All tagged books

4 Books To Read Before Baby Comes

4 Books To Read Before Baby Comes

Catherine Agopcan
Mom Series, Parenting

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” - Maria Montessori

With our little girl turning 1, I thought I would share some of the books that helped us in the first year. There is no shortage of books for new parents so this isn’t the most comprehensive list. It’s funny how many become parents without formal guidance or education. Many think that parental instincts kick in when the baby is home, but sometimes that’s far from the truth. It helps to be prepared by reading a book or two from people you’ve been there and done that.

Top Negotiation Books for Parents: Unlocking Effective Results

Top Negotiation Books for Parents: Unlocking Effective Results

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books, Mommy Money, Professional Development, Parenting

Negotiation skills are crucial in various aspects of life, including parenting. Whether you're trying to convince your toddler to eat their vegetables or discussing important decisions in the workplace, effective negotiation can make a significant difference in getting effective results. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of good negotiation skills for parents and highlight the top five negotiation books to help you become a master negotiator. Additionally, we'll provide you with valuable tips for negotiating with both toddlers and business counterparts.

Book Review and Summary: The Debt Trap by Josh Mitchell

Book Review and Summary: The Debt Trap by Josh Mitchell

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books

This month’s book is The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe by Josh Mitchell. It was written by a reporter from the Wall Street Journal who has years of experience writing about the economy and higher education.

The book covers the history of student loans and the creation of the college industrial complex. I didn’t know much about how the idea of student loans came about so the book was an insightful look at the players that eventually created a big business that impacted most of our lives.

Book Summary: The Color of Money - Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran

Book Summary: The Color of Money - Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books, Financial Education, Socially Conscious Series

“...the currency of the South was the slave”

This month’s book is “The Color of Money - Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap” by Mehrsa Baradaran. It covers the history of Black banking and the role of racism in the economic independence of the Black community.

Today, on every socioeconomic level, Blacks have significantly less wealth than whites. The book explains how the racial wealth gap was created that continues to affect millions of families in the United States. There were also many laws and policies like the GI Bill, the Homestead Act and the FHA that denied the Black community the opportunity to advance and economically prosper.

Book Review and Summary: Tales of Horror and Happiness in Hospitality

Book Review and Summary: Tales of Horror and Happiness in Hospitality

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books

HOSPITALITY, n. The virtue which induces us to feed and lodge certain persons who are not in need of food and lodging.

This month’s financial book is a bit different than past books. The book is titled: Tales of Horror and Happiness in Hospitality by Dr. Kiona and Maria Gangat. You can find it on Amazon (linked) or check out her Instagram story highlights for more info.


This book covers two prevailing concepts that’s heavily discussed in the financial independence, retire early (FI/RE) community: house hacking and geoarbitrage so it fits in nicely here.

Book Review and Summary: The Do Gooder's Guide to Investing by Adrian Reif

Book Review and Summary: The Do Gooder's Guide to Investing by Adrian Reif

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books, Financial Education, Conscious Consumer, Socially Conscious Series

“It turns out you can give your money to a project positively impacting the world with the goal of earning a financial return.

Can you grow your money while investing in positive change for people and the planet? I believe that we can and this book The Do Gooder’s Guide to Investing by Adrian Reif provides a roadmap on how we can do all that.

The word “investing” can sometimes get a bad rap because it’s associated with Wall Street, but it’s absolutely possible to invest in affordable housing, renewable energy and local communities and still grow your money. The Do-Gooder’s Guide to Investing provides a comprehensive list of these investing options. Even if you are not ready to invest yet in these organizations, I highly recommend reviewing and learning more about the organizations that Adrian lists as it will give you some hope about the future.

Elizabeth Warren, The Two-Income Trap and the Pursuit of Financial Independence

Elizabeth Warren, The Two-Income Trap and the Pursuit of Financial Independence

Catherine Agopcan
Mommy Money, Financial Books

This post is part of the #MommyMoney Series. A series that explores money, motherhood and financial independence. The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Parents Are (Still) Going Broke is written by Elizabeth Warren with her daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi. This month’s book is not your typical personal finance book. It doesn’t espouse the same list of recommendations on how to save, what accounts to open, etc. Instead, it is a well researched book about the American family, its American dream and challenges of being middle class in the current financial and government system.

Book Review & Notes: Out of the Rat Race By Eric Duneau

Book Review & Notes: Out of the Rat Race By Eric Duneau

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books

“Keep your focus. You are planning your financial independence. You are in a different game. Don’t be jealous of their fancy stuff.”

Book Review & Notes: Out of the Rat Race By Eric Duneau is the story of his journey to reach financial independence. It covers everything from the history of money, real-estate investing, the importance of human capital, attitude and how to leverage it all for financial freedom.

Book Review & Notes: Broke Millennial - Get Your Financial Life Together

Book Review & Notes: Broke Millennial - Get Your Financial Life Together

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books, Financial Education

You, right now, have a choice: you can let money control and define your life or you can control it. - Erin Lowry, Broke Millennial

This month’s book is Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry. You can read more about Erin on her blog, brokemillenial.com.

The title of the book can peg it as a book specifically for Millennials, but I disagree and encourage you to pick it up if you are looking to up your financial knowledge no matter what age you are. It’s not a book on investing or retirement, which I think makes it better. It’s a comprehensive on the basics of money mindset, credit, student loans and debt. The content in this book provides a good foundation for better money management and eventual wealth creation.

Book Review & Notes: The Power of Zero - How to Get To the 0% Tax Bracket

Book Review & Notes: The Power of Zero - How to Get To the 0% Tax Bracket

Catherine Agopcan
Taxes, Financial Books

Social Security was never intended to be a retirement program. It was merely insurance against living too long.

This month’s book review and notes are from The Power of Zero - How to Get To the 0% Tax Bracket and Transform Your Retirement. Learn more about David McKnight over davidmcknight.com and listen to his podcast via YouTube. Fitting since we are just about to close out tax season. Perhaps, the lessons in this book will change the way you manage your money to be more tax efficient now and always.

Book Summary: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

Book Summary: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books

“The two greatest enemies of the equity fund investor are expenses and emotions.”

In honor of the passing of John C. Bogle, found of Vanguard and father of index funds, I picked up the updated edition of his book “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.” I’ve heard of this book before, but never got around to picking it up. It’s a worthwhile book to read especially for those new to investing or those that need a refresher on the value of investing.

Book Review & Notes: Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier of Millennial Money

Book Review & Notes: Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier of Millennial Money

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books

When the opportunity to sign-up to preview Grant Sabatier’s new book Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need came up, I jumped at the chance and am so glad I did. It is jam packed with actionable insights. More importantly, it gives you a blueprint of how to achieve Financial Independence early on. There’s also an important question that Grant addresses “Why do you want to retire early?” Retirement while your fully financial independent is all about options and its all about choices.

The Four Tendencies and Personal Finance: How to Motivate Yourself to Take Action Towards Financial Independence

The Four Tendencies and Personal Finance: How to Motivate Yourself to Take Action Towards Financial Independence

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Books, Financial Education, Alternative Lifestyle

“It’s been freeing to focus on what works for me rather than what’s wrong with me.” 

I just recently finished reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies. In the Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin, outlines four different personality types based on how each one deals with inner and outer expectations: Upholder, Obliger, Questioner and Rebel. By understanding our Tendency, we can harness that to find our own internal and external motivations.