I use the New Living translation most of the time, but when I'm studying something in depth, I always compare 3 or 4 others, just to get a feel for how the same thought is worded.
For that, I like the American Standard, and I sometimes pull out the interlinear Greek/English.
Sometimes I even use the King James!
Seriously, I just bought a NKJV study Bible, and it's pretty easy to follow.