Suze Orman at Google

I have mixed feelings about Suze Orman as a financial expert. The arrogance, self-promotion and know-it-all attitude is a little tough for me take at times. Ric Edelman, no stranger to arrogance and self-promotion himself, likes to ridicule her for this exchange:

Q: Is there anything you don't know when it comes to money?
Suze: No, there is nothing that I do not know. That I am sure about.

In spite of such statements, I found this talk at Google from January 27, 2010 to be very informative, especially the parts on how she got started in her career; 401ks, emergency funds, and Roth IRAs for young professionals; and how FICO scores are really calculated and what a person can do that helps or hurts there FICO score.  She also says that everyone should have a will and a revocable living trust, the majority of people should only buy term life insurance, nothing else, and the best way to save for a child's education is a 529 plan (see savingforcollege.com).   Suze closes with these 10 points:

1. Focus on people and money will follow. 
2. It is better to do nothing than something you do not understand.  If you get investment advice you don't understand, don't invest based on trust; 9 times out of 10 you will get burned.
3. Being rich is better than being poor.
4. Democracy and the deficit-- Let's hope it all works.
5. You don't need to be on Wall Street to make money.
6. You can make money without doing evil.
7. There's always more money to be made out there.
8. The need for money crosses all borders.
9. You can be the world personal financial expert without ever wearing a suit or being a man.
10. Being wealthy is just not good enough, it is what you do with that wealth that counts.