By Philip Brewer I spent my whole adult life trying to figure out how to get by on a lot less money, because I wanted to be a full-time writer and knew that it wouldn't pay enough to support the lifestyle I was living. […]

The following is a guest post from Luke, the guy behind NeoBudget, an online budgeting system using the envelope method. The title of this article is intentionally deceptive.  This is not an argument against budgeting.  Contrary to what you may have heard, budgeting is a liberating experience.  Creating a budget and sticking to it can be one of the most freeing experiences of your financial life. […]

Did you know that you can convert directly from mutual funds to exchange traded funds (ETFs) without incurring taxes? I didn’t. I’ve been operating under the impression that selling the mutual fund shares would be a taxable event. […]

If you’re signed up for the Bargaineering newsletter, I included a mention of a potential $15,000 homebuyer credit in the latest Thursday email. The $15,000 homebuyer’s credit was introduced by Senator Johnny Isakson (GA-R) that would increase the current $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit to $15,000 and could be used by anyone who bought a primary residence, not just first-timers. […]

Here's a question recently left by a reader: My parents are very old and want to turn over their funds to me, their only son. I'm concerned about tax implications of a $120K transfer to my account. Also, in the event of their passing, I'd like to avoid the probate vultures. What's the best way of handling this? Any advice for him? […]

By Xin Lu A few months ago I wrote about several car buying incentives that were floating around.  This was before the bankruptcy of Chrysler and GM and there was a rumor going around that the government would push consumers into buying new cars with a trade in program.  Now it is official that a "cash for clunkers" bill has passed by both the Senate and the House.  This $1 billion program was at […]

Why “they” closed my credit card account. I need a new credit card right away. I need one to help run my small business so that my transactions go smoothly and seamlessly. I have to replace my old, once highly rated business credit card because my credit card issuer decided to close my account through no fault of my own. […]

Growing up my sister and I called our father “Dard”. The nickname was fondly given after my sister read Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, where a family of four sisters called their mother “Marmee”. […]

Recently, several readers have written to me bringing up various points about writing about money. Edward writes: I’ve been a reader of The Simple Dollar for two years. Sometimes it feels like you’re saying the same thing over and over. Jamie writes: You really should run more ads. […]