Personal Finance

The Costa Rica Lesson: Awwwwwww They Got Me

Get Travel Insurance before you go anywhere. Have and not need it. No really trust me.

Need To Lose Some Weight? Put Some Money On It!

Recently I wrote about the incentive my husband gave me to lose some weight . Basically he is willing to forgo half of his entertainment budget if I lose the fat I gained post co

Get ready; This will be the most successful blog article of all time.

So, what do you think of that? Like most people out there with common sense, myself included I hope, there's no question that’s a very silly name for an article. It almost begs for

Rural living in a world with expensive fuel

Rising fuel costs are hard on everybody, but one group gets hit especially hard: Rural folks--especially rural folks who work in town. On my previous posts on expensive fuel,

Is It the End of 6% Real Estate Commissions?

This week the Justice Department reached an antitrust settlement with the National Association of Realtors that is meant to spur competition and bring down the standard 6% commissi

Friends Don't Let Friends...

In the past few decades the Ad Council has been running an ad with the tag line "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk". This ad campaign has been instrumental in decreasing drunk

Will high inflation persist?

Every financial calculation that you make is influenced by your expectations for future inflation: how much to borrow, where to put your savings, and whether your last raise was a

Unsolicited Phone Calls: How You Could Unwittingly Change the World

Amidst a crying baby, a noisy dryer, and the steam from my tea kettle, I barely made out the sound of my ringing cordless phone. The caller ID flashed “unknown caller – unknown nu

How Wisebread helped me get 45mpg out of my 28mpg car.

There have been several great articles written by my fellow Wisebread writers on gas efficient driving , slowing down and hypermiling . I think the sign of a good blog is that we

Should You Choose a Roth 401k or a Regular 401k?

Yesterday I was talking to a friend and he mentioned that his company just started offering the option of investing in Roth 401ks. He was wondering if he should stick with his regu

Honda Hybrids

Honda is hoping to make it’s hybrid car more accessible to mainstream consumers, which is good news for the environment but may be bad news for Detroit.

Pay attention

Is there an amount of money that's too small to concern yourself with? People make that case, usually saying something like "Life is too short to waste time counting pennies." Th

Money Management Lessons: Not Quite 10 Years to Life

I thank my lucky stars (and the patience of my husband) that it didn’t take me quite 10 years to get a handle on my financial situation. At 29, I’m hardly what you would consider

Debasing not just the currency

I eat lunch at a local fast-food place occasionally. My usual order runs to just over $4, so I was annoyed when I realized while walking over there yesterday that I'd forgotten to

Possible protections for credit card holders

The Federal Reserve has proposed some new rules to protect people from a list of abusive lending practices. The changes aren't in effect yet, and may not actually go into effect.

Make Grocery Budgeting A Game, The Price Is Right Style

Growing up, I stayed with my grandparents during the day on summer breaks from school. Our mid-mornings were usually spent casually watching The Price is Right. Maybe those Showca

Welcome to Container City - How Shipping Containers Are Recycled into Green Dwellings

At any port you can probably see hundreds to thousands of empty shipping containers just sitting around waiting to be loaded. In recent times these containers have not only transp

Self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and freedom

Self-sufficiency is producing the actual stuff you use--your own food, your own clothes, etc. It's not a common lifestyle. Most people chose instead to follow the path of self-re

There are Cheaper Ways to Return to a Greener Earth

The web is full of ways to live green, but have you ever thought about being Earth-friendly in your death? While it’s not always pleasant to think about, maybe we should. If you

Is Social Security Just A Grand Ponzi Scheme?

I received my Social Security statement this week and it was a useless piece of paper to me since I do not qualify for retirement benefits yet. I always hear critics of Social Sec

Latest Articles in Personal Finance

How to Dispute Mistakes On Your Credit Report

Notice something amiss on your credit report? Don't fret. This is how you can dispute any mistakes.

The 8 Most Eye-Opening Money Attractions in the U.S.

Make your next vacation money-themed, and check out these eight amazing attractions across the U.S.

Someone Took Out a Loan in Your Name. Now What?

A fraudulent loan can have dire consequences for your personal finances. Here's how you can fix the problem, stat.

5 Things to Know Before Adding Someone to the Deed

Before you add someone to the deed on your home, you should be aware of these five things.

Banks Still Offering Free Checking and Savings with Great Interest Rates

Tired of fee-gouging from your old bank? Here are the banks with the best checking and savings terms.

Capital One 360: A Competitive Banking Option

CapOne 360 is a great option for those looking for low fees and great interest rates!

5 Best Online Checking Accounts

Whether you're looking to earn interest or for great customer service and reasonable fees, these five online checking account are all wise choices.

5 Ways Gig Economy Workers Can Save for Retirement

Even if your full-time job consists of several gig economy jobs, you can successfully save for retirement — here's how.

5 Renovations That Don't Increase Your Resale Value

Before you get started on a new home renovation, make sure you know if it'll increase your resale value.

How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Theft

Don't let a scammer get a hold of your credit card number. Here's how to keep your account secure.

5 Reasons Not to Use Debit Cards When You Shop Online

Before you place an order through your favorite online retailer, consider these reasons to use credit instead of debit.

How Cosigning On a Student Loan Could Impact Your Finances

Before you cosign on a student loan, these are four important things to keep in mind.

16 Small Steps You Can Take Now to Improve Your Finances

Believe it or not, you can improve your finances in a big way by making several small money moves.

How to Maximize Rewards on Everyday Spending

If you're not using your travel or cash back card for certain expenses, you're leaving valuable rewards on the table.

How to Stay Calm During a Market Fluctuation

If you're tempted to bail on investments when you hear scary financial predictions, it's important you learn how to keep your cool.

The Pros and Cons of Refinancing an Auto Loan

Before you refinance your auto loan, here's what you need to know.

How to Make Better Financial Decisions

Focusing all your efforts into reaching one financial goal is a fairly straightforward process. But what about when you have more than one financial goal? This guide will help.

The Pros and Cons of Paying Off Your Debt Early

You dream of being debt-free, but is it all it's cracked up to be?

5 Things Keeping You From a Life of Financial Independence

These are common obstacles that could be standing between you and sweet financial freedom.

Should You Use a Personal Loan or a Home Equity Loan to Remodel Your Home?

Looking to remodel your home? Here's how to decide between a personal loan and a home equity loan to pay for it.