THE BUSY WOMAN'S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Bajtelsmit, a finance professor at Colorado State University, takes an easygoing and simple approach in this guide aimed at those seeking to take charge of their money. Too many women, says the author, delegate the responsibility of handling their assets to their husbands or fathers because they're so busy with other tasks that learning about finance is too daunting. However, Bajtelsmit insists that women must learn the basics of money management, organize their records and set clear goals. For women who have never paid much attention to their finances, some of her strategies are helpful—knowing which records to keep and which papers to toss, how to read the fine print on health and life insurance policies and how to evaluate employer benefits. The investing chapter offers easy-to-understand explanations of the different risk levels for various investing vehicles, from individual stocks to mutual funds, and the appendix records useful Web sites, particularly government resources. Some may be irritated by the author's repeated use of broad generalizations and stereotypes: "I am a 'list person,' and I find that this seems to be a female trait (or maybe it is a trait of busy people)" and "If you are like most women, estate planning is a subject that you haven't thought much about before and would rather not think about." No one—male or female—likes to think about estate planning! Bajtelsmit's book will be most valuable to those who are popular novices in money management. (Nov.)

Forecast:The chances of this book finding a place within the ultra-crowded women's finance category are slim. That's not to say Bajtelsmit hasn't written a smart, practical guide. But it'll be tough for her to sneak in between Suze Orman and the Beardstown Ladies.