By Mary McKeague Most of us tend to get at least a small dose of the blues over the long winter months, and sometimes, your finances can suffer neglect as a result. Symptoms of financial neglect might include: • Several months’ worth of unopened bills and mail scattered around your home. • You have not filed your [...]

By Mark Foster When people think of retirement planning, there is one factor that is often overlooked – becoming debt free. But becoming debt free is one of the best things that you can do for your eventual retirement. The average monthly Social Security check is approximately $1,250. Imagine trying to live on that amount. [...]

By Lauralynn Schueckler Do you find yourself deep in debt? Have you enrolled or experimented with any debt settlement programs, but that just left you worse off than before? Are you tired of worrying about money every month? If so, you are not alone. Millions of Americans find themselves in a similar situation every single [...]

By Malcolm Johannessen Living paycheck to paycheck with no real relief in sight is a reality for many people in this distressed economy. Mortgage, kids, and gas all come before fun when payday arrives. It can be hard to find entertainment money, but everyone needs to get out once in a while. Here are ten [...]

By Carla Blair With the technological and medical advancements in the past few decades, life expectancies have become longer and longer. This poses a problem to those of retirement age: what if you outlive your savings? Here are some tips to help you make sure that that doesn’t happen, and that you will be financially [...]

By Shannon Doyle How much are you saving? If this question makes you laugh and exclaim “Savings? I wish!”, or creates major waves of guilt and anxiety you are not alone. A Consumer Federation of America study in 2010 found that 69% of low-income households do not have a savings account. In addition, 54% of [...]

By Mary Hunt Of all the people I know and love, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t welcome a small income boost this month–or any month, for that matter. Whether you’re between jobs, figuring out how to cover an unexpected bill, or hoping to stash more cash into savings, get your creative juices flowing [...]

By Mary Hunt One day stocks are plummeting and home foreclosures are skyrocketing, the next day things seem brighter. But whether the current economy is good or bad, the mortgage and car payments keep coming. And what about the big-ticket items? A busted water heater often comes without warning and with the potential to blow [...]

By Carla Blair Food can quickly become an expensive necessity if you don’t learn how to budget it appropriately. Unfortunately, because food is a necessity many people will allow themselves to splurge more often on it which can wreak havoc on a monthly budget. To keep your food budget under control for 2013 and to [...]

By Gary Silverman Many people begin the New Year in a financial hole. The reason? Credit card bills coming in from Christmas. What you do over the next two months can make or break next year’s budget. The first step in keeping your financial sanity when it comes to shopping is a budget. Sit down [...]