John Parmelee stresses the importance of personal financial planning and says he hopes to take "the trepidation" out of planning for the future, especially for those fearful of the uncertainty to come. Parmelee maps out how to protect cash investments, plan for a college education or retirement, preserve wealth and even how to protect money online.

A former reporter for the Congressional Quarterly and Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Parmelee teaches journalism at the University of Florida. Co-author Godin came up with the book idea, while Parmelee completed the majority of the writing.