The 80/20 rule, or Pareto principal, is one of the most common management strategies to help people focus on what’s important and get more done. Simply stated in terms of productivity, the 80/20 rule says that 80 percent of results come from just 20 percent of your effort (and, conversely, that 80 percent of your effort affects just 20 percent of your results). Today I ask: How can you apply the 80/20 rule to your personal finances? [...]

Yikes! Things do indeed look different around here! I’m making some aesthetic changes to MoneyUnder30.com for some good reasons. Call it a redesign or call it Spring cleaning, my ultimate goal is to create a better experience for you. [...]

Taxes are due in just a week (April 15th). Do you need to request an extension to file your federal income tax return? Filing an individual federal tax extension is easy if you know what you’re doing. [...]

Did you know that 19% of 18-29 year-olds are currently unemployed, compared to just 7% of the general population? We’re also less likely to have health insurance than older workers. On top of that, 60% of us carry the same amount or more debt than we did a year ago, according to poll results released today by non-profit advocacy group Qvisory. In response to these scary stats, Qvisory also unveiled new services to help young Americans cope with these financial burdens and regain a foothold on our financial future. [...]

To land your dream gig in today’s cutthroat job market, you’ll need a resume that blows hiring managers out of their chairs. To help, I scoured the Web for nine tips that will help you rock rewriting your resume. [...]

If you, like most Americans, are fed up with the banking system, then social lending might be for you. I believe social lending is the way of the future for both borrowers and investors. And today, when bank savings rates are tiny, the stock market is up and down, and few banks are making loans to even well-qualified borrowers, there has never been a better time to look at social lending networks like LendingClub and Prosper. [...]

Has your employer recently reduced your hours at your hourly or part-time job? You’re not alone. In this recession, reduced hours are affecting young workers more than any other age group. If your boss cuts your hours, it’s not an easy time to pick up and find new work. There are, however, a few steps you can take to try to win some hours back. [...]

These days, savers are bemoaning the plummeting interest rates on online savings accounts. Just two years ago, rates were 4%, 5%, even 6%. Now most online savings accounts pay yields less than 2%. Although I did write about alternatives to high yield savings accounts, I still think everybody should have an online savings account. Here’s why: [...]

Most don’t think twice about borrowing money for education. After all, borrowing money to pursue a college or graduate degree is an investment, right? We even call student loans “good debt” (as if there can be such a thing)! It’s true: Education unlocks opportunity and, often, the doors to higher income. Still, it’s wise to ask yourself: Is that degree really worth the student loan debt? [...]

Today is April 1st. And that means you have 15 days left to file taxes if you haven’t already! It also means you still have until April 15th to make individual retirement account (IRA) contributions that can be counted, for tax purposes, as being made last year (2008). Why does that matter? [...]