The Real Money Guide
The Missing Manual For Financial Recovery
Transform Your Financial Life: Lessons From Both Success and Failure
Who This Book Is For
Your Guide at Every Stage of Financial Life.
Rebuilding After Setbacks
Whether you’re recovering from job loss, divorce, business failure, or overwhelming debt, this book provides the practical roadmap to rebuild your financial life from the ground up. Learn the exact steps I took to transform bankruptcy into greater success.
Managing Growing Success
Navigate the complexities of increasing income, equity compensation, and investment opportunities with confidence and clarity. Discover how to make work-life harmony a priority while building sustainable wealth that withstands market fluctuations.
Creating Lasting Legacy
Transform your financial knowledge into a powerful gift for future generations. Learn how to not only build and protect wealth but also pass on the wisdom, values, and systems that will help your family thrive financially for generations to come.
Why This Book Is Different
Tested Through Real Experience
Not Just Theory
- Practical strategies and tools tested through both success and failure
- Accessible and structured approach for all income and career levels
- Systems and processes that can be adapted to your unique situation
- Guidance for modern and traditional financial challenges
Featured Book Content
Start With These Essential Insights
Budgeting
Chapter 1
Creating effective money management systems resembles designing irrigation for a garden—different areas need different amounts of resources that apply at the right times.
Debt
Chapter 2
The most successful approach to debt management combines clear understanding with strategic action. Different types of debt require different management strategies to apply.
Banking
Chapter 3
Effective banking isn’t about having the most sophisticated accounts—it’s about creating systems that work for your specific situation…whether you’re rebuilding your finances or managing substantial assets.
Resources Preview
Practical Tools for Real Results
01
Income Tracker
Turn income uncertainty into financial stability with this customizable tool designed for variable incomes, multiple streams, and complex compensation packages. Perfect for freelancers, gig workers, and commission-based professionals.
02
50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Discover where your hard-earned money disappears with this systematic checklist. Uncover hidden subscriptions, forgotten fees, and spending blind spots that could be redirecting hundreds or thousands of dollars away from your goals each year.
03
Buffer fund sizing tool
Calculate your ideal financial cushion based on your unique income pattern, essential expenses, and personal risk factors. Stop guessing how much you need to sleep soundly at night.
04
Snowball vs. avalanche calculator
Compare different debt repayment strategies side-by-side with your actual numbers. See exactly how much time and money you’ll save with each approach and find the perfect balance between mathematical optimization and psychological motivation.
05
Expense sharing model selector
Find the fairest approach to sharing expenses in relationships with this interactive tool. Whether you have similar or dramatically different incomes, this selector helps create transparency and harmony in financial partnerships.
06
Estimated tax payment calculator
Never face tax surprises again. This simplified calculator helps self-employed individuals, side hustlers, and investment income earners determine quarterly tax payments with confidence, preventing penalties while avoiding overpayment.
Author of The Real Money Guide
From Bankruptcy to Financial Freedom
David Kim, former Marine, Certified Financial Planner, and senior technology leader, shares the financial wisdom gained from both devastating setbacks and remarkable recoveries. His journey from military service through corporate success, bankruptcy, and ultimately to financial prosperity provides a unique perspective rarely found in traditional finance books. As someone who has experienced both six-figure success and starting over with nothing, David combines analytical expertise from his professional training with resilience developed through real-life financial rebuilding, offering guidance that works across all income levels and life stages.
