The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

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(as of Dec 24, 2025 10:18:28 UTC – Details)

“The newbie investor will not find a better guide to personal finance.” 
—Burton Malkiel, author of A RANDOM WALK DOWN WALL STREET   

TV analysts and money managers would have you believe your finances are enormously complicated, and if you don’t follow their guidance, you’ll end up in the poorhouse.
 
They’re wrong.
 
When University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack interviewed Helaine Olen, an award-winning financial journalist and the author of the bestselling Pound Foolish, he made an off­hand suggestion: everything you need to know about managing your money could fit on an index card. To prove his point, he grabbed a 4″ x 6″ card, scribbled down a list of rules, and posted a picture of the card online. The post went viral.
 
Now, Pollack teams up with Olen to explain why the ten simple rules of the index card outperform more complicated financial strategies. Inside is an easy-to-follow action plan that works in good times and bad, giving you the tools, knowledge, and confidence to seize control of your financial life.

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2017
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143130528
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143130529
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.8 x 4.9 x 6.9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #61,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #52 in Retirement Planning (Books) #136 in Introduction to Investing
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