When it comes to money, it often pays to ignore financial news. The media is in the business of selling news, and to do that, they sensationalize it. Fueled by the over-eager reporting, irrational exuberance can quickly turn to …
“You’ve got to see this,” a friend said to me in June. “It’s a new music service that lets you listen to anything you want from anywhere. And it’s cloud-based, so the music doesn’t take up any space on your hard drive.” He played …
Everywhere I turn, I see tales of financial doom and gloom. The stock market is crashing! The dollar is inflating! Oil is peaking and homes are foreclosing! If you listen to the breathless media, it’s 2008 all over again.
One of the best ways to increase your income is at the source: during salary negotiations either when you land a job or during a performance review.
In recent years, of course, many people have been more worried about keeping …
Money management can be tough when you’re on your own, but throw a spouse or life partner into the mix and things get much more complicated. Financial conflicts can cause major problems in relationships — including divorce.
Finding a job in this economy can be tough. Competition is fierce, and even if you have the skills, it can be a challenge to make yourself known to the right people. To gain an edge over other applicants, Michael Hampton, Director of Career Development and Services at Linfield College, recommends that job-seekers master the art of the …
My mother drove her car through the back wall of her garage on Tuesday. Mom is widowed, lives alone, and struggles with mental illness. In the past few years, she’s become less and less functional, to the point where even the …
To save money recently, I’ve been walking and biking for short trips in my neighborhood instead of driving. Suddenly I have a lot more time to think. And because I make my living by writing about personal finance, it turns out I …
After years of scrimping and saving and digging out of debt, I can at last afford to let loose a little and enjoy myself. For me, that means travel. Like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, I want to shake the dust of this …
Most of our friends are in similar financial situations to our own. The people we work and play with come from similar groups, and generally have similar incomes. But most of us have a few friends who seem to be loaded, while …
Every year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics looks at data from millions of households to create a profile of the average U.S. consumer. The annual Consumer Expenditure Survey contains lots of fun facts. For instance, in 2009 …
Many people get sucked into the belief that having more money is the key to a better life. But it’s not.
