan (invest in no-load index funds or ETFs),  and don’t use it to pay for things like your house, college or other items

Thanks Suz. Didn’t we cover this already – in just about every book you’ve written?

I suppose the audio book is aimed at the financially troubled or Orman uninitiated and it is certainly full of her sound, standard financial advice. Orman also does a nice job of distilling  how the financial crisis came about and covers changes in credit card risks/policies nicely.

Yet it seems that the book was thrown together, rehashing old content to get to market quickly due to the current economic conditions. I would have liked more innovation and strategies that addressed the economy and market on a broader scope.

For example, telling me to save money by not spending $4 on coffee is hardly rocket science. Telling me that put options might protect my investments in a rapidly declining market could peak my interest. Orman also should have considered a chapter or two on how to capitalize on the economy if you’re in good financial shape.

If you haven’t read Suze Ormans’ books before I heartily recommend that you do so and take the actions that she prescribes – they will definitely help you get your house in order. If you’re sweating out 2009 then her Action Plan book is a great place to start. You may also want to consider reading her books “The Laws of Money” and “9 Steps to Financial Freedom”.

However, unless you enjoy shrill verbal lashings – avoid the audio CD.

Book – $$$ out of $$$$$

CD – $$ out of $$$$$

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