Budgeting, Planning & Family Money

It’s tough enough to budget money—by which I mean keeping your expenses from exceeding your family’s income—when you have regular paychecks. But if you’re self-employed like me, or if you work on commission, you know it can be even tougher. In most cases, your family’s set monthly costs don’t change all that much, but, on [...]

The government cannot "steal" an investor's 401k and brokerage account assets in order to pay off debt. These are investment misconceptions. Q: On Ilyce’s radio show this past week, she took a call from someone who asked what worries her about the economy. She talked about the upcoming presidential election, among other issues like the [...]

A person can help pay his monthly bills and avoid over-extension by going into foreclosure, doing a short sale or considering bankruptcy. Q: I will try to make a long story short. I have credit card debt of about $12,000, a car loan of $20,000 and a ton of mortgage loans. I owe $156,000 on [...]

It’s time for college students to head back to campus—and whether you are a freshman or a senior, saving money should be a priority. As tuition prices rise, you have to make up for the cost somewhere. While you prepare to get out there on your own, consider these ten tips for saving money while at college: [...]

In the current market, there are no good solutions for homeowners that are in a financial crisis, need to sell or need to refinance. We routinely get emails from our readers that are typical of the following letter: My mortgage is past due by 2 months because of medical problems that prevent me from working. [...]