Product Reviews

Money at 30: “The Great Money Reset” Audiobook Review

by Kyle BurbankFeb 7, 2023

During the past three years, you didn’t have to look far to see headlines about Americans leaving their jobs en masse or otherwise making major life changes after growing introspective during the pandemic. Zooming out, this period in history has also been dubbed “The Great Reset” as the world and its economies look to recover after being upended. Playing off of that, a new book from CBS analyst Jill Schlesinger is dubbed The Great Money Reset: Change Your Work, Change Your Wealth, Change Your Life. Released last month, I came across the audiobook version of the title on Audible and decided to dive in.

Over the past couple of years, there have definitely been at least a few COVID mentions in the books I’ve reviewed. Yet, I’m pretty sure that The Great Money Reset is the first one to make the topic a central focus. Although the topicality isn’t exclusive to our current age, it certainly is relevant to it.

With that said, throughout the book, Schlesinger covers a lot of the same things you’d expect from a personal finance book. In The Great Money Reset, you’ll hear about cutting back on spending, how to maximize your retirement savings, tax strategies, the importance of planning for the future (including after you’re gone), and more. Still, these basics aren’t just laid out for good measure and are, instead, perfectly incorporated into the main lesson at hand.

While you might assume that, given the “Money Reset” premise and emphasis on making big changes, the book would be all about why you should quit your job and live your dream. That’s true to some extent — but, more than anything, Schlesinger preaches patience and offers several steps that those considering a major life change should take before doing something rash. For example, she advises that individuals take a closer look at their ultimate goals and ensure that they’re actually what they seem. This isn’t to say that the author is dissuading folks from pursuing their dream. On the contrary, she simply provides or at least helps them devise a better blueprint for achieving their goals.

Something I really enjoyed about The Great Money Reset is that it was chock full of anecdotes that applied to Schlesinger’s teachings. Some of these came from the author herself but the majority came from listeners/viewers, friends, and — as she calls them — her faux nieces and nephews. Hearing these different perspectives and stories really helped emphasize the book’s points while also inspiring some additional thoughts on the part of this reader (well, listener, as it were).

Another section of the book that stood out to me as a member of the personal finance blogging community was one that presented the idea of FINE — a take-off of the FIRE movement. Instead of “Financial Independence, Retire Early,” FINE replaces the latter half with “New Endeavor.” As it turns out, this portion of the book was actually fairly short but I appreciated the concept and apt acronym.

In the end, although the subjects covered in The Great Money Reset aren’t far from what you’d find in other personal finance books, it’s the framing of these matters that makes the book unique and especially pertinent for these times. That’s why I found the book to be an interesting listen and one I think that a lot of people can benefit from in today’s post(ish)-COVID world. So, whether you’re actively considering a major life change or want to be armed with financial knowledge should your dreams change in the future, I’d recommend checking out The Great Money Reset: Change Your Work, Change Your Wealth, Change Your Life.

Author

Kyle Burbank

Head Writer ~ Fioney

Kyle is the head writer for Fioney. He is a personal finance nerd, constantly looking for new apps and services to test and incorporate into his own financial game plan. In addition to his role at Fioney, he's written for other publications including Born2Invest, Lifehack, and Laughing Place, as well as his own site Money@30. He also creates personal finance and travel-related videos for Money@30's YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 2 million views. Currently, Kyle resides in Springfield, Missouri with his wife of 10 years. Together, they enjoy traveling (including visiting Disney Parks around the world), dining, and playing with their dog Rigby.

Other Articles by Kyle Burbank

Credit Cards

Universal, FNBO Announce More Details on Rewards Credit Cards

by Kyle BurbankDec 1, 2023

After teasing new co-branded credit cards earlier this year, Universal Destinations & Experiences and FNBO have released more details on their two rewards cards. About the Universal Rewards card: Starting with the no-annual-fee Universal Rewards Visa, this new card will include both spending rewards and in-park perks. In terms of the former, cardholders can earn 2% back in Rewards on eligible Universal purchases. All other purchases earn 1% back in...

FinTech News

Apple Reportedly Ending Partnership with Goldman Sachs

by Kyle BurbankNov 30, 2023

It looks as though Apple and Goldman Sachs will be moving forward with a break-up of their partnership. What's happening: According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has now proposed that it and Goldman Sachs end their contract within the next 12 to 15 months. This development comes after months of reports that Goldman had been looking to exit the agreement. The partnership was slated to...

Personal Finance

Lessons From a First-Time Home Buyer: The Story of How We Bought a House

by Kyle BurbankNov 29, 2023

In 2015, my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri. At the time, while we originally elected to rent an apartment, we figured we'd eventually be able to buy a house here thanks to the lower cost of living and easy-going housing market. Despite this, although we'd revisited the idea from time to time, it seemed that something was always standing in our way. Most recently, this included interest rates...