Husbands and wives, college students, blue collar workers and businesses are all crunching numbers to make every dollar count and trim fat for the monthly budget. Financial Planning Strategies is a must read book because it covers it all from the cradle to the grave. It has up-to-date options for investing and saving for college education as well as how and what to insure. It is an easy read for professionals and lay people; or young and for old. Make this a priority purchase before the day is over. Read and act for your own financial security. Many cringe over the mere word "budget". If made correctly and with the suggestions in the book, you will soon find that a budget is your best friend. It is a map and accountability tool because it is the little leaks that can bring a family to financial ruin. If mom and dad make it a family affair, it is an amazing tool to teach kids the dos and don'ts in regards to "greenbacks". It is never too early to start saving for college and the earlier you start the cheaper it is. It is so much easier to lay away $10 or $20 a month than it is to carve out an extra $200 or $300 payment to a college fund when the child is already in middle school. College is more than deciding what subjects are appealing. A college education should be directly tuned into a desirable career or a plausible one. Investments can be tricky and risky or they can be safe and beneficial. Each person has to decide on how much risk he or she is comfortable with. This partly depends on when in one's life the investment is being made. The old saying that "Ignorance is bliss" is ignorance because as it is with all things financial, an eagle eye is one's best friend. Health insurance for a family can be expensive even if it is acquired through an employer. Explore the options there are with the plan and do everything that you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that doctors, prescriptions and hospital visits can be kept at a minimum. It may seem strange and a needless hassle to plan for retirement in one's early married life or even in mid-life but it is not. That is the best time budget into your financial structure, a comprehensive retirement. Some may be from the company you are working with but in today's fragile economy, you may not have that job to retire from. So make a plan on your own with an IRA or a mutual fund or some type of investment that has protected growth. This has everything to do with starting early because as with the college savings, $10 goes a long ways when put in an interest bearing account before the child is even born. So start a retirement option at the beginning of your career and it will be surprising the growth it is capable of. You and your spouse may have hopes and dreams of what you want to do during retirement. If you are on a shoe string income, you may not be able to do those fun things. Look out for your financial security in retirement today. Looking out for your children is important also and you can do this by setting your estate up so that they will have a minimal amount of taxes to pay on it. This book leads you through the options which are available and the advantages of each one. Life at best is uncertain so whether it is planning for sufficient insurance, a comprehensive retirement plan or planning one's estate, it is best to do it sooner rather than later.