If you have ever left a full-time job before, you probably got the spiel from HR (or at least a letter) informing you of your right to continue your health insurance coverage under COBRA laws. [...]

Health insurance is so important, but it’s not on a lot of young people’s radar screens unless you start a family or get sick.

If your parents, university, or full-time employer provides health insurance, fortunately you don’t have to spend much time thinking about it. But what if you’re self employed or work only part-time? What if you’re employed today but lose your job tomorrow? Do you know where to turn for health insurance? [...]

As if our federal tax code isn’t complicated enough, the Internal Revenue Service goes and changes it every year. And 2008 was no different. The IRS adjusted tax brackets, exemptions, and standard deductions for inflation and added new credits. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the 2008 tax changes most likely to impact twenty-somethings. [...]

If you enjoy reading Money Under 30, clear your schedule. There are more blogs to read than you’ll know what to do with over at YPBlogs.com—the aggregator site for blogs written by young professionals. [...]

Did the stock market rattle your nerves in 2008? Although I’m a firm believer that last year’s record declines in stock prices means 2009 is a great time to beef up your stock investments and buy, buy, buy—I understand that some folks are looking for some alternative investments to round out their strategies. And diversification is always a good thing. Here are five alternative investment ideas to consider this year: [...]

Forget the classic quandary about who pays for the first date. What do you do when things get serious? What about when you live together?

How do you and your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife split your shared expenses? Do you have a joint checking account? A joint credit card? Do you each pay for certain things? Do you reconcile at the end of the month? Or do you just alternative haphazardly and “hope things even out in the end?” If you’re married or cohabitating, please let me know how you and your partner split expenses in a comment!

Earlier this week I wrote about the importance of bodily injury liability coverage, arguably the most important part of your auto insurance coverage. But what about all the other auto insurance coverage types? What do you need to load up on? And which can you skip? [...]

I am intrigued by an idea I read yesterday on the top 25 on idea-sharing site Change.org: Solve the credit crisis by empowering people to lend money. Social lending sites like Lending Club and Prosper already allow investors to directly lend money to borrowers, albeit on a very small scale. But what if banks didn’t decide whom to lend money to? What if you and I were to decide? [...]

It’s true, the older you get and the more complicated your life gets, the more tax breaks you can claim on your tax return. But just because you’re young doesn’t mean you don’t qualify for tax deductions, credits, and other breaks. [...]

I just learned about the retirement saver’s tax credit. If you qualify, this tax credit is definitely worthwhile.

In a nutshell, if you fall under the income caps and contribute up to $2,000 to any retirement plan (401[k], traditional IRA, or even a Roth IRA), you may be able to take a tax credit of up to 50% of that contributed amount. (A tax credit, as opposed to a deduction, means the money comes right off of what you owe—or gets added to your refund you receive!) [...]