Pittsburgh, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/23/2012 -- Even in a recovering economy, the statistics are startling. With U.S student loan and credit card debt each topping $1 trillion, it is obvious that the average young American is unaware of how to handle to their finances. Putting it down to a lack of imperative financial education – two U.S authors have penned a book which picks up where school left off.

The Missing Semester is considered a literary lifeline; a concise and hard-hitting course on the essentials of making wise financial decisions and attaining financial freedom. Designed for both college graduates and those climbing the career ladder, the book is poised to provide the vital education that Americans don’t even realize they’re missing.

“The book is based on the principle of ownership; ownership of your financial future. We strive to make the point that your financial future is your responsibility, and that you cannot plan for or expect help,” says Gene Natali, who Co-Authored the book along with Matt Kabala.

Critics are praising the book for coming to fruition at a time when many graduates are, unaware to them, entering an era of financial dire straits. With college fees higher than ever and a lack of suitable graduate jobs, many leaving college with significant debt are opting to enter Grad School for no other reason than a lack of perceived alternatives.

“This means that those leaving college are replacing the revenue from their first job with the added cost (i.e. debt) of Grad School. This is a clear case of risk outweighing potential reward. The importance of personal finance education needs to be stressed in High Schools and Colleges nationwide,” Natali adds.

The authors are not just concerned about college graduates. The Missing Semester was also written to assist adults, especially baby boomers, with doing all they can to get their finances in order before retirement. Almost half of fifty to sixty year olds risk not having enough to cover basic expenses when leaving their careers, a facet of the vicious finance circle that Natali and Kabala feel is avoidable.

“The statistics are quite frightening, but The Missing Semester is not intended to frighten. This book, and the concepts within it, is meant to be one step towards helping to resolve these issues. We want to broaden awareness, let people know that their situation is not unique and encourage the reader to take control of his/her situation.” The back of the cover paraphrases the goal of the book: "build a strong financial foundation, prepare for the unexpected and confront the challenges.”

The Missing Semester, published by CreateSpace, is available now in paperback, Nook and Amazon Kindle formats.

For more information, please visit: http://www.themissingsemester.com or check out the book’s official Facebook page.

About the Authors:

Gene Natali:
Mr. Natali is a Senior Vice President at C.S. McKee, L.P., a Pittsburgh based investment firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College, and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He is currently a Level II candidate for accreditation as a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Matt Kabala:
Mr. Kabala is a graduate of Ohio University and holds an MBA from the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business. He is currently employed by Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Department where he serves as a Senior Firefighter and manager of the firefighters' supplemental retirement fund.