Personal Finance Advice

By Vicky Oliver I first realized that I was a frugalista a few years ago when I took a favorite black jacket back to the dry cleaners to complain that the garment had started to “pill.” The finely spun black lace had literally unraveled before my eyes –exposing the frayed white boning underneath. “This garment [...]

By Steve Repak, CFP® In basic training, a soldier goes through a process of mental and emotional retraining so that they can operate in an environment very different from the civilian world. I figured out I could take some of the same lessons I learned in the Army and apply them to my finances. Once [...]

By Jim Camp Do you believe compromise is the best way to get what you want? There’s a better way, and it’s based on a word young children understand even better than adults: “No!” If you’d like to boost your finances in 2012, then learning to say no, invite no, and be comfortable hearing no [...]

Ah, the season of giving. Magic in the air, Christmas carolers echoing throughout packed shopping malls, Salvation Army collection bells ringing — it’s the most wonderful time of the year to do good for others…right? With your family’s jam-packed social schedule, endless check-out lines and troops of hungry house guests on the way, it may [...]

This article is written by SB, who blogs at One cent at a time, a blog dedicated to all round well-being for everyone including saving money, smart investments and improving productivity. Subscribe to his RSS feed via email or e reader. One of the most important things to realize is that you rеаllу dо nоt [...]

This is a guest post by Ashley at Money Talks The road to wealth may not be a smooth ride, but the fact remains you are either moving towards wealth, or you are moving towards poverty. Everyone moves along this road in one direction or the other. The path to wealth isn’t overly difficult or [...]

This is a guest post from Little Miss Moneybags If you’re house-hunting, a mortgage pre-approval is a great thing to have in your back pocket. It shows real estate agents and sellers that you’re serious, and can help move the final home-buying process along much more quickly. Here’s an overview of how to get pre-approved, [...]

You know your credit is an important part of your financial life. Indeed, a number of people, from bankers to insurers to landlords, use your credit score to determine your financial fate. From higher interest rates and insurance premiums to paying a higher security deposit for a rental, a poor credit score can cost you. [...]

By Farnoosh Torabi, Manilla Financial Editor With the arrival of so many budget-friendly mobile applications, saving has never been quite so simple. Literally, at the tap of a finger, you can discover where to snag the best deals in town and even download and redeem coupons instantly while checking out at the register. Here are [...]

Have you noticed that lately new bank fees and fee increases have been popping up like pimples on prom night? Much of this is because of new federal regulations limiting revenue major financial institutions take in from things like overdraft fees and, more importantly, debit card swipe fees. Also known as interchange fees — this [...]

By Steve Siebold A new report from a research arm of congress says the rich are getting richer. The average household income for the nation’s top 1% nearly tripled from 1979 to 2007, while middle class incomes grew by less than 40%. How do you break into that top 1%? It starts with your mindset. [...]

With the nation’s still-struggling economy continuing to make headlines women need to know some facts about divorce. High unemployment rates, bank closures, skyrocketing foreclosures and other grim financial news are commonplace. It’s enough to make us all run screaming for the hills – or some idyllic paradise in which money isn’t a problem. (If you [...]

Once upon a time, the banks were determined to win your business. To get you to open a checking account they’d lure you with anything from duffel bags to free cell phones depending on what kind of customer they pegged you to be. These tactics attracted scores of personal banking clientele over the years from [...]

Are you a news junkie? If you are, hopefully you’re not making investment decisions based solely on the financial news or stock market analysis that the media provides all day and every day. When the stock market goes down, they say ask the question, “Has the next recession finally arrived” and when the market goes [...]

The savings account is about as in style as 90′s rock sensation Pearl Jam (Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of them) but much like some of those same 90s fads, the savings account is making a reemergence. Everybody is happy when interest rates fall and they can refinance their homes, but they forget [...]

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” is what you’re thinking. Here come all of the obesity facts. You think I’m going to talk about all of the money you spend on fast food, junk food, and those other sinful pleasures, or at least sinful as defined by the health nuts with six pack abs. No more guilt trips. [...]

Financial responsibility is a crucial part of the college experience, yet some personal finance skills remain foreign to students as they prepare for college. Parents have the task of preparing their children for a new financial world and they can do that by discussing the pitfalls that come with being on their own. Do you [...]

When most people first begin to think about overhauling our finances or saving money, they usuallyfocus on issues such as budgeting, cash flow analysis, and how to improve a credit score. But almost all aspects of your life can affect your cash flow, directly or indirectly. It’s serendipitous when a life-change can not only improve [...]

Many people are tightening their belts in these uncertain economic times. One of the first places we often look to save money is finding projects around the home that we can do ourselves rather than calling the professionals. All do-it yourself projects are not created equal, though, and there are times when you are better [...]

By Karen Norling Eight months ago, my husband, Jim, lost his engineering job at GE Health care here in Ohio. In all those eight months –after dozens and dozens of resumes “snail-mailed” and emailed — not one company has called him for an interview. Not one company has called me for an interview either, despite [...]