The reason I ask is how much money you have earned so far in your lifetime is not to focus in on "how much" income each of us has made or hasn't made. I ask because most of us don't know off the top of our heads, and because taking five minutes to … [Read more...]

Check the personal finance section of your local bookstore, and you’ll find it’s brimming with hundreds of titles guaranteeing to help you get out of debt, get rich on your current salary, or beat the stock market. Truth is, most are … [Read more...]

Ever wondered why toll both collectors wear latex gloves? Blogger PJ of Broke in the Suburb explains. She used to work as a bank teller and recently wrote all about why money disgusts her. Aside from all the nasty stuff she saw on cash itself, I … [Read more...]

Last week I offered up 53 free or inexpensive gift ideas, but if you have a little bit more to spend on a few special people in your life, consider giving gifts that encourage saving or financial literacy. … [Read more...]

As far as potential windfalls are concerned, a hundred grand is an interesting amount of money. It's a tidy sum for anyone to be sure, but it's hardly what Powerball jackpots and overnight retirements are made of. So, I want to know, what would you … [Read more...]

A bad economy (can we call it a recession yet?) and worry go hand-in-hand. Case-in-point: My employer announced layoffs yesterday. I’m safe, but I immediately grew worried. Then I reminded myself of the advice I gave on Tuesday in a post about … [Read more...]

The Wall Street Journal is running this article today: Ten Ways to Protect Your Finances From the Crisis. I agree with most of the suggestions, but I’m adding a few tips for us younger folks without big investment portfolios and perhaps without … [Read more...]

What does the 2008 financial crisis mean for average people like you and me? Unfortunately, it’s too soon to say. We can, however, begin to reflect on what these messy economics have taught us, and how we can apply that to our personal finances. … [Read more...]

Susan raised an important point in her comment last week: Credit unions are a great alternative to banks, and I have neglected them in my writing here (despite the fact I am a satisfied credit union customer). And, in today’s economic situation, … [Read more...]