Articles on Personal Finance

Are You Saving For Your Child's College Education?

Not all parents are intending to save for their children's education. There may be various reasons why this is the case and it's something I'd like to explore a little, to determi

Best Money Tips: 8 Money Tips I Learned from Clark Griswold and Christmas Vacation

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. This time, we examine 8 money tips learned from the movie "Christmas Vacation," how to buy a blu-ray player, and 75 Twitter tips

Uglify Your Stuff To Keep It Safe

I buy things based on how they look as well as what they do. But what attracts you to objects also attracts thieves. And so, has the time come to "uglify your stuff?"

Getting Kids Started with the Stock Market

Recently, a reader asked how to give stock to kids in her life in an effort to inspire a life-long interest in investing. Here are ideas on ways to get the younger generation start

Get a Grip on Your Debt: How to Obtain a Clear, Concise Financial Snapshot

Before we can tackle our debt problems, we need to know from where we are starting.

What You Need to Know About Roth IRAs in 2010

According to a September 29, 2009 Fidelity Investments study, 88% of respondents are unaware of the 2010 Roth conversion opportunity. The what opportunity? With only 12% who are aw

How to Deal with Tax-Deductible Receipts Quickly and Easily

How do you deal with tax-deductible receipts that you collect on the fly? Are they stuffed into your wallet until it becomes so distended that you are forced to do something abo

How to Botch Up, Then Peddle Back to Good Credit

As a young adult, I thought I had a firm grasp on being financially responsible. But I never really understood my credit score, or even why it was important to build a good score.

‘Tis The Season To Get A Speeding Ticket! Are You Next?

Yes, speeding tickets suck. And yes, they’re also a necessary deterrent; they come not just with fines and points on your license, but insurance rate hikes. This is also the time o

Gift-Giving Ideas That Can Change Lives

Giving a gift that doesn't suck is not easy. Instead of focusing on the same old gift ideas, how about trying something that has the potential to change the person's life? It can b

Best of Personal Finance Roundup: How to Hide Naughty Credit Card Purchases

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best of Personal Finance roundup. In this article, we show you what "naughty" purchases you should avoid putting on your credit card, how to cook a pork roa

Guest Post: Living off Capital

I have a guest post up on The Simple Dollar that talks about Living Off Capital.

Best Money Tips: 5 More Ways to Screw Your Credit Card Company

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. In this article, we’ll look at 5 legal ways to get your way with your credit card companies, the 5 grammatical errors that make

How to Make the Most of Your 401K

Most of us have a 401k account with our employer. But there are people who've decided not to participate in their employer's retirement program for a variety of reasons. But imagi

The Best Way to Avoid the Worst Financial Problems

Simple living should be about enjoying the good stuff. So, rather than go into a bunch of things you can do to head off possible problems, I'm going to give you just one tool for a

Living Cheaply for the Long Term

Frugality sites are full of advice for cutting your expenses right away. Living cheaply for the long term is different. Call it "strategic frugality."

I’ve Lived Both Sides of the Healthcare System. This Is What I've Learned.

This debate has been furiously argued on both sides for several months, so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring. I lived with the British National Health Service (NHS) until I wa

Book Review: Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money with Your Honey

It has been reported over and over that money is the number one cause of conflict and stress in relationships. This is precisely the reason authors Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar

The Joy of Buying a New Car: 9 Car Buying Tips

There are a few key areas and tips that prospective car shoppers must keep in mind when looking to buy a new or used vehicle.

Become a Frequent Flyer Master and Earn a Free Flight Every Year

Ssshh: don’t bother me. I’m busy doing my Christmas shopping and accumulating enough frequent flyer miles to pay for two overseas flights – in business class. I’m doing it with the