Key Takeaway
All the financial advice you need fits on an index card: max out your 401(k), buy index funds, pay off credit cards monthly, save 20% of income, buy adequate insurance, and support the social safety net. Complexity is the enemy of good financial behavior.
The Review
The Index Card was born from a viral moment: University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack jotted down all the personal financial advice anyone needs on a single index card, posted it online, and it went viral. Pollack and journalist Helaine Olen expanded those ten rules into a full book that proves the best financial advice really is simple enough to fit on a 4x6 card.
The ten rules cover everything from maximizing 401(k) contributions to buying low-cost index funds to paying off credit cards in full every month. Each chapter expands on one rule with research, examples, and practical implementation steps. The book is a deliberate antidote to the complexity that the financial industry uses to justify its fees — and a reminder that the fundamentals of personal finance have not changed in decades.
Book Details
The Index Card by Helaine Olen & Harold Pollack
Published
2016
Pages
240
Rating
4.4/5
Copies Sold
150,000+
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