SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/26/05 -- It's time for spring cleaning, and that includes personal finances! After tax season, many people realize that their finances aren't as tidy as they want them to be. In her new book from Paraglyph Press, Degunking Your Personal Finances (U.S. $24.99, 352 pp, ISBN 1-933097-02-7), Chicago-based financial advisor and expert Shannon Plate shows how to clean up and spruce up your personal finances by following a highly effective 12-step program. Regardless of whether you want to improve your financial situation, get your budget under control, learn how to find hidden money, set up a successful saving program, clean up your credit report, or get rid of crippling debt, Degunking Your Personal Finances will help everyone get on the right path to financial success.

The rate of personal bankruptcy continues to rise in the U.S., topping more than 1.6 million cases in 2004. On average, Americans carry over $8,000 in credit card debt from month-to-month, and over 40% of U.S. families spend more than they earn. With the elimination of many company pension plans and declining Social Security and Medicare benefits, it's no wonder that most people don't know how they can ever afford to retire.

In Degunking Your Personal Finances, financial counselor Shannon Plate shows how anyone can clean up and degunk their personal financial situation. With her proven 12-step program, she can help anyone achieve their important financial goals. Throughout her book, Shannon offers practical tips and advice on how to straighten out a gunked-up financial situation. For example, what are the five tell-tale signs that you have too much consumer debt? What are the seven things you can do to improve a credit score immediately? What is the one thing that most people could do to improve their financial picture right now? Answers to these questions and numerous practical financial tips appear in every chapter of Degunking Your Personal Finances.

About the Author

Shannon Plate is the president of Everyday Money, a budget counseling practice in Chicago, IL. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Public Speaking and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Her firm helps individuals untangle their financial messes, take control of their debts, learn how to live on a manageable and realistic budget, and rebuild their financial health. She speaks frequently on the topic of financial management.

Distribution Information

Degunking(TM) Your Personal Finances is available at bookstores, online retailers, and book wholesalers nationwide. Paraglyph Press is distributed by O'Reilly Media in the U.S. and Canada. For distribution in other regions of the world, or for information on foreign rights and translations, visit the Paraglyph Press web site and click on the "Booksellers" link.

For review copies or order information, please contact:
O'Reilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: 800-294-4747
E-mail: order@oreilly.com

Contact:
Steve Sayre
602-749-8787
ssayre@paraglyphpress.com

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