While your big travel plans might be focused around visiting family for the holidays, one of the best ways to enjoy family fun without a lot of planning, and without busting your budget, is to take a “staycation.” You don’t have to go very far to make memories—a staycation can be enjoyed in your own [...]
One of the best ways to build wealth over time is to invest. Many parents know this truth, but unfortunately they do little when it comes to teaching their children about investing. While you want to help your child learn about saving money and making smart spending choices, don’t forget to help him or her [...]
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. [...]
Look at your investment goals and future plans when considering how to invest $50,000. You may choose to place some money in index funds. Q: Hi, if you had $50,000 in a bank savings account I was wondering how would you invest it. A: That’s not a fair question. Your question implies that I would [...]
When you’re busy, it’s oh so easy to pull out your wallet and give your child cash to buy a hot lunch at school. But the cost of those lunches can add up pretty quickly. So just in time for the back-to-school season, I asked one of my favorite experts on saving money, Stephanie Nelson of CouponMom.com, [...]
Recent research shows that women's investment returns are, on average, higher than those of men. Remember when a woman was told that the best investment she could make was finding herself a husband? Times sure have changed. A survey by personal-finance site DailyWorth showed that 76 percent of women act as their household’s primary retirement [...]
