Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan

2009: The Year You Can’t Afford to Make Any Mistakes with Your Money.

The credit crunch, the stock market freefall, the staggering toll of home foreclosures and job losses: The economic crisis that struck in 2008 has left no one untouched and everybody reeling. Seemingly overnight, the financial landscape has undergone seismic changes that suddenly have you asking all kinds of questions: Are your savings safe? Should you continue to invest in your retirement account? Should you keep your home if it’s worth less than what you owe or should you sell it? How do you pay your bills if you’ve just been laid off?

The nation’s go-to expert on financial matters, Suze Orman, believes that 2009 is a critical year for your money. There are safeguards to put in place, actions to take, costly mistakes to avoid, and even opportunities to be had, so that you are protected during the bad times and prepared to prosper when things take a turn for the better. No matter what situation you’re in, you will find a plan of action and the answers to your questions about:

* Credit * Retirement
*Savings and Spending*Real Estate
*Paying for College* Protecting Your Family

SUZE ORMAN’S 2009 ACTION PLAN delivers honest, straightforward guidance—what to do, when to do it, and how to do it—as only Suze Orman can.

Amazon.com Exclusive: Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan

How to Prepare for the Unexpected

If in late 2007 you were told that over the next twelve months housing would crater to 20% below it's all-time peak, unemployment would rise from below 5% to nearly 8%, stocks would fall nearly 50%, and a gallon of gas would spike to more than $4 (and then drop below $2) you would probably have shrugged it off as just a whole lot of doomsday-scenario crankiness. But that's exactly what we all had to live through and continue to grapple with in 2009.

The lesson is that the unexpected can happen. In fact, sometimes a whole lot of unexpected happens all at once (see: 2008). No one can control external events, but you do have absolute control over the most powerful tool: your will to make the smart and right choices that will insure your financial security, no matter what happens. As I have said for years: Hope for the best, plan for the worst. If you plan for life's “what if's” there's no need to panic when the news turns bad. An emergency cash fund is your security when a recession causes rising unemployment. A long-term investment strategy that employs a mix of stocks and bonds makes it easier to get through scary bear markets; living within your means, rather than running up credit card and HELOC debt leaves you better able to weather financial storms.

My 2009 Action Plan is designed to make sure you are ready for the unexpected—this year and every year forward. I most certainly hope things get better for us all, but in the meantime I want to make sure you have a plan in place that will protect you no matter what “what ifs” lay ahead.

Suze Orman is a two time emmy award winner and the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers: Women & Money, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom; The Courage to Be Rich; The Road to Wealth; The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life; and The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke. The host of "The Suze Orman Show" which airs every Saturday Night on CNBC has garnered her more GRACIE awards than anyone in the 32 year history of that award which honors women in radio and television, Named in 2007 by Business week as the top female motivational speaker in the United States and in 2008 by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world Suze is also a contributing editor to O, The Oprah Magazine and The Costco Connection. Suze's name has become synonymous with money and is undeniably the most listened to personal finance expert in America today.