Articles on Personal Finance

Not Taking Jack: How To Deal With Identity Theft

Identity theft can happen to anyone. I should know, I've been jacked twice! Here are two major themes to consider when reacting against and deterring identity theft.

How Dissatisfied Do You Need to Be to Use a Satisfaction-Guaranteed Rebate?

Many brands offer them: satisfaction-guaranteed rebates. While this helps to build reputation in the industry and gives genuinely disgruntled consumers an easy fix for their probl

Getting by on a lot less money: 3 ways it's easier than you think

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 li

"Cash for clunkers" bill passed by Congress - what does it mean for consumers?

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 t

10 Tips To Lower The Cost of Banking

When shopping for a money market savings account or other bank products, I don't believe it should be all about the yield. You should also be aware of how much it costs to bank wit

How to save BIG

A friend recently told me that someone she knows is so cheap that he would not let her use paper towels at his place. Yet at the same time he complains about not having enough mon

The Different Types of Loans: A Primer

Do you know the basics of various loans? If not, then check out this loan primer.

Rebel with a Cause: ING Direct CEO Arkadi Kulhmann Talks Shop

According to Arkadi Kuhlmann, CEO and President of ING Direct and author of "The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause", credit cards are the opium of

Are You Being Ripped off at the Gas Station?

Is the amount of gas you are pumping - and paying for - really the amount of gas that ends up in your tank? Here's a quick and easy test to make sure you are getting your money's w

Recalled Robes, Cribs, and Hooded Sweatshirts: Top Safety Concerns You Should Know About

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about recalls. Sadly, they seem to pop up every day – either an indication of our products getting junkier, or a sign that the government is

Oh noes! Inflation!

The Wall Street Journal has an opinion piece by Arthur Laffer that shows a scary graph of the monetary base, which has surged enormously in the past year. He suggests that this is

Don't let low interest rates make you stupid

When I went off to college in 1977, inflation was high and rising, but the maximum interest rate you could earn on a savings account was capped by the government at a fraction over

5 Strategies To Wipe Out Your Credit Card Balance

I have a couple of friends who live by their credit cards.  Unfortunately, they both have lower income jobs and live in survival mode, while continuing to participate in one financially [more]

$8000 housing tax credit can now be turned into cash at closing according to FHA

As part of the Obama stimulus plan passed in January, first time home buyers in 2009 are entitled to a tax credit of up to $8000 that they do not have to repay. This tax credit was

Should you try to reduce your rent?

Lately it seems that rent prices have been dropping in many areas of the country. Here in San Mateo some residential apartments are dropping prices as much as 20%. This seemed a

How to Save Gas, $30,000 and Your Pride

Learning to drive a car with a manual transmission might not only save you some major embarrassment in life, but it can also save you gas and some serious money.

64 Funny, Inspiring and Stupid Money Quotes From Famous People

We've collected quotes from presidents, movie stars, philosophers, athletes, and even Paris Hilton on everybody's favorite topic: Money.

Simplify budgeting with personal money

Many couples keep their finances partially (or even completely) separate. One big reason is that spending joint money on individual expenses can lead to disputes, and keeping sepa

Borrowers, lenders, and others--beware trusting the government

Having a prosperous country (as opposed to having merely a prosperous elite) depends fundamentally on the rule of law. The system can work adequately well with various sets of rule

Is Getting Life Insurance for your Children Prudent or Prudish?

At some point in your parenting adventure, you may be introduced to the concept of getting life insurance for your children. There are a number of reasons why you might want to ins