
Personal Finance in Plain English: Definitions. Examples. Uses.
Financial Literacy Guide Series
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.74
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lisa Larsen
About this listen
Discover the ins and outs of personal finance—in a language you can actually understand—with these clear, straightforward definitions and explanations of all things finance from income and assets to credit, loans, and debt, to stocks, bonds, money markets, and more.
The personal finance book you wished you had in school!
Managing your money is not an easy job, and it’s made even more complicated by the specific terminology used in personal finance. Reading through a loan agreement, credit card terms and conditions, or a stock market report can leave even the most financially responsible people wondering what exactly does this mean? Now, Personal Finance in Plain English has the answers.
You’ll find straightforward explanations of 350 personal finance terms ranging from banking and taxes to credit cards, student loans, and mortgages, to stock, cryptocurrency, retirement planning, and more. This quick, easy-to-use glossary teaches you what the term means, how the concept works, and how it is used. Listen through the chapters for a solid primer in personal finance or refer to specific definitions as needed when reviewing your financial documents.
Take control of your financial goals and master the complex language of finance with Personal Finance in Plain English.
©2025 Michele Cagan, CPA (P)2025 Simon & Schuster AudioPeople who viewed this also viewed...
-
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs
- What You Really Need to Know About the Numbers
- By: Joe Knight, Karen Berman, John Case - contributor
- Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Using the groundbreaking formula they introduced in their book Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean, Karen Berman and Joe Knight present the essentials of finance specifically for entrepreneurial managers. Drawing on their work training tens of thousands of people at leading organizations worldwide, the authors provide a deep understanding of the basics of financial management and measurement, along with hands-on activities to practice what you are learning.
By: Joe Knight, and others
-
Taxes 101
- From Understanding Forms and Filing to Using Tax Laws and Policies to Minimize Costs and Maximize Wealth, an Essential Primer on the US Tax System (Adams 101 Series)
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to understand your finances, you need to understand your taxes. Learn everything you need to know about the US tax system and become more financially independent with Taxes 101. As people become more motivated to be as financially literate as possible, understanding every part of their financial wellness is key. With Taxes 101, you will learn the basics of the US tax system, from the system structure and kinds of taxes to all the tax laws that lead to deductions and credits and the forms associated with filing.
-
Budgeting 101
- From Getting Out of Debt and Tracking Expenses to Setting Financial Goals and Building Your Savings, Your Essential Guide to Budgeting
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Erin deWard
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes, it can seem like saving money is impossible. With everyday expenses, from groceries and gas, to the electric bill and lunch money, as well as those unexpected expenses, like car repairs and medical bills, getting—and keeping—control of your finances can feel overwhelming. With Budgeting 101, you can start saving now. This clear and simple guide provides tons of practical advice for keeping track of your finances.
-
Starting a Business 101
- From Creating a Business Plan and Sticking to a Budget to Marketing and Making a Profit, Your Essential Primer to Starting a Business
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Starting a business can be an overwhelming and difficult process. From creating a business plan and budget to hiring employees and paying taxes, there are a myriad of things that need to happen on a relatively quick timeline. In Starting a Business 101, you will learn everything you need to know to start a successful business and handle any obstacle that is thrown your way during the process.
-
How Not to Invest
- The ideas, numbers, and behaviors that destroy wealth—and how to avoid them
- By: Barry Ritholtz
- Narrated by: Barry Ritholtz, Nathan Adams Stark - foreword
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How Not To Invest shows you a few simple tools and models that will help you avoid the most common mistakes people make with their money. Learn these, and you are ahead of 98% of your peers. Make fewer errors, end up with more money. We all make mistakes. The goal with this book is to help you make fewer of them, and to have the mistakes you do make be less expensive.
-
-
As objective and unbiased as it will probably ever get
- By quadturbo on 03-27-25
By: Barry Ritholtz
-
The Algebra of Wealth
- A Simple Formula for Financial Security
- By: Scott Galloway
- Narrated by: Scott Galloway
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today’s workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. They also face unprecedented challenges, including inflation, labor and housing shortages, and climate volatility. Even the notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our lifespans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed is no longer enough. It’s time for a new playbook. In The Algebra of Wealth, Galloway lays bare the rules of financial success in today's economy.
-
-
Great money/life advice to young people
- By Pat Rios on 04-30-24
By: Scott Galloway
-
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs
- What You Really Need to Know About the Numbers
- By: Joe Knight, Karen Berman, John Case - contributor
- Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Using the groundbreaking formula they introduced in their book Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean, Karen Berman and Joe Knight present the essentials of finance specifically for entrepreneurial managers. Drawing on their work training tens of thousands of people at leading organizations worldwide, the authors provide a deep understanding of the basics of financial management and measurement, along with hands-on activities to practice what you are learning.
By: Joe Knight, and others
-
Taxes 101
- From Understanding Forms and Filing to Using Tax Laws and Policies to Minimize Costs and Maximize Wealth, an Essential Primer on the US Tax System (Adams 101 Series)
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to understand your finances, you need to understand your taxes. Learn everything you need to know about the US tax system and become more financially independent with Taxes 101. As people become more motivated to be as financially literate as possible, understanding every part of their financial wellness is key. With Taxes 101, you will learn the basics of the US tax system, from the system structure and kinds of taxes to all the tax laws that lead to deductions and credits and the forms associated with filing.
-
Budgeting 101
- From Getting Out of Debt and Tracking Expenses to Setting Financial Goals and Building Your Savings, Your Essential Guide to Budgeting
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Erin deWard
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes, it can seem like saving money is impossible. With everyday expenses, from groceries and gas, to the electric bill and lunch money, as well as those unexpected expenses, like car repairs and medical bills, getting—and keeping—control of your finances can feel overwhelming. With Budgeting 101, you can start saving now. This clear and simple guide provides tons of practical advice for keeping track of your finances.
-
Starting a Business 101
- From Creating a Business Plan and Sticking to a Budget to Marketing and Making a Profit, Your Essential Primer to Starting a Business
- By: Michele Cagan CPA
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Starting a business can be an overwhelming and difficult process. From creating a business plan and budget to hiring employees and paying taxes, there are a myriad of things that need to happen on a relatively quick timeline. In Starting a Business 101, you will learn everything you need to know to start a successful business and handle any obstacle that is thrown your way during the process.
-
How Not to Invest
- The ideas, numbers, and behaviors that destroy wealth—and how to avoid them
- By: Barry Ritholtz
- Narrated by: Barry Ritholtz, Nathan Adams Stark - foreword
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How Not To Invest shows you a few simple tools and models that will help you avoid the most common mistakes people make with their money. Learn these, and you are ahead of 98% of your peers. Make fewer errors, end up with more money. We all make mistakes. The goal with this book is to help you make fewer of them, and to have the mistakes you do make be less expensive.
-
-
As objective and unbiased as it will probably ever get
- By quadturbo on 03-27-25
By: Barry Ritholtz
-
The Algebra of Wealth
- A Simple Formula for Financial Security
- By: Scott Galloway
- Narrated by: Scott Galloway
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today’s workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. They also face unprecedented challenges, including inflation, labor and housing shortages, and climate volatility. Even the notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our lifespans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed is no longer enough. It’s time for a new playbook. In The Algebra of Wealth, Galloway lays bare the rules of financial success in today's economy.
-
-
Great money/life advice to young people
- By Pat Rios on 04-30-24
By: Scott Galloway
-
Tools of Titans
- The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
- By: Tim Ferriss
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Kaleo Griffith, Tim Ferriss, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The latest groundbreaking tome from Tim Ferriss, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek. For the last two years, I've interviewed more than 200 world-class performers for my podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview.
-
-
If I could sum it up: too much of a good thing
- By Brian Sachetta on 06-08-20
By: Tim Ferriss
-
Get Good with Money
- Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole
- By: Tiffany the Budgetnista Aliche
- Narrated by: Tiffany the Budgetnista Aliche
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tiffany Aliche was a successful pre-school teacher with a healthy nest egg when a recession and advice from a shady advisor put her out of a job and into a huge financial hole. As she began to chart the path to her own financial rescue, the outline of her 10-step formula for attaining both financial security and peace of mind began to take shape. These principles have now helped more than one million women worldwide save and pay off millions in debt, and begin planning for a richer life.
-
-
Goodbye SWEET 16. Hello ROTH IRA!
- By Will Smith on 04-12-21
-
The Simple Path to Wealth
- Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life
- By: JL Collins
- Narrated by: JL Collins, Peter Adeney
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book grew out of a series of letters to my daughter concerning various things - mostly about money and investing - she was not yet quite ready to hear. Since money is the single most powerful tool we have for navigating this complex world we've created, understanding it is critical.
-
-
Misleading, heavily biased
- By Cody Peralta on 07-19-19
By: JL Collins
-
Make Money Easy
- Create Financial Freedom and Live a Richer Life
- By: Lewis Howes
- Narrated by: Lewis Howes
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your relationship with money begins with having the right mindset. Until you learn how to shift your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around money, you’ll keep doing what you’ve always done. And get the same results.
-
-
If you read the synopsis you’re done
- By PeteMcG on 04-04-25
By: Lewis Howes
-
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
- No Guilt. No Excuses. No B.S. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
- By: Ramit Sethi
- Narrated by: Ramit Sethi
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Buy as many lattes as you want. Spend extravagantly on the things you love. Live your rich life instead of tracking every last expense with Ramit Sethi’s simple, powerful, and effective six-week program for gaining control over your finances. This isn’t typical advice from a money expert. In this completely updated second edition, Ramit teaches you how to choose long-term investments and the right bank accounts. With his characteristic no-BS perspective, he shows how to squeeze every hidden benefit out of your credit cards.
-
-
Repetitive - should be retitled.
- By Truth on 06-20-19
By: Ramit Sethi
-
The Millionaire Next Door
- The Surprising Secrets of America's Rich
- By: Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D., William D. Danko Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Cotter Smith
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Listen to the incredible national best seller that is changing people's lives - and increasing their net worth. Also available:
The Millionaire Mind.
-
-
A good place to start but watch out!
- By Jeffrey on 05-13-16
By: Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D., and others