The Ten Commandments of Financial Happiness

Do you have to be rich to be happy? Not according to Jean Chatzky, one of the most popular personal-finance experts in the country, who has advised millions through her regular Today Show appearances and her columns in Money magazine. Now she shares the good news about a groundbreaking study she did with the Roper Organization: the Happiness Affordability Assessment. Her research shows that the amount of money you make has surprisingly little to do with how financially happy you are. But the happiest people in America at all income levels trend to use the money strategies that Chatzky calls the "Ten Commandments of Financial Happiness." For instance, they pay their bills as they come in rather than all at once and minimize credit card debt. The bottom line: You have to pay attention to your money - and Chatzky shows you how to make the most of what you've got. But you certainly don't have to be rich to achieve financial happiness.