Personal Finance Advice

Summer’s coming and that means vacation time! With gas prices lower than they have been in the last few years and with airlines gouging you for everything from extra bags to nuts, many people are hitting the highways this year. While road trips are typically less expensive than other forms of travel, there are some [...]

One of the items that people most frequently go into debt to purchase is a car. That’s not surprising given that even the most basic brand new car begins around $12,000. And that’s for four wheels and a seat; no extras or room for many passengers. Most people don’t have that kind of money lying [...]

I went for a drive today. I did not go very far – just the distance of two subdivisions so that I could drop my son off at a friend’s house. I must have seen at least ten or twelve kids riding bicycles, roller blading and skateboarding. It was a beautiful [...]

When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, it seemed that everyone except my parents were members of the American Automobile Association (AAA). Roadside assistance was the great appeal, especially in the days before cell phones. I recall being quite jealous of the silver and red AAA stickers that my friends [...]

By Jason Lancaster of Accurate Auto Advice.
As a person who worked in car dealerships for nearly 10 years, I can tell you that a lot of people make expensive mistakes when buying a new or used car. Fortunately, these common mistakes are easy to avoid – here’s what you need to look out for: [...]

Ok, I admit it. I have a serious addiction. Two of them in fact. Everyday, I allow myself one soda and a pack of cigarettes. On Saturday, I have two sodas. My elixir of choice is Diet Mountain Dew. I’ve been downing them daily for over 20 years.
My other addiction, smoking, I know I shouldn’t, [...]

I hate rush hour almost as much as I hate Paris Hilton.
I understand that scientists believe that we are putting the earth into an oven and turning up the heat to high. I’m keeping their warnings in mind and making rational decisions with this information. When I have saved enough to make a down payment [...]

By Joseph Ganem
Just about every financial decision we make involves comparing numbers. But, often the numbers shown are not the ones you should compare. The sellers of automobiles and related products are masters at leading people down the wrong financial road with misleading numbers. Whether buying a car or a tank of gas, it is [...]

Today’s question to get your morning rolling is, Should the speed limit be reduced to 55 mph again?
I find quite curious is that with all the complaining about gas prices, nobody has been willing to come out and say it’s time to go back to 55 mph speed limit again. I think that shows how [...]

As a finance and conservation nerd, I’m excited about higher gas prices. I realize that I’m in the minority in this opinion and I know full well that most people will think I’m nuts. I have to admit that I don’t enjoy paying higher prices, but since there’s nothing I can do about it and [...]

When it seems that everyone wants to trade in their SUV for a more fuel efficient car, it might come as a surprise that I just purchased a SUV to replace my fuel efficient car. Although I have been told that I’m stupid for doing so, I often find that it makes financial sense to [...]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that gas prices are soaring sky high. As a result, many people are rushing out to trade in their older, larger, inefficient cars for newer smaller, more efficient models. But is this rush to trade really necessary, or even a good thing?
Certainly if you’re driving a [...]

I recently discovered a new website that has a wealth of information about saving money on fuel. I’m pretty sure the website itself isn’t new, but it’s new to me and it might be new to you too. The website is Fueleconomy.gov and it run by the US Department of Energy and the [...]

Since I first became interested in personal finance a few years ago, I have been dead set against buying a new car. As a person who likes to save money, the thought of buying something that would depreciate tremendously as soon as I drove it off the lot made me shutter. Plus there [...]

My neighbors’ oldest child just left for college this fall. Watching him load his car with electronics, clothes, and “stuff,” headed for his new apartment, I started reminiscing about when I was just starting out. When I was younger, I lived a life that made others think I was poverty stricken. I didn’t live that [...]

The other day on the light rail I sat near a woman. Let’s call her Sally Jesse. Sally Jesse spun her head around every time we stopped, asked everyone around her what station we were at, and promptly swiveled around to stare at the roadmap. Then a full 3 stops before Sally Jesse made her [...]

Gas prices are on the rise and have been forecasted to possibly reach $4.00 a gallon by this summer. This news sends many people into shock, but for me, it hardly makes me bat an eyelash. Granted, I don’t like spending extra money on anything, but I know that even if gas does [...]

Last year I went without a car in my first year of graduate school. The result? I saved myself $2000 in student loans, just in parking, gas, and insurance. With education costs rising, cutting out car expenses can really be a smart move to consider for any student. Here are a few [...]

By David John Marotta and Justin Harris
Purchasing a car is the second biggest spending decision we face as consumers next to buying a home. Unlike real estate or an investment portfolio which appreciates, cars are rapidly depreciating assets. In addition to the car’s sticker price, operating expenses can drive the unsuspecting consumer into the [...]

By Wixx, special contributing writer
I have a gas guzzler (a Chrysler Pacifica) and so most people would recommend that I trade it in for a car that gets better gas mileage to help save money. Since this is the only car I own, I use to to commute back and forth to work which at [...]