Some good news on the housing front today as the National Association of Realtors reported today that existing home sales rose 3.5% in March.  But there still seems to be a concern that there’s no real momentum in the housing market as a whole. Talk of housing always reminds me of something Papa O’Hara tells [...]

Following up on the posting earlier today, we wanted to offer still more tips on avoiding trouble when lending money to friends and/or family. Don’t be an enabler. If the borrower is engaged in a destructive lifestyle, and is habitually in financial hot water, be emotionally supportive but not financially supportive.  A better use of your money would [...]

Money is an emotionally charged issue that has torn apart many a relationship. To that end, there are some things to keep in mind when deciding whether to lend or not to lend to a friend or loved one: Just like in Vegas, don’t risk more than you can afford to lose. Loaning money to [...]

Whether it’s your 401(k), IRA or Roth IRA, investing your tax refund now could mean a nicer cushion later. The sooner you start saving the more time your money has to grow. Make retirement savings a high priority by setting goals for yourself, devising a plan and sticking to it. Service the car and tackle [...]

With tax day behind us, many consumers now find themselves counting down the days until the tax refund arrives in the mail, or is transferred into one’s account. According to Kiplinger.com, about 70 percent of all filers get tax refunds and are anticipating a tax refund averaging $2,200. Americans more than ever are choosing to [...]

Because of the CARD Act, creditors must print on credit card statement the amount of time to pay off the card’s balance (and interest paid) if you just made minimum payment required.  I’ve spoken with many consumers and I can tell you that a lot of people think the information is a misprint.  How can [...]

The level of financial responsibility demonstrated by Jordan Lane-Palmer, winner of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s (NFCC) 2011 National Financial Literacy Poster Contest, could be the envy of many adults. Lane-Palmer, a 9th grade student at A.W. Drewfoos Jr. School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida was one of more than 1,800 [...]

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is the recipient of a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program grant to assist seniors who have taken out a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and who are delinquent on their property charges, such as taxes and insurance, thus putting their home in danger of foreclosure. The HECM [...]

When they were born, a relative gave each of my twin sons a piggy bank.  We immediately set it aside, but as my kids have gotten older (they’re now three), they’re starting to learn what a piggy bank is.  Sort of. Here’s a quick transcript of last night: As spoken by my three year old [...]

The latest consumer debt numbers are out, and the news is good.  Consumer debt decreased in February, as card holders held back on using their plastic. Overall, consumer debt was down to $794 billion, as illustrated in the graphic.  This decrease continues what has been a steady decline in card balances.  Beginning in September 2008, [...]