Top Personal Finance Blogs
Share the Top Personal Finance Blogs on
RateNerd
Small business owners usually find thinking about taxes just as fun as paying taxes but one thing that we can all appreciate is saving some money on taxes. Here are 5 tax tips for small businesses that can hopefully help you to do some smart tax planning for your business. #1 Get...
4.01% High Yield Checking Account – Daily Deal
Get 4.01% APY on this free high yield checking account up to $25,000. easyGROW Checking is a FREE, high yield account that rewards you with an amazing rate (4.01% APY), PLUS automatic ATM Fee Refunds worldwide each cycle in which you meet three simple qualifications: Make 10 purchases with Visa® Debit card. Have...
Best CD Rates for 1 Year CD’s Up To 2.07% – Daily Deal
We found the four best CD rates paying at least 2.00% APY on a one year CD. CD rates change daily, so move fast if you want to lock in some of the best CD rates available right now. All four of these credit unions are members of the NCUA which insures...
How Much Will You Spend On Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day Shopping Survey Reveals That Spending Will Remain Steady With An Average Spend of $86.90; Men Will Continue To Outspend Women By More Than Double. Discover Card’s fourth annual Valentine’s Day Shopping Survey highlights consumer shopping trends and intentions for the upcoming holiday. The poll also revealed insights as to...
$2,000 Mortgage or HELOC Closing Cost Discount – Daily Deal
Save up to $2,000 on first mortgage or home equity line of credit HELOC closing costs at AIG Bank. AIG Bank is extending its $500 credit toward homebuyers’ closing costs through the end of March. The same deal holds true for AIG’s $2,000 closing cost credit for its home equity lines...
5.01% High-Interest Checking Account up to $25K – Daily Deal
Earn 5.01% APY on checking account balances up to $25,000 and 1.50% APY on balances over $25,000. “My Rewards Checking” is a free, high-interest checking account from Union State Bank offering great benefits when you meet the simple monthly qualifications. If there’s a month you don’t meet the qualifications, there’s no penalty...
WSJ.com: Money
Asher Edelman, a former corporate raider, is shaking up the art market with brash tactics and big plans....
The London Real Estate Bubble Is Back---and It's Scary
Looking at the real estate listings here is like stepping back in time to the unreal, giddy world of three years ago—and that has ominous implications for the rest of us....
Bright Spots for the Art Market
Midway through a major round of art auctions in London, the art world is hailing a handful of unexpectedly high prices that suggest a revival in the recession-battered art market....
The idea that a college grad earns $800,000 or more than a high school grad is based on fuzzy math. The real number is much lower....
Taxes: Rates to Rise on Wealthy
Taxes on high-income earners would rise by nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years, under the budget plan. Capital gains and dividends will be taxed at 20% rather than 15%....
Support Renewed for Student-Loan Overhaul
Obama reiterated his support for a plan to end private-bank involvement in student-loan origination, proposing to divert the savings to an increase in grants to lower-income students....
American Consumer News
Businesses Hope for Super Profits from Super Bowl
With the up-and-down economy in the United States, businesses are struggling to stay alive. Business owners welcome any occasion that can bring a boost in sales, even if it’s temporary. For some, the Super Bowl provides this boost, albeit temporary. On February 7, 2010, the city of Miami, Fl will host...
Social Networking Can Damage You Outside Your Social Circle
Think your daily rants about your egocentric boss are funny? Well your next employer may not think so. The social networking phenomenon may seem like all fun and games until it ends up costing you your current job, your future job, or even your next line of credit. How can it...
Try Alternative Therapies for Stubborn School Sores
Impetigo or school sores are caused by either of two bacteria, Staphylococcus or Streptococcus, and are not, as was once thought, from poor hygiene. These bacteria live harmlessly on our skin or in our nose, but any cuts, abrasions or eczema can allow the bacteria to enter the body. Called “school...
NYTimes.com to Charge Loyal Readers in 2011
The New York Times website will take a large leap of faith beginning in January 2011. The newspaper will begin to charge frequent visitors a flat-rate fee for unlimited access to the site’s content. A few initial articles will be free but after that, it’s a game of pay to...
Wal-Mart, Home Depot Cutting Jobs
Recent data has shown the economy in the United States is slowly recovering. However, this has not automatically translated to people keeping their jobs, or finding new ones. Some of the largest retail chains in the country are continuing to lay off employees at a staggering rate. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced...
Credit Card Offers Coming To A Mailbox Near You
In recent years you have probably noticed a decline in credit card offers arriving in your mailbox. Before the recession took hold of the country, American consumers were regularly inundated with offers of credit in their mail each day. As the economy took a nose dove, credit issuers...
Denise Richardson
Bank of America charged with Fraud
The New York Attorney General's office announced today that they're charging Bank of America and its former CEO Ken Lewis with fraud. The charges stem from BofA's disastrous merger with Merrill Lynch and their alleged failure to disclose important information......
Florida foreclosure problems are brewing ahead!
Existing laws and policies don't seem to be enough for lenders here in Florida when it comes to foreclosures. Claiming that finalizing foreclosures are both "time-consuming and expensive" they're looking to speed up the process. If members of the Florida......
Journalists Tracking Education Stimulus Spending -- and how you can help!
The recent economic stimulus package included billions of education dollars. We all know that whenever large sums of money are involved, it is of utmost importance to follow its trail -- right from the start! How else do we know......
Mortgage Company Adds to Family's Hardship
Pennsylvania homeowners Margaret and John Krenitsky were hit with some tough news. John was laid off and Margaret learned she was living with a brain tumor. Most of us, myself included, would think that's enough for any family to deal......
Cutting Credit and Its Snowball Effect on Consumers and our Economy
While the banks sit high and mighty on their perch on the shoulders of the average American citizen, homeowners struggle to come to terms with the fact that the banks simply do not care about helping them out. Today's economy......
Elizabeth Warren; What part of we bailed you out do you not get?
Harvard Law Professor and Chairman of the TARP Oversight Committee, Elizabeth Warren made another appearance on The Daily Show last night. When sharing her knowledgeable viewpoint on CEO's, banks and people in power she declared, "They get it. And they......
How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 3
This article is part three of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. In the previous article I explained how my family and I started our debt snowball by quickly eliminating over $18,000 of debt (completely paying...
How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 2
This article is part two of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. As I mentioned in the first article, opening up our financial records to the rest of the world for the purpose of...
Don’t Be Stupid, Avoid 3rd Party Automobile Warranty Companies!
Third party automobile warranty companies have stepped up their advertising campaigns and my inbox has been flooded with inquiries from readers asking if these programs are worth the cost. Don’t walk away from offers of extended automobile warranties, RUN! Mogi, Stop Repair Bills, US Fidelis, Warranty Direct, the list goes on. Every...
How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 1
I’ve mentioned many times on Trees Full of Money that my family and I paid off over $90,000 of non-mortgage consumer debt in just under two years. Unfortunately, I’ve never explained exactly how we accomplished this and how the process affected our lives. I’ve kept the details of my family’s early financial...
Large Income Tax Refunds are Not Necessarily A Good Thing
Are you getting a fat tax return this year? If you are, you’re not alone. According to the IRS, the average refund in 2007 for individuals and joint filers was $2,345 (that’s almost $200 overpaid in taxes each month)! What has always surprised me is how proud some people are when...
How To Get the Best Price Selling Your Car Yourself
Don’t “trade-in” your car at a car dealership when you purchase your next vehicle! Instead, save a bunch of money and sell your current car yourself. Follow these tips below to help maximize the selling price of your old car and keep more money in your pocket! Condition Make That Baby Shine! When...
Punny Money
Fat People and Smokers Actually Save You Money on Health Care
As our nation stands poised to usher in some sort of health care reform thingy, I can’t help but be reminded of some simple facts: Better health care makes people live longer. People living longer makes the Earth more crowded. The Earth more crowded means even longer lines at the DMV. So it could...
Punny Poll #35: Can You Survive on Five-Day-A-Week Mail?
Last week’s month’s… uh, last year’s (crap, sorry) Punny Poll asked how bad weather had affected your finances. If you can remember back to last year, the entire Midwest of the United States was destroyed by a torriquake, a diabolical combination of a tornado, hurricane, and earthquake formulated by out-of-work...
Why Writing “See ID” on Credit Cards Is The Worst Thing You Can Do
Yes, even worse than beating puppies. Because credit cards won’t grow up to pee on your slippers. Unless you have Capital One. Back in high school, I did a stint in retail selling greeting cards and balloons. It was absolute hell for three reasons: Try tying 300 latex balloons every day. I...
10 Bad Driving Habits You Should Pick Up Now That Gas Is Cheap Again
After several years of almost unexplainable rate hikes, one after another, the price of oil has finally settled to previous levels, and sub-two-dollar gasoline has returned. Of course, even as I type that sentence, I can hear the gas station attendants down the road getting out their reachy sticks and...
Sliders: Mankind’s Most Worthless Food
You know those tiny burgers you can get in some places that come on their own tiny little buns with tiny little hamburger patties and tiny little puddles of condiments? Yeah, I’m talking about sliders, and I purposely linked to the default Wikipedia article on “sliders” which is really about...
How to Save Your Safe Deposit Box From All the People Trying to Steal It
I don’t want to alarm anybody, but at this very moment, someone is trying to steal your money. Let that statement soak in for a minute. Are you alarmed? You should be, even though I told you not to be. Now I bet you’re wondering what has transpired to cause me...
Free From Broke
TurboTax Online Deluxe 2009 Giveaway
The good people at Intuit, parent company of TurboTax have provided me with a card to giveaway for TurboTax Online Deluxe 2009! The Deluxe edition works to maximize all of the deductions you may have. This includes both Federal and State tax returns.Here’s a little bit about what makes TurboTax...
First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit – Who It’s For And What Is Needed To Claim It
On November 6, 2009 The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act was signed into law. This move has resulted in the extension or expansion of the first time home buyer credit which was enacted previously. In order to receive the first time home buyers tax credit you must first understand...
Eating is a basic human need, yet for many it is often surrounded by mystery, mystique and confusion – differentiating healthy from non-healthy is often a difficult task. This, coupled with the challenge of eating healthy while on a budget, intensifies the issue to epidemic proportions. Searching out the proper...
Ever have one of those weekends that you are both looking forward to and dreading all at once? We had that last weekend. Two kid’s birthdays in one day will do that to you. First up was our oldest daughter’s tenth birthday (happy b-day honey) where we took some of...
Need Your Vote! Free Money Finance March Madness Contest Round 1
Ok, I need all of your help! Free Money Finance holds an article contest to vote on the best personal finance article of the last year. Today my article is up in a tough bracket against The Centsible Life. My article Traits Keeping You From Being Rich is up. In order to...
The Government Thanks You For Your Taxes
On behalf of the government I’d like to thank you for your generous taxes. Thank you for paying too much in taxes every paycheck. We love the interest free loan! We’re trillions in debt and every bit helps. When we borrow from other countries by selling...
Liberta
The day you die, the only thing you leave behind is your legacy. What will your legacy be? Legacy is camp for young men, who are still at school (grade 10 to 12). This year the camp is running in Cape Town, from 12 to 18 December 2009. You can get more information...
Reader Q & A: Interest rate predictions for next two years
Hi Francois What are your interest rate expectations for the next few years? I’m especially interested in rate estimates till September 2011. Regards, Zafreen Hi Zafreen I wish I could say with certainty what will happen with the economy, inflation and interest rates over the next two years, but unfortunately the best I can do is...
Interest rates at 28 year lows
The latest interest rate cut by the SARB brings interest rates down to the lowest level they’ve been in 28 years. The prime interest rate is currently touching a 28-year low, which was equaled briefly in April 2005. Before that the last time South Africa had interest rates lower than what we...
The SARB’s monetary policy committee (MPC) announced today that they’ve decided to lower the repo rate by another 50 basis points. The latest rate cut brings the repo rate down to to 7.0% and the prime interest rate down to 10.5%. The move comes as a surprise to many economists who...
Inflation continues its downward trend
The CPI and PPI inflation figures for June 2009 are out. The year-on-year headline CPI inflation rate for June 2009 is 6.9%, 1.1 percentage points lower than the figure for May 2009. PPI inflation also came in lower at -4.1%, also down 1.1 percentage points when compared to the figure for May...
How to display the current interest rate, inflation rate, or GDP growth rate on your website
I receive a lot of emails asking about the current inflation and interest rates. So I decided to create a few widgets. You can use these widgets if you want to display the current interest rates, inflation rates and/or GDP growth rates on your own blog or website. The widgets automatically fetch...
Money Hacks
Did you know that 40 percent of couples wait until they are engaged to discuss their finances? According to a recent FICO survey, some even wait a full year after they’re married – likely a statistic that supports the fact that ½ of all marriages, these days, end in divorce! FICO’s...
Warning: This is Not Another Wall Street Conspiracy Theory, These are the Facts
This is an interesting story about the latest financial crisis, aka Mortgage Meltdown, Credit Crisis, the Day the Music Died… Just last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to directly pay billions of dollars to banks as part of...
Have you ever heard those words before? No, me either One of my "must read" newsletters is written by John Mauldin and it's called – appropriately – John Mauldin's Weekly E-Letter. I get it each week in my inbox; I suggest you do the same. I will caution you, however, that...
How Wall Street Ruined Main Street
Wall Street’s Stranglehold on the Economy Is Choking Americans America’s Founding Fathers were afraid of any concentration of power in the republic. They were particularly afraid that banking interests could hijack our fledgling democracy. And yet today, 234 years later, our Founding Fathers’ worst fears have come true. Wall Street’s stranglehold on...
Bank Failure Revisited: Washington Mutual
This one hits close to home. I was a WaMu employee for a total of 5 years, finally losing my job as fallout from the WaMu "bank failure" that occurred in late 2008. This video points out that, quite possibly, WaMu could have survived on its own and implies that perhaps...
The Real Reason We Need Healthcare Reform
Is this stupid or what? It's like we have to pay more because we can afford more. Kinda like California pays more for gas just because we can. After all, a lot of the gas is refined here and shipped elsewhere, where the gas costs less! Same with drugs. Here's a picture...
ITA Wealth Management
Portfolio Performance Update – 4 February 2010
The data table below contains performance information on nineteen portfolio tracked by ITA Wealth Management. Included are IRR values for each portfolio, comparisons to the Vanguard Total Market Index fund which we use as a primary benchmark, comparisons to the ITA Index customized benchmark, and the Information Ratio (IR). Portfolios...
A Comparison of Active and Passive Investment Strategies
In my files, I have a paper titled, “A Comparison of Active and Passive Investment Strategies.” I don’t know the origin of this paper as there is no reference given. I think it was prepared for an investment committee that was in the process of making a decision...
Read Books: The Silver Rule of Investing
While “The Golden Rule of Investing” is to save as much as you can as early as you can, the “Silver Rule of Investing” is, read books. Not any sort of investing book will suffice. Read investment books that are well-written, backed by research, exhibit experience, and focus on long-term...
Investors interested in the principles of asset allocation will find this article by Geoff Considine of great interest. What does this portfolio look like going forward? Check the screen shot below for the answer. I am using the modified asset allocation mix described by Dr. Considine. The projected annual return is...
Beethoven Piano Concerto and Sonata
The CD recommended this week is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, “Emperor” Op. 73 and the Piano Sonata, No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111. This is not the first time I recommended the “Emperor.” This recording was from the winner of the International Beethoven Competition in...
With over 50% of the world markets located outside of the United States, why are we so biased that we hold over 70% of our assets in U.S. markets? When we do invest outside the U.S., we frequently chase emerging markets rather than invest in well established and developed countries. ...
No Credit Needed
It’s interesting how time and a little perspective can teach us things. When I started this site, I had just one goal – I wanted to get out of debt. With that singular goal, managing my finances became pretty simple. Not easy, but simple. An emergency fund was funded. A debt reduction plan was...
After two weeks of very cold weather (for us), the temperatures have returned to “normal”. It’s in the mid-50’s and perfect weather for doing a little yard work. Back in April, I purchased a lawn mower. I really, really like my lawn mower, and since it has mulching blades, I use...
Reader Feedback Request – Alternative To New Couches
I have a few questions for you guys, my awesome readers. First, a little information. My wife and I have a couple of couches. Structurally, they’re both in great shape. However, one of them has some damaged fabric on its arms, and the other has been faded by the sunshine. We’d...
Principles Reinforced By Favorite Television Show – Holmes On Homes
I love Holmes on Homes. If you haven’t seen the show, you really should check it out. Originally produced for Canadian television, episodes now air on HGTV. The show stars general contractor and renovation specialist Mike Holmes and his crew of workers. Holmes on Homes features families who have had unsatisfactory...
You Need A Budget – Success Story From NCN Reader James – YNAB
No Credit Needed reader, James, uses the You Need A Budget budgeting system to manage his household finances. He recently sent me an awesome email and I’m happy to share it with you: I don’t believe that I have ever taken the opportunity to thank you for mentioning YNAB on your...
Financial “Spring” Cleaning Is In The Air
As I mentioned in the previous post, I’m going through my financial documents and doing a little financial “spring” cleaning. Granted, it’s the middle of winter, but it’s a great time to get my things in order. Taking a break for a bit of lunch, I surfed over to Twitter (click...
Timothy Sykes
Why There Could Be A Massive Short Squeeze On Americas Energy Company (AENY) Tomorrow
Check out my 4 newsletters and see if I can be as entertaining as Mel Gibson Ask any questions in the comments below of TIMalert subscribers you get to ask questions live from the subscribers-only chatroom… LiveStock is live tomorrow 1-2PM EST so tune in at http://www.livestream.com/livestock… . ...
Mel Gibson Entertains & LiveStock Is Live Tomorrow 1-2PM EST [FUNNY VIDEO]
Check out my 4 newsletters and see if I can be as entertaining as Mel Ask any questions in the comments below of TIMalert subscribers you get to ask questions live from the subscribers-only chatroom… LiveStock is live tomorrow 1-2PM EST so tune in at... . ...
Small Losses Make Real Traders & 6 Undiscovered Penny Stocks Worth Watching
This was sent to TIMalert subscribers at 11PM EST last night: . ...
Check out all this site’s new and upcoming features…you’re gonna like them! For those who don’t know SpongeTech Delivery Systems Inc. (SPNG) and I go waaaaay back…months before The New York Post started investigating and the SEC trading halt and before the stock... . ...
3 Awesome Chart Patterns [CHARTS]
Check out my 4 new newsletters As I preach over and over in my instructional DVD packages, namely PennyStocking Part Deux, morning panics on certain hot penny stocks ARE predictable (when specific price levels are triggered and variables are aligned…yes, you have to use my study guides to... . ...
A Day Without Trading Profits But 7 Good Penny Stocks To Watch
This was sent to TIMalert subscribers last night at 11:30PM EST: . ...
Bargaineering
Your Take: Do You Trust Financial Advisers?
I don’t trust financial advisers. I’m not entirely sure why but I inherently do not trust experts in any non-science field and I have my fraud radar on red alert if it has anything to do with money. I separate financial advisers into two categories – those that help you...
Your Take: Do You Check Off $3 To The Presidential Fund?
When you go to do your taxes this year, you will have the option to give three of your tax dollars to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. $3 isn’t deducted from your refund or added to your tax bill, $3 from your taxes is simply allocated for the fund. The...
Insider’s Look at Drug & Vitamin Expiration Dates
After my last post on drugs, vitamins and expiration dates, I received an anonymous email from someone who claims to work in the pharmaceutical industry. They wanted to share some insider knowledge on how drug and vitamin expiration dates really work. A lot of it confirms and expands on what...
Thousands of “Insider” Tips from Reddit
If you have a few (dozen) hours to kill and want to learn some pretty insightful things, I have to recommend this fantastic thread on Reddit where users share all sorts of tips. There is a heavy dose of tips on how to buy electronics (warranties and how to abuse...
Unemployment Benefits Are Taxable
Last year was a year to forget, especially if you were one of the many millions to lose their job. Fortunately, through various stimulus packages and other laws, unemployment benefits were extended to help people through a difficult time. Unfortunately, some of those unemployment benefits are taxable as income. ...
Don’t Invest In The Stock Market
We are led to believe that the best place to invest our money is in the stock market. Low barriers to entry, low barriers to exist, plenty of information, high probability of success in the long run and a lot of success stories. We also hear some of the horror...
The Happy Rock
DD’s Monthly Expenses - January 2010
I must be getting old, because time is really flying by. Hopefully that means spring will be here soon. Below is my family’s expenses for January: $840.39 - Mortgage $759.20 - health Insurance $507.48 - Groceries $450.00 - Preschool $382.55 - Electricity $305.88 - Contacts $168.36 - Clothing $134.07 - Household Misc $120.00 - Student Loan $111.22 - Dining Out $108.65 -...
Tonight at dinner I told me wife that we were down to only $3500 left on her student loan. She gave a chuckle and said that she has forgotten almost everything she learned in college. I told her that was alright since the stuff she did remember was probably out...
DD’s Monthly Expenses - December 2009
Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I have been having a difficult time getting back into rhythm after the holidays. Hopefully I can get back on track soon. Until then here is my family’s spending report for last month. $840.39 - Mortgage $759.20 - Health Insurance $637.27 - Christmas Presents $472.44 -...
Black-Market Christmas - Zhu Zhu Pets
Now that Black Friday is well behind us, it’s time to get serious about finding that great gift. As luck would have it, my daughter wants one of the hottest toys for 2009. You guessed it, she wants Zhu Zhu Pets!!! For those of you who are lucky enough to not know...
DD’s Monthly Expenses - November 2009
School has been kicking my butt lately. I’ve never looked forward to Thanksgiving as much as I did this year, and then it flew by way too fast. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to squeeze out some posts during finals week. As you long time readers know, I...
5 Simple Things - Getting My Groove Back
In case you haven’t noticed, I have been out of sorts for a while. Probably since July when I shut down Top Blog Posts after being burned out. I haven’t been burned out for months, but I just never really got my groove back. I still don’t have an answer...
MoneyCrush
Financial Priorities: Then, Now, and Everywhere in Between
Every now and then my husband and I sit down and talk about our financial priorities, etc. We talk about things that we’d like to do or buy, and how we can get to where we want to be. We also occasionally literally list things that we want out...
Don’t Burn Out on the Road to Debt Reduction
We set out with the best of intentions: we’re going to stick to the budget this time, cook every meal at home, and pay off our debt in record time. At first we do great! We’re pumped. But…then we pass our favorite restaurant on the way home one day after...
I listened to an interview with Tim Ferris recently as part of the Internet Business Mastery Academy’s “Grill the Guru” series. In the interview, Tim mentioned the culture of immediacy that we live in. Essentially, there’s this growing expectation that everything ought to happen immediately. If we have to wait...
Kill Procrastination and Increase Productivity Using These Five Magic Words
Did you know there are five words that will make you more productive and kill procrastination? They’re simple, but deadly. Before I tell you what they are, let me tell you a little story. I am soooo not a morning person, unless morning starts right around lunchtime. Despite that, I get up by...
Discovering the Difference Between “Should” and Real Motivation
When it comes to money, you know you should do certain things. However, knowing that you “should” do something isn’t always enough. For example, everyone knows that they should save for the future — which could mean anything from saving for a rainy day to building up a hefty retirement...
Last week was one of those weeks. Deadlines at work, jury duty, and a cold. Enough said, I suppose. So I sure was glad when this weekend rolled around. And the weekend has made up for things. (On an unrelated note, you have no idea how often my iPhone ever...
Personal finance news - CNNMoney.com
Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study from Remodeling magazine, the average return...
High-end knives, low-end prices
Here's how to get restaurant quality at a budget price....
The midterm elections are nine months away, but it's not too early to begin handicapping them -- from a dollars and cents vantage point, that is....
How to score the last few beach deals
It wasn't so long ago that travelers could all but name their price. During the depths of the financial crisis, unheard-of deals abounded as hotel companies did anything to lure business. These days? Not so much. The luxury travel market is coming back, with bookings up as much as 40%...
Ira and Hope Moskowitz, both 44, have lived within a 10-mile radius of Philadelphia their whole lives. City kids, they met in junior high, got married in Philly in 1989, and settled in nearby Cherry Hill, N.J., where Hope manages a hair salon and Ira headed up software administration for...
The price of procrastination: $455,000
Question: I'm 34 and have yet to begin saving for retirement. I'm considering participating in my company's 401(k) plan, but I'm unsure whether to do so since my employer doesn't match my contribution. What do you advise? --Nikia, New York, New York...
CreditCards.com
Emily's list: Super Bowl edition
In this week's Super Bowl-themed round-up, read about some of the very best credit card- and debt-related posts in the blogosphere from the past week....
When plastic and pigskin collide: 9 credit card Super Bowl ads
Are you ready for Super Bowl XLIV? You may have the big screen TV, snacks and beer on hand, but you aren't truly ready for Sunday's football game until you're prepared for the commercials. While any credit card industry ads aren't likely to generate as much controversy as those starring...
Identity theft on the Oregon Trail
For the first time ever, my identity was stolen. And all I was doing was shopping with a small dog. Well, more accurately, shopping on a Web site named after a small dog....
Charity rewards blog included in the Carnival of Personal Finance
Last week's blog about the pros and cons of redeeming credit card reward points to donate to the American Red Cross for Haiti earthquake relief efforts was included in the 242nd edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. Blog carnivals rotate......
Redeeming Citi rewards points even more rewarding for Haiti
Redeeming those points was one of the best credit card moves I've made in a long time -- for more reasons than one....
Emily's list: State of the Union edition
Learn about some of the key points of President Obama's State of the Union address and read about some of the best personal finance blog posts from the past week....
MarketWatch.com - All MarketWatch News - Personal Finance
Realty Q&A: Added tax-credit benefits for military home buyers
I've heard that there are some extra benefits for servicemen and women under the recently expanded home-buyer tax credits, but I have yet to see anything about them in print. ...
Jennifer Openshaw: Get ready to benefit from Obama's jobs plan
President Obama is rightly focused on jobs. The lack of them is killing America, and it’s worse than you’d think. ...
Robert Powell: Obama's budget crimps estate-plan strategies
The proposed budget calls for lots of changes that could affect your estate plans, and ignorance isn’t bliss -- it’s foolhardy. ...
What concerned Toyota owners should do now
Consumers worried that their Toyotas could be safety nightmares will need to make plans to get their car into a Toyota dealer at the first opportunity. But with millions of cars involved in two recalls, the fixes may require patience on the part of car owners. ...
Surviving cancer and keeping your nest egg intact
Survival is the first order of business when you face a diagnosis of cancer but failure to talk business upfront with your doctor could end up being your biggest setback down the road. ...
Personal Finance Daily: Sometimes cost can't be no object in health care
The daily rundown of MarketWatch's coverage of personal finance. ...