Presidential Finances, the Personal Version

The new issue of Money Magazine has an article on the personal finances of the leading presidential candidates. "Millionaires-in-Chief" is available online. Some interesting tidbits:

John Edwards was paid $480,000 a year as a part-time consultant for a hedge fund.

Barack Obama is the only one profiled who owns only one home. He also has the least amount of money, a household net worth of 1.3 million.

Most of the McCain assets are in the name of his wife or their children. A financial consultant provides some advance to each candidate. The one for McCain says "I'd advise the senator to keep Cindy very happy -- or have a good prenuptial agreement." Keeping the spouse happy, sound advice for married men everywhere.

For those interested in book advances, there is a chart of the presidential candidates' book, a one sentence synopsis, the advance paid, and the number of copies sold. The average unknown author get $50,000; the average presidential candidates' advance is $2.3 million. So I guess $100,000 for a new congressman with an interesting life story would not be out of line.