emergency fund

Investing 101: 5 Essential Steps

Investing can be one of the most intimidating parts of personal finance. But if you follow these five steps, you'll be on your way to smart, sound investing.

Get Out of Debt? Why?

Spending money can be a lot of fun, especially when credit keeps things going. It begs a very simple question — why bother getting out of debt?

What to Do When You Want to Quit Your Job

Whether you've landed a new job or your current one is awful, follow these steps to ensure that when you leave, you're covered financially and emotionally.

Put Off Saving for Retirement

With this plan, your retirement will be just as secure, and your first few years will be a lot more comfortable.

6 Common Excuses for Not Saving Money

If you don't feel like you're saving enough money, there's probably one thing stopping you — you. Learn how to get over the excuses and start saving.

How to Thrive in Uncertainty

The economy is still shuddering, but that doesn't mean your finances need to shake in fear. Learn how to stay financially strong in times like these.

8 Tips for Improving or Starting a Budget

Whether your current budget could use some tweaking or you're trying to get your finances sorted out for the first time, these suggestions can help you build a better budget.

How to Create Barriers to Your Savings

All it takes is one weak moment to reach into your checking account or connected savings account and use those funds on something frivolous. That's why it's important to protec

A Crash Course in Offensive Budgeting

I'm a risk taker that has learned the hard way; budgeting is a necessity.

Contingency Plans

Are you assuming that things will go along pretty much okay? Most people do, and they're usually right. Even when they're wrong, it tends to be okay, because the typical household'

Emergency Plan: Better Than an Emergency Fund

This is broader than just an Emergency Fund; it's an Emergency Plan.

How to Deal with Recession Anxiety

These methods will help you to avoid participating in the recession and the fear mongering that prevail during such periods.

Managing Your Short-Term Money

It's easy to find books and articles on how to manage your money to support your long-term goals. You can read a lot about stocks and bonds, retirement accounts, investing in gold

When to Use Savings to Pay Off Debt

One of the most common questions over on the Wise Bread forum is some variation on, "I have $X in savings but $Y in credit card debt. Should I use the savings to pay down the debt?