Articles on Personal Finance

5 Things We Learned When Our Car Was Stolen

My family recently had our car stolen while moving. Learn from our experience so you can keep your car safe or be prepared if you're a victim of theft as well.

Energy Efficient Mortgages: Borrowing More to Save

Borrowing extra for an energy efficient mortgage can lower your utility costs and generate significant savings...as long as you make sure the math adds up.

Life and Death: The Related Taxes, and How It Affects Your Family

From hiring your children to work in your business to careful end-of-life planning, you can help reduce the taxes that you (or your children) will owe.

15 Surprising Facts About Income Tax

From the first recorded income tax to the popular teenage job that's filled with tax-evaders, prepared to be shocked, awed, and informed by these income-tax facts.

How to Really Save Money When You Shop

There is a great way to save money when you make a purchase, but it has nothing to do with store sales or having a coupon.

How (and Why) to Help Your Parents Pay Off Their Mortgage

Many parents find themselves saddled with a mortgage well into retirement. Learn how to help your folks pay off theirs without taking on the debt yourself.

Beating Bank Fee Increases

Sure, you can adhere to all of your bank's (potentially ridiculous) rules to avoid rising fees...or you can start searching for a new bank.

Paper Checks: Going, Going...Gone?

Are you ready to go totally electronic? Paper checks may be on their way out permanently. Learn what you need to know about making the switch.

How to Donate a Car to Charity

If you need to get rid of a car, selling it isn't your only option — if you donate it, you can help a charity you care about and get a nice tax deduction.

Why Getting Out of Debt is Like Running a Marathon

A few years ago, I ran a marathon. And while it taught me a lot about exercise, it might have taught me even more about money.

5 One-Size-Fits-All Spending Tips That Don’t Really Fit Everyone

From cutting up credit cards to cutting out lattes, these pervasive personal finance tips are repeated again and again, but could be bad advice for you.

8 Invitations to an IRS Tax Audit

Don't let your tax return send up a red flag to the IRS; avoid these common reasons for an audit.

6 Ways to Put Your 2011 Payroll Tax Break to Work

Americans will be paying 2% less on their payroll taxes in 2011. Instead of wasting that cash, use one or more of these ideas to make the most of your "bonus."

Why Your Business Owes Taxes When It Didn’t Generate Cash Profits

Unfortunately for small business owners, cash income and taxable income are not necessarily the same. Read this to avoid nasty surprises come tax time.

12 Ways to Save on Business Insurance Premiums

From improving your building to hiring the right contractors, these 12 things can help you manage — or even reduce — your insurance premiums.

Diagnose and Improve Your Financial Health: A 10-Item Checklist

If you resolved to take better care of your finances in 2011, learn what to fix first — and how — with this checkup list.

Runaway Debt, Can You Ever Pay It Back?

If runaway debt is taking over your life, here's some help from a perhaps unexpected source: rock band Soul Asylum.

Who Cheated Us Out of Our Amazing Future?

In the 1950s, people said automation would create a future where we'd only have to work 20 hours a week to support ourselves. What happened?

Don't Just Think About Income When Saving for Retirement

Focusing on your current income is a good start to retirement planning, but you also need to think about spending to truly have a well-funded retirement.

IRS Delays Start of Tax Filing for Some Taxpayers in 2011

The IRS announced that certain taxpayers will have to wait until late February 2011 to file taxes. Read on to see if you are affected by this delay.