THIS IS THE YEAR I PUT MY FINANCIAL LIFE IN ORDER

By John Schwartz

320 pp. Avery. (2018)

Born from an article that Schwartz, a science reporter for The Times, wrote in 2015 about realizing he was ill-equipped for retirement, this book uses his personal story to walk readers through the financial steps they should take to improve their finances. With self-deprecating humor, Schwartz highlights some of his and his wife, Jeanne’s, money mistakes as young professionals and, later, as midlife adults. Through the writer’s follies and his analyses of current financial attitudes, as well as “punch lists” in each chapter that offer action items, readers learn about managing debt, buying a house, writing a will and otherwise preparing for a comfortable retirement.

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INVESTED

How Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger Taught Me to Master My Mind, My Emotions, and My Money (With a Little Help from My Dad)

By Danielle Town and Phil Town

319 pp. William Morrow. (2018)

When Danielle Town realized she needed to gain control of her money, she turned to her father, Phil, the best-selling author of the personal finance book, “Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!,” to teach her about investing. They turned their conversations into a successful podcast called InvestED, which educates listeners on value investing, a strategy popularized by Warren Buffett. This book is the culmination of that project. Written by Town with her dad, “Invested” tells the story of her financial education and lays out a 12-month plan for readers to learn the basics of investing — including when to buy and sell, and for how much — and become more confident in navigating the stock market.